Replacing the WPF entry point

.net, entry-point, wpf

Solution

Some examples depict changing App.xaml's Build Action from `ApplicationDefinition` to `Page` and writing your own `Main()` that instantiates the `App` class and calls its `Run()` method, but this can produce some unwanted consequences in the resolution of application-wide resources in App.xaml.

Instead, I suggest making your own `Main()` in its own class and setting the Startup Object to that class in the project properties:

public class EntryPoint {
    [STAThread]
    public static void Main(string[] args) {
        if (args != null && args.Length > 0) {
            // ...
        } else {
            var app = new App();
            app.InitializeComponent();
            app.Run();
        }
    }
}

I do this to take advantage of some `AppDomain` events that must be subscribed to before anything else happens (such as `AssemblyResolve`). The unwanted consequences of setting App.xaml to `Page` that I experienced included my `UserControl` Views (M-V-VM) not resolving resources held in App.xaml during design-time.

Problem

WPF defines its own `Main()` method. How should I go about replacing it with my own `Main` method that (normally) opens the WPF `MainWindow` (e.g. to add a non-WPF scripting mode via command-line arguments)?

Original source