Template Kit for WinForms

• May 27, 2025
• 12 minutes to read

The DevExpress Template Kit covers a broader range of usage scenarios when compared to our Project Template Gallery. New project templates support hybrid app development and new technologies (Blazor Hybrid, .NET MAUI, and MVVM).

The DevExpress Template Kit is available as a VSIX extension based on dotnet CLI. It is available for Visual Studio 2022 and Visual Studio Code (VS Code) on Windows, with plans to expand support to Rider for Windows and additional operating systems in the future.

Note

The DevExpress Template Kit includes project templates for .NET 8+ and C# only.

Important

The DevExpress Template Kit is currently available as a Community Technology Preview (CTP). It will eventually replace our Project Template Gallery (part of our Unified Component Installer).

Install and Run the Project Wizard for Visual Studio

In Visual Studio, select Extensions → Manage Extensions… to run Extension Manager. Type DevExpress Template Kit for Visual Studio in the search box and click Install (close the Visual Studio and follow instructions in the VSIX installer):

Download: Template Kit for Visual Studio

To run the Project Wizard, follow the steps below:

1. In Visual Studio, select File → New → Project….
2. In the Create a new project window, select DevExpress 25.1 Template Kit and click Next.
3. Click Create Project. Use the Project Wizard to configure project parameters.

Install and Run the Project Wizard for Visual Studio Code

In Visual Studio Code, open the Extensions tab, type DevExpress Template Kit for VS Code in the search box, and click Install. For more information about extension management, see Extension Marketplace.

Download: Template Kit for VS Code

To run the Project Wizard, follow the steps below:

1. In the Explorer tab, click the New DevExpress Project button:

   

2. Specify the project name and press Enter:

   

3. Select a project location and click the Select Folder button.
4. Click Create Project. Use the Project Wizard to configure project parameters.

Build the Project

Install DevExpress component packages to build your project. You can use the DevExpress Unified Component Installer that adds a local NuGet feed to your machine.

As an alternative to the Unified Component Installer, you can configure a personal DevExpress NuGet Feed that loads required packages from DevExpress NuGet Gallery. To do this, follow the instructions below:

1. Obtain your NuGet feed URL

2. Register the source. You can do this in your IDE or from a CLI:

   • Visual Studio for Windows
   • JetBrains Rider
   • Visual Studio Code
   • CLI

Project Templates

The following project templates are available in the DevExpress.Win.ProjectTemplates NuGet package. All WinForms project templates support DevExpress Skins.

Common

Application Builder

dx.win.appbuilder

Creates a modular (multi-view) WinForms application with pre-built navigation system. The Application Builder operates as an interactive wizard:

• Step 1: Choose the primary navigation system for your application.
• Step 2: Select DevExpress controls. The template automatically creates separate views for each selected UI control.

Blank Application

dx.win | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a single empty form (XtraForm) with DevExpress themes/styles.

Grid-based Application

dx.win.grid | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a Ribbon UI-based form that hosts a Data Grid control for browsing and editing data.

Ribbon-based Application

dx.win.ribbon | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an empty form featuring the Ribbon UI.

Toolbar-based Application

dx.win.toolbar | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an empty form featuring the toolbar/menu UI.

Fluent Design Application

dx.win.fluent | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a Fluent Design form that features an adaptive layout and an integrated hamburger menu with DirectX-based visual effects.

DirectX-based Application

dx.win.directx | Parameter: mvvm-ready

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an empty form that enables DirectX (for enhanced performance on high resolution displays) for DevExpress controls that support this rendering engine. You can use HTML & CSS templates to paint the form’s title bar, borders, and content area.

Office-Inspired Controls

Outlook-Inspired Application

dx.win.outlook

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a Ribbon UI-based form with a Data Grid control. The Grid is switched to the Tile View and mimics Microsoft 365 Outlook’s Compact View option.

Word Processing Application

dx.win.word

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an integrated Rich Text Editor and Ribbon UI. The application mimics Microsoft Word for editing DOCX/RTF files.

Spreadsheet Application

dx.win.excel

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an integrated Spreadsheet control and Ribbon UI. The application mimics Microsoft Excel for editing XLSX/CSV files.

PDF Viewer Application

dx.win.pdf

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a form that hosts a PDF Viewer component and provides PDF-specific actions using the Ribbon UI.

Scheduling Application

dx.win.scheduling

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with an integrated calendar/scheduler, navigation bar, and Ribbon UI.

Map Application

dx.win.map

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a form that contains a Map Control for browsing terrain data retrieved from map services, and provides map-specific commands using the Ribbon UI.

