123. Should I Take a C# Desktop Job as a C# Web Developer?

If I am offered a job as a desktop developer, but I want to be a web developer, should I take the job? Should I hold out for a web developer job? Will taking the desktop job hurt my chances of being a web developer? These are the questions we will answer in today's episode of Dev Questions.

[jamesmussett]

As a Senior Developer, I’ve done exactly that. I never worked with WPF before and I took the position for the learning opportunity more then anything else. What you can bring to the table will always help when jumping jobs, but it’s the potential of what you could learn and what kind of developer you can become that is more important.

[KeyboardKrieger]

I've done a lot different stuff and it was always a great opportunity to learn. For me it's even the other way around. When I feel too "comfortable" and have no challenge in what I'm doing, I change the job to a slightly different field.

[pastorrandy]

My first job after moving to Pennsylvania in 2012 was with Geisinger supprting their web portal. I started working on the web but they needed someone to help with a WPF application. So I joined that team and learned XAML. I benefited from being flexible and learned more.

[Norman_Fleming]

Excellent video/answer/details. We must always see ourselves as developers/programmers first. The specific language and then technologies come second. Learn all you can, apply all you know.

[pavfrang]

Thank yoy for the useful video!
In my case it is the opposite; I prefer desktop to web development in C#!
Let's apply DI principles to desktop apps as

[OldCumbria]

Forgive me for going off subject, but I've found your .NET6 videos so helpful, and would like to raise a query.
In NetFramework I was able to apply WPF implicit styles to a target control type by placing the styles in a ResourceDictionary.
Now that I am moving my applications to .NET6 I have found that the styles defined in a resource dictionary are not being applied. However, if I define them in the <Window.Resources> they are applied.
Has Microsoft made an obscure change in .NET6 that would cause this problem, or am I missing something? (I have placed the dummy string"<clr:String in the ResourceDictionary as advised by someone.
Any help would be appreciated, as this problem is not only going to make my ResourceDictionaries obsolete, but will increase the length of my code in the .xaml file, and I will have to repeat that code in each window instead of just importing a ResourceDictionary to each project.

[DannyHodge]

For my 2 Cents, I'm in a company that does a lot of different things, and about a year ago moved from a project making a web app (with C# back-end) to a WPF desktop app, with no API or anything. While I agree with Tim that C# experience is good, it can feel very frustrating that you're unable to use a lot of the skills you've developed. You have to not only rethink how you develop from a software point of view (i.e. different patterns being used), but even from a UI design standpoint. People expect desktop apps and web apps to look and feel different.
Another factor to consider is that desktop projects are a lot more likely to be legacy, which comes with it's own issues.

[KingSupermook]

To add to this as I have experienced this exact scenario just a few months ago. You may join as a desktop developer, but if you’re joining a larger company you may be able to move around the company.

[Sunstriderko]

I have the opposite problem. I am a desktop dev and since it is my first job I am a bit afraid if I wanted to switch jobs to become web dev I would have to start from junior again. I already have almost 2 years of experience, I am learning web dev in my free time, but I don't have any real world experience, so the companies would mark me as a junior because I would have no web dev experience. Is there somebody who has done a similar switch from desktop to web dev and can share some thoughts ?

[crustydev]

I think preference plays a factor in this decision and if I wasn't finding any other job I would take it. But, I'm not interested in just writing code, I am interested in learning more about backend infrastructure, databases, scaling and other cloud stuff and I would try to pick the jobs that take me towards that goal

[thomstunes]

As often, I give my opignon before watching the video.... and I say YES ! Because even though it's desktop environement, you can add web things into it with APIs and Microservices design....And in the end...only the GUI will be desktop....all the rest can be running like a web application :)... and even more... you still can add a web interface on the top in parallel with the desktop one !...Now let see what Tim says about this :) :)

[GameDevNerd]

You'd be crazy not to if it's a well-paid position with benefits ... you can change jobs again some day if a better "dream job" opportunity presents itself, but get paid in the meantime. Desktop development is actually cool, sometimes less complicated and stressful than other fields of development. But ultimately you have to go where the money is and earn a living. I'm a professional game developer and I'm currently doing part-time work outside of game dev (cryptography, blockchain, security, interoperation and porting code) and I have a contract job on the side doing game development ... and in my free time, I'm following my passions and building a full .NET projection for DirectX 11 and 12 to support my own unique game engine design.

[jonathanbaker]

My problem is I am a senior engineer/lead at one company that i like. We just converted a mvc app to angular and hotchocolate graphql c#. Anyway i am looking at another job that is straight mvc but a lead role with a NICE raise.... i feel like i am going backwards but i am sure it will be good experience....

[CAPITAL_LETTERS-kw]

I'm a full stack developer and I took up this current role I have that deals with DevExpress and desktop application, it's a nightmare I'm telling you, I found out that attrition rate for dev are so high, that the last developer who quit only took 3 months! It's a nightmare, the code is so complex and there's no upgrade in sight, this software is 2 decades old that they don't have any plans to upgrade it, so I see that devs before me quit for a reason, I might do the same!

[ChristopherSalisburySalz]

I would actually really like to work on a desktop application. Everything I've done (professionally) has been console or web. I'd also like to try a new language. I am really liking Golang.

[SixthDemon]

The title and the video preview is confusing. One speaks of desktop dev other one about compromising.

Based on that it seems that the assumption is that no one is interested in desktop development (which is absurd).

However let me say right away - no job is perfect and there always be level of compromise.
Now back to the desktop topic. There is nothing wrong to develop desktop solutions if that what engineer likes or prefers. I hear from 90s how all desktop apps will be released with web apps, which makes students panic and try to do some crazy stuff in web (which most of the time leads to security issues btw). However I will not say that desktop is simpler then web or wise versa, they require different knowledge (based on OS ofc) and different approache.

Now should web dev take a desktop position? Sure, as long as he understands with clear head that there will be a lot of learning involved (same goes when dev jumps from desktop to web). However if the dev jumps to a different field with expectations that it is easy, that's were things become dangerous. We all saw bad code...but have you seen firmware dev making enteprise wpf project code ? Well... if no...then try to imagine it.
What I am trying to say is, if dev switches fields or goes to completely new field, it is quite advisable to have a mentor of some sort, who will provide some level of guidance

[gianlucacrosatti]

I’m learning c#, actually I’ve done already a small desktop app. What’s next? I would prefer not to work as web developer..

[yasser]

I develop Xamarin, ASP, API, MVC, Angular, Win Forms, ... etc.
I'm ruined but I can manage 😅

[iam]

if one doesn't want to expand his her skills as C# stack developer, heshe is in the wrong bus...

[andywalter]

One thing that was not mentioned that is worth mentioning is it is now very important for desktop development to have web development because the best way to build gui desktop apps is always via blazor webview control which came out with .net 6. This means you have the same ui on desktop and even on a website as well.