Modifying or enhancing the AB Suite Client Framework application that is converted from the AB Suite application might take some time. Therefore, to facilitate a phased approach to carry out this conversion, you can connect a Client Framework application (for example, WPF Client) to a runtime system deployed from either an AB Suite model or an AB Suite User Experience mode model.
This allows you to not only continue development in the AB Suite model and the existing Client Tools interfaces, but also develop Client Framework applications that connect to the runtime system deployed from the AB Suite model. You can use the mixed mode development until all existing AB Suite forms are converted to Client Framework user interfaces.
This approach involves keeping the User Experience mode model in sync with the AB Suite model by performing the following operations:
Convert an existing AB Suite model to an AB Suite User Experience mode model.
Refer to Converting AB Suite Model to AB Suite User Experience mode Model for more information.
Build the converted User Experience mode project by selecting Build from the Build menu. Alternatively, you can right-click the model and select Build.
Run the Client Framework applications against the runtime system deployed from the original AB Suite model.
Refer to Using the WPF Client Container for Windows Platform for more information on running the Client Framework application.
If any changes are made to the AB Suite model after converting it to the AB Suite User Experience mode model, you can update the changes in the converted model.
Updating the Converted Model
To update the changes made to the AB Suite model after converting it to the AB Suite User Experience mode model, perform the following:
In the Solution Explorer window, select the project that you want to update.
From the File menu, select Synchronize Project….
The Synchronize Application Wizard appears, displaying the confirmation message about the updates being made to the converted User Experience mode model.
Click Finish.
A log file appears displaying the details about the updates made to the User Experience mode model.
Note: If you modify the forms in the AB Suite model, you must manually modify the screens in the converted User Experience mode model. However, the log file provides information about the forms that are modified in the AB Suite model.
If changes are made to the AB Suite model, you can use the Synchronize Project… option in the File menu to update the AB Suite User Experience mode model with the changes made to the AB Suite model. Refer to Converting the AB Suite Model for more information on updating the converted model with the changes made to the AB Suite model.
In mixed mode development, the User Experience mode model is never deployed. It is only used to develop client applications by using the User Experience mode interfaces. Therefore, you cannot take advantage of certain new User Experience mode features in System Modeler (for example, List classes). The new features can only be used when the User Experience model is deployed. This can be done when all the existing user interfaces are converted to technologies that use the User Experience mode.
You can now run the AB Suite application and the converted Client Framework application side by side in two different instances of Visual Studio to check if the user interfaces in the Client Framework application work similar to the forms in the AB Suite application.