Hybrid & Enterprise Development

Blazor Hybrid WinForms Application

dx.win.hybrid.blazor

Creates a hybrid desktop (WinForms) application with a BlazorWebView-powered form and DevExpress themes/styles. The application supports Dependency Injection (DI) and integrates the DevExpress Blazor Data Grid control (requires a subscription that includes Blazor UI components).

JavaScript Hybrid WinForms Application

dx.win.hybrid.js

Creates a hybrid desktop (WinForms) application with a HybridWebView-powered form and DevExpress themes/styles. The application supports Dependency Injection (DI) and integrates the DevExtreme JavaScript (JS) HTML Editor (requires a subscription that includes DevExtreme).

HTML Hybrid WinForms Application

dx.win.hybrid.html

Creates a hybrid desktop (WinForms) application with a list and detail forms powered by the DevExpress HTML & CSS engine and reusable UI Templates. The rendering and templating engines allow you to make advanced UI customizations in HTML format, and customize the appearance of UI elements using CSS styles (size, padding, and layout options).

Middle-Tier Security Application

dx.win.middletier

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a secured data layer powered by ASP.NET Core WebAPI, EF Core and XAF’s Middle-Tier Application Server (requires the DevExpress Universal subscription). With this additional layer of protection (authentication, authorization, and encryption), desktop UI clients cannot access database connection information or modify database tables directly. Developers can also maintain an existing data context (DbContext) and business logic while establishing remote/secure connections to an RDBMS-based data store.

OData-based Application

dx.win.odata

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a secure data layer powered by ASP.NET Core OData, EF Core, and XAF’s Backend Web API Service (requires the Universal subscription). With this additional layer of protection (authentication, authorization, and encryption), desktop UI clients cannot access database connection information or modify database tables directly.

MVVM Application

dx.win.mvvm | Parameter: use-community-toolkit

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a separate presentation layer, entity model, and business logic. The application supports Dependency Injection (DI), Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM), and Repository architectural patterns. MVVM integration is powered by the DevExpress MVVM Framework or Microsoft CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.

Shared WinForms & .NET MAUI Application

dx.win.maui

Creates both desktop (WinForms) and mobile (.NET MAUI for iOS/Android) applications with a shared presentation and data layer(entity model, business logic, and data service). The application supports Dependency Injection (DI) and Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) architectural patterns.

Navigation & Document Layout

Tabbed MDI Application

dx.win.mdi

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a Tabbed MDI. The application is based on the TabForm, which lets you incorporate tabs and custom buttons into or below the form title bar. At runtime, end users have the ability to drag tabs from the main form to create separate forms.

Modular Application

dx.win.modular | Parameter: ui-type / view-type

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with one form that represents a single module of a standard three-module application (navigation screen, collection browser screen, and single entity editor screen). Any module can be designed differently depending on the selected UI type. After the project has been created, you can add missing application modules by right-clicking your project and selecting “Add DevExpress Item”.

Tile Application

dx.win.tileui.navigation

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a tile-based UI that features a hub page, a section page, and an item detail page. The application is powered by the Application UI Manager component with a two-level object hierarchy. You can add more pages and implement custom navigation.

Wizard Application

dx.win.tileui.wizard

Creates a desktop (WinForms) application with a tile-based UI and a wizard control.

Parameters

mvvm-ready

Break down the UI and business logic into separate View and ViewModel layers.

use-community-toolkit

Build all ViewModels with using the CommunityToolkit.Mvvm library.

ui-type

OutlookUI

The navigation module features the Single Document Interface (SDI) and provides navigation capabilities using NavBarControl (at the left) and OfficeNavigationBar (at the bottom). Individual modules are displayed by the NavigationFrame container, and are switched using an animation effect.

TabbedMDI

The navigation module features the Tabbed Multiple Document Interface (MDI) and provides navigation capabilities using AccordionControl (at the left). Individual modules are presented by the DocumentManager with a Tabbed View enabled When required, you can switch to other Document Manager Views after the module generation using DocumentManager’s smart tag: Windows UI, Widget UI and Native MDI.

HybridUI

The tile-based navigation module provides touch-friendly UX. Individual modules are displayed by the NavigationFrame container, and are switched using an animation effect.

view-type

NavigationContainer

A top-level container that implements navigating between different modules.

BusinessObject

A UI for editing a business object (based on the LayoutControl).

BusinessObjectCollection

A UI for editing a data source or a list of items (based on the GridControl).

Item Templates

In Visual Studio, right-click on a project in the Solution Explorer window, and select Add | New Item to open the ‘Add New Item’ dialog. Find and select the DevExpress Template Kit 25.1.4 to add a DevExpress item based on a template.

Forms

Form

dx.win.form

Creates an empty form with DevExpress Application Themes/Skins support.

