Integrating React into Desktop Applications

The Challenge

Traditional WPF applications can be slow to develop and iterate on. When working on a BIM design application at 011h, we faced a common problem: UI changes required rebuilding the entire application, and the XAML-based workflow was limiting our iteration speed.

The Solution

We integrated a React-based UI into the WPF application using a WebView component. This hybrid approach gave us:

• Faster iteration - Hot reload for UI changes without rebuilding
• Modern tooling - Access to the React ecosystem (component libraries, state management)
• Better UX - Smoother animations and more responsive interfaces
• Cross-platform potential - Same UI code could be reused in web versions

Implementation Approach

The architecture involved:

1. WebView2 integration - Microsoft’s modern WebView component for rendering React
2. Bridge layer - Communication between .NET backend and React frontend via JavaScript interop
3. Shared types - TypeScript interfaces generated from C# models for type safety
4. Build pipeline - Integrated React build into the .NET build process

Results

• 30% reduction in feature delivery time
• Designers could preview UI changes instantly
• Easier onboarding for frontend developers unfamiliar with WPF
• More consistent UI across different parts of the application

Lessons Learned

This approach isn’t without tradeoffs. You need to carefully manage:

• Memory usage (WebView can be heavy)
• Communication overhead between native and web layers
• Debugging across two different runtimes

But for UI-heavy applications where rapid iteration matters, it’s a compelling architecture.