Ditch the Dinosaurs: GAP Unleashes .NET AI-Powered Blazor Migration Madness!

GAP just dropped a bombshell at .NET Conf that'll make you ditch old desktop apps faster than you can say "Blazor". 
GAP's new AI-powered tools are here to teleport your legacy apps into the glorious future of web development.

WebMAP for Blazor: Your AI-Powered Time Machine

We're very excited to unveil WebMAP for Blazor, a new tool that migrates WinForms apps to modern, web and browser-based Blazor.

Here's a quick side by side video of WebMAP for Blazor showing a converted application from Winforms to Blazor:

Blazor: C# in the Browser (!)

Blazor enables C# developers to build interactive web UIs using C# instead of JavaScript. This eliminates the need to fight with JavaScript's quirks and complexities, allowing you to use all of your .NET skills (and codebase). Blazor applications are renowned for their speed and efficiency.

What's So Great About WebMAP for Blazor

Migrating a WinForms app to Blazor is kind of a big deal. That's why WebMAP for Blazor is awesome - it simplifies the process in a whole bunch of ways including:

• Automated conversion: WebMAP automatically (automagically, really) converts your C# code into Blazor components. Seriously, you feed in a C# app and you get a Blazor app. 
• Preservation of business logic: Your core application logic remains intact, minimizing the need for extensive (and expensive) rewrites.
• Readable and maintainable code: WebMAP generates clean, well-structured Blazor code that's easy to understand and maintain.
• HUGELY reduced manual effort: WebMAP significantly reduces the time and effort required for migration, freeing your developers to focus on optimization and new feature development (the fun stuff!).

Why Migrate from WinForms to Blazor?

Blazor injects new life into your aging WinForms apps. By migrating to Blazor, you can:

• Modernize your UI: Provide a sleek, contemporary web interface that improves the user experience.
• Eliminate deployment headaches: Cumbersome installations and compatibilty issues are the hallmark of desktop apps and are greatly reduced with the web.
• Improve maintainability: Blazor's component-based architecture is much easier to maintain and is a way better option for your future development.
• BONUS! Expand your reach: You can now make your desktop apps (formerly tethered to the desktop I might add) accessible on any device with a web browser. This HUGELY increases your reach.

WebMAP Conversion Process

WebMAP for Blazor intelligently handles the intricacies of migrating your WinForms app to a web-based environment. Here's how we do it:

• Project structure transformation: WebMAP adapts your project structure from a desktop-oriented format to a Blazor web application structure
• UI adaptation: WinForms UI elements are transformed into their Blazor web counterparts, ensuring a familiar user experience.
• Event handling modification: Event handling mechanisms are modified to align with the web environment.
• Deployment guidance: GAP provides guidance on deploying your new Blazor app to various web servers.
• UI recreation: WebMAP employs a combination of standard Blazor controls and custom-built Blazor elements to faithfully recreate complex WinForms controls.

Blazor Server Hosting Model

WebMAP currently uses the Blazor Server hosting model. This choice is driven by the desire to provide faster initial load times and to support projects with existing codebases that may not have a clear separation of concerns.

Addressing Migration Challenges

WebMAP for Blazor is designed to handle a wide range of WinForms applications, but certain factors can increase the migration complexity:

• Hardware device access: Applications that interact with specialized hardware my require custom solutions or the use of web services to bridge the gap between the web app and the hardware
• System integration: Complex integrations with external systems may need re-architecting to align with the web
• Complex UI features: Highly customized or intricate UI elements may require manual adjustments or may need custom Blazor components (which either we can write or you can write)

GAP: We Know Code Modernization Better than Anyone

GAP is not just a provider of migration tools; we are your partners in digital transformation. Our team of Blazor experts, cloud architects, and software engineers can assist you with:

• Performance Optimization: Fine-tuning your Blazor application for optimal speed and efficiency.
• Security Enhancements: Implementing robust authentication and authorization mechanisms.
• Cloud Integration: Leveraging cloud services to add new functionalities and scalability.
• UI/UX Modernization: Enhancing the user interface and optimizing user experience.
• Ongoing Support and Maintenance: Ensuring your application remains secure, up-to-date, and optimized.

Join the WebMAP for Blazor Prerelease

We invite you to apply for the WebMAP for Blazor prerelease, launching in Q1 2025. Be among the first to experience this powerful migration tool and help us shape its future.

Let’s dive into how GAP’s latest offerings can make migration projects feel more like a power boost than a project hurdle.

VBUC Now Supporting .NET 9

In addition to WebMAP for Blazor, GAP also announced new capabilities within its Visual Basic Upgrade Companion (VBUC), which now supports the latest .NET 9 framework. With VBUC 10.3, developers can transition their VB6 code to .NET 9 seamlessly. Some highlights include:

Enhanced Pattern Matching: Cleaner code and simpler logic structures improve readability and maintainability for long-term code sustainability.

Improved NuGet Tooltips: Navigating dependencies can often be a challenge in .NET. VBUC’s updated tooltips make managing them far easier, especially for those integrating with various Microsoft libraries.

Check out this video showcasing a demo of a VB6 app converted to C#/.NET 9 with VBUC: 

Test out a free trial of VBUC 10.3 today! If you already have VBUC downloaded, you an still download the newest version and update to include these exciting new features!

Introducing ByteInsight: Analyze Your Application and Legacy Code

To complete its suite of modernization solutions, GAP is launching ByteInsight, a new and free static code analysis tool.

ByteInsight is designed for developers looking to enhance code quality and security in their .NET 9 applications. By delivering detailed reports, ByteInsight makes it easier to identify potential vulnerabilities and optimize code structure, empowering developers to produce high-quality applications.

All you have to do is download the tool and point it to an identified root folder and it'll do the rest! Try it out today:

GAP at .NET Conf

As a proud sponsor of .NET Conf,  the largest .NET conference in the world, GAP is showcasing these new tools and technologies with the aim of helping developers worldwide modernize their applications with confidence and efficiency. Attendees can learn more about GAP’s solutions by visiting the GAP landing page.