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wpfuser-interfaceinstrumentation

Instrumenting a UI

How are you instrumenting your UI's? In the past I've read that people have instrumented their user interfaces, but what I haven't found is examples or tips on how to instrument a UI.

By instrumenting, I mean collecting data regarding usage and performance of the system. A MSDN article on Instrumentation is http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/x5952w0c.aspx. I would like to capture which buttons users click on, what keyboard shortucts they use, what terms they use to search, etc.

  • How are you instrumenting your UI?
  • What format are you storing the instrumentation?
  • How are you processing the instrumented data?
  • How are you keeping your UI code clean with this instrumentation logic?

Specifically, I am implementing my UI in WPF, so this will provide extra challenges compared to instrumenting a web-based application. (i.e. need to transfer the instrumented data back to a central location, etc). That said, I feel the technology may provide an easier implementation of instrumentation via concepts like attached properties.

  • Have you instrumented a WPF application? Do you have any tips on how this can be achieved?

Edit: The following blog post presents an interesting solution: Pixel-In-Gene Blog: Techniques for UI Auditing on WPF apps

Solution

  • The following blog post gives quite a few good ideas for instrumenting a WPF application: Techniques for UI Auditing on WPF apps.