Windows App SDK (formerly known as Project Reunion) is a
software development kit (SDK) from
Microsoft that targets the development of
native desktop applications on Windows 11 and Windows 10 back to version 1809.
Windows App SDK does not replace the
Windows SDK; it is designed to enhance native
Win32 (
USER32
Windows USER is a component of the Microsoft Windows operating system that provides core functionality for building simple user interfaces. The component has existed in all versions of Windows, and includes functionality for window management, mes ...
/
GDI32
The Microsoft Windows operating system supports a form of shared libraries known as "dynamic-link libraries", which are code libraries that can be used by multiple processes while only one copy is loaded into memory. This article provides an over ...
) and
.NET 6 (
WPF/
WinForms) applications, and migrate existing
UWP apps to Win32 or .NET model by providing a common
application programming interface
An application programming interface (API) is a way for two or more computer programs to communicate with each other. It is a type of software interface, offering a service to other pieces of software. A document or standard that describes how t ...
(API) based on
UWP/
WinRT and
WinMD
Metadata, in the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI), refers to certain data structures embedded within the Common Intermediate Language (CIL) code that describes the high-level structure of the code. Metadata describes all classes and class ...
metadata, to bridge the gap between low-level system access in Win32 APIs and high-level programming concepts in .NET and UWP. Version 1.0 has been released in November 2021 after several developer preview releases.
Features and components
As of version 1.0, SDK components include
WinUI 3,
WebView 2, MSIX-Core, and
C++/WinRT,
Rust/WinRT and
C#/WinRT language bindings. An API abstracting USER32/GDI32 primitives known as AppWindow was introduced to expose a unified set of windowing capabilities. The feature roadmap for version 1.1 includes "modern windowing" in WinUI 3, supporting multiple client windows and custom window controls. Additionally, enhancements for power management, push notifications, and app restart are planned.
There are plans to add to the Windows App SDK.
See also
*
DWriteCore
*
Uno Platform
*
Windows Driver Kit (WDK)
References
External links
*
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Windows App SDK
Free and open-source software
Microsoft development tools
Microsoft free software
Software development kits
Windows APIs
Windows-only free software