DirectX Form

dx.win.directxform

Creates a DevExpress DirectX-powered form. This form optimizes performance in High DPI environments and supports HTML / CSS Markup.

Fluent Design Form

dx.win.fluentform

Creates a DevExpress Fluent Design Form. This form replicates Microsoft Fluent Design UI and integrates a Hamburger menu.

Ribbon Form

dx.win.ribbonform

Creates a new DevExpress form with an integrated Ribbon Control.

Splash Screen

dx.win.splashform

Creates a DevExpress splash screen window with a predefined content template.

Tabbed MDI Form

dx.win.mdiform

Creates a DevExpress Tabbed UI Form based on the MDI model. Each child form is displayed as a tabbed page with its own content container.

Toolbar Form

dx.win.toolbarform

Creates a DevExpress Form with the following UI elements: main menu, toolbar, and status bar.

Wait Form

dx.win.waitform

Creates a DevExpress form that displays a wait indicator. Use this form to improve user experience during data loading or other long-running tasks.

Wizard Form

dx.win.wizardform

Creates a DevExpress Form with a tile-based UI and an integrated wizard control.

Modular Form

dx.win.modularform | Parameters: -ui / --ui-type, -view / --view-type

Creates a DevExpress form that serves as a functional module in a multi-part application. A typical module includes a navigation pane, a data collection view, and a detail editor. The form’s layout adapts to the selected UI type (such as Outlook-style, Tabbed MDI, Hybrid).

User Controls

User Control

dx.win.usercontrol

Creates a User Control with DevExpress Application Themes/Skins support.

Modular User Control

dx.win.modularusercontrol | Parameters: -ui / --ui-type, -view / --view-type

Creates a DevExpress User Control that serves as a functional module in a multi-part application. A typical module includes a navigation pane, a data collection view, and a detail editor. The form’s layout adapts to the selected UI type (such as Outlook, Tabbed MDI, Hybrid).

Dashboard and Custom Controls

Custom Data Editor

dx.win.customeditor| Parameters: -painter / --use-painter, -viewinfo / --use-viewinfo, -popupform / --use-popupform, -editor / --dx-base-editor

Creates a custom data editor based on the selected DevExpress Data Editor. This template can also generate custom infrastructure classes (Painter and ViewInfo) for the custom editor.

Custom Data Grid

dx.win.customgrid | Parameters: -painter / --use-painter, -viewinfo / --use-viewinfo, -handler/ --use-handler, -viewname / --dx-view-name, -view / --dx-base-view

Creates a DevExpress Data Grid descendant - a custom Data Grid control with the selected view type. Generates all necessary infrastructure classes.

Dashboard

dx.win.dashboard

Creates an empty DevExpress Dashboard.

Common Parameters for Item Templates

-dxns / --dx-item-namespace

The default namespace for a newly created item and its elements.

-mvvm / --mvvm-ready

Breaks down the UI and business logic into separate View and ViewModel layers.

Common for Form, DirectX Form, Fluent Form, Ribbon Form, Tabbed MDI Form, and Toolbar Form templates.

CLI Project Templates

You can also use a command line interface (CLI) to access project templates and create various DevExpress-powered projects for WinForms.

Install DevExpress CLI Templates

Execute the following command to install DevExpress WinForms project templates from nuget.org:

dotnet new install DevExpress.Win.ProjectTemplates

If you get the “NU1101: Unable to find package DevExpress.Win.ProjectTemplates” error, check whether the nuget.org source is enabled. To get a list of sources with their status information, call the dotnet nuget list source command. To enable a source, call the dotnet nuget enable source <source name> command.

If you are new to NuGet, visit the following page for more information about package management prerequisites: An Introduction to NuGet.

Tip

DevExpress CLI project templates are also available in the DevExpress NuGet Gallery (nuget.devexpress.com).

Create a WinForms Project

To create a new DevExpress-powered project, execute the following command:

dotnet new <template short name>

For example, the command below creates a blank WinForms project called DxWinFormsTestApp in the current directory:

dotnet new dx.win -n DxWinFormsTestApp

Tip

Use the following parameters to see available command options: -? | -h | --help.

dotnet new dx.win --help.

See the following topic for additional information: dotnet new command - Options.

Additional Command Line Parameters

-prerelease, --use-prerelease-dx-version

Indicate whether to use a pre-release DevExpress package version in the project.

--framework <TFM>

Specifies the target framework. It expects a target framework moniker (TFM). Examples: net8.0, net8.0-windows.

--dx-version <version>

Specifies DevExpress package version to be used in the project. Examples: 24.2.3, 24.2.*, 24.2.*-*.

--dx-nuget-feed <feed>

Specifies the NuGet Feed URL. Refer to nuget.devexpress.com to obtain your personal feed URL (available for registered users).