WinAppSDK 1.7 Plans

[codendone]

We're currently early in the planning for Windows App SDK 1.7, but here are some of the top-of-mind improvements we're looking at:

• Convenience APIs for XAML Window (such as min/max width and height)
• Addressing TitleBar preview feedback, with the completed TitleBar control possibly coming in a future 1.6 servicing release
• TableView, inking controls, and cross-process Islands progress, continuing from 1.6
• WinUI 3 Designer progress
• Addressing some UWP gaps like Web Authentication support and CameraCaptureUI
• Continuing to address top quality and experience issues

We'll need to report back when we complete our 1.7 planning.

Please use this discussion to provide feedback on these top-of-mind improvements, or to provide feedback and up-votes on other features and issues we should prioritize.

[myokeeh]

Ability to pick WinUI3 / WindowsAppSDK app as a Kiosk app is a gap for me. Easy to do with UWP apps. Not possible with WinUI3 / WindowsAppSDK via Windows Settings.

[smj389]

Are there plans to stabilise the Compositor and Content Experimental APIs that have been in preview for some time? Also are there plans to make it possible to render with DWriteCore in D2D or Win2D?

[castorix]

Also are there plans to make it possible to render with DWriteCore in D2D or Win2D?

I had posted a sample with DWriteCore/Direct2D (WinUI3_SwapChainPanel_DWriteCore)

[MartinZikmund]

As part of windowing improvements, we would really love to see a Application.Windows property allowing enumeration of open windows. Currently developers need to track open windows in custom way instead. It seems this property actually already exists in the sources, but it is not exposed

[egvijayanand]

Exactly what in my mind and about to log as a request.

It's hard to keep track of the list of Windows.

And a property to know the current Active Window too.

[tpoint75]

We need to set the app as owner of a new application window, to make it modal to avoid
It to make it stay on top.

[thomasclaudiushuber]

Hi WinUI team,

from my point of view (and my customers' point of view), you should implement input validation. That feature is crucial when deciding to use WinUI for line-of-business apps. Without input validation, the decision is usually against WinUI.

Here is the corresponding issue: microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml#179

[horaciodiez]

This one from the 1.6 plans Mike! @codendone.

[riverar]

Can you transcribe that or link to it? Reading that image is difficult.

[horaciodiez]

Yes of course! @riverar

The original post
Dear WinAppSDK Team,

I hope this message finds you well. As I explore the capabilities of WinAppSDK, I've identified a usability concern related to ContentDialogs, especially when utilized for data entry. Due to the fixed positioning, the inability to drag and reposition these dialogs limits their flexibility and prevents users from viewing the content beneath them.
Introducing the option to move ContentDialogs or considering a Dialog-like Window would greatly enhance user experience and address this specific limitation.
I've noticed that even some Blazor libraries already offer similar controls for the web.
I'm eager to know if there are plans or considerations for incorporating this feature in future WinAppSDK releases. Thank you for your time and dedication to the developer community.

Best regards,

Thank You! 😄

---

@codendone Answer

Thanks for your feedback, @horaciodiez. Yes, improved dialog capabilities, including those you mention, is something we'd like to make easier and maybe even default.

[riverar]

Sweet, thanks!

[fabianoriccardi]

Another option (which may be preferrable in some cases) is the possibility to create a "modal" Window, so that the user can interact only with the new Modal Windows, until it is closed. This type of window should appear just like any other window (so, it is very different appearance from ContentDialog). An example is provided by Visual Studio: the Options Window behavior is what I would get.

I had tried to build it, but no success (here the details).

[DarranRowe]

Implement a set of pickers with capabilities like those in Windows.Storage.Pickers, but are actually usable in appcontainers and when running as administrator.
The ones in Windows.Storage.Pickers are just not being fixed.

[ghost1372]

I hope to see the TitleBar in the next version 1.6.1

[HEIC-to-JPEG-Dev]

I missed the last part of the call, but do I see a WinUI vs designer coming ?

[ghost1372]

Yes

[riverar]

No news there, but Microsoft India Development Center (IDC) is exploring the capability.

[steskalja]

The designer needs to be top priority if WinUI3 is to replace Winforms!

[knightmeister]

I'd love to see you guys actually focus on clearing the backlog of bugs. You purged thousands of issues people had put time into diagnosing and documenting and I can see the same thing happening again.

You guys are leagues behind AppKit/UiKit and even Android feels less buggy than WinUI. Focus on paying down some of the bugs rather than shiny things.

Also it would be great to see input validation addressed (microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml#179), it's a huge issue to port a large LOB from WPF without this.

[egvijayanand]

Add native BlazorWebView control for WinUI. There is support for WinForms and WPF, why not WinUI? Current workaround via MAUI embedding is definitely an overhead. Adds too many dependencies for a single control.

[Pinox]

Agree. Biggest oversight from MS not to support BlazorWebView in WinUI as it will immediate help unifying the WinUI ecosystem with Blazor making it more attractive to invest.

[solomonfried]

Fix Not Implemented Exception in UWP for Image.Resize.

Multiple errors trying to Publish an app to UWP that references a MAUI Class Library.

[mominshaikhdevs]

@codendone what happened to UWP-like "Smooth App Resize" feature/(microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml#5148, microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml#2506) that were previously part of WASDK 1.7 roadmap?

[tpoint75]

Please fix this NumberBox issues like false rounding floating point numbers and implement the exponential notation.

[tpoint75]

And let us open a file dialog at a custom folder, not only at downloads, pictures..

[DarranRowe]

The thing is, there are dialogs that allow you to set this. Both the Common Dialog Box library and the Common Item Dialog both allow you to set this. While I linked to the C++ documentation, .NET wraps the Common Dialog Box library in its dialog library.
The big thing to remember is that WinUI 3 applications are not UWP, so you have the full desktop library available to you. This includes these desktop dialogs. One other important thing to note is that the only advantage the pickers in Windows.Storage.Pickers has is that they work with permissions in appcontainers, but they don't work with desktop applications running in an appcontainer.
Another thing to note is that the Windows App SDK team do not own Windows.Storage.Pickers, so all they could do is file requests to the actual team who do. I honestly think this would be better to add on to my post above as a modification of my idea to implement a new set of pickers. It'll boost the upvotes increasing the probability of this being listened to.

[tpoint75]

@DarranRowe I am using WinApp SDK with winrt/c++. I tried this Common Item Dialog and this fixes the start path. But sure, I don't want to use this old win32 api Stuff.

[kierenkumulia]

Can we have an ability to delay the registration of appinstaller and delay the de-registration of removals of msix packages from the system if the packages are in use?

[drobzz]

When Win2d full support for WinUi3 will be ready?

[tpoint75]

What are you missing?

[drobzz]

Interop with DirectX. No memory leaks. Performence etc..

[tpoint75]

I only had as issue with a meamory leak what i colud solve usinge the CanvasControl function Device().Trim();

[Md-Ashraful-Pramanik]

First solve this issue please microsoft/microsoft-ui-xaml#8288. Otherwise this project is meaningless. I have built an app but now can not deploy it in release mode to other pc. This is so shame that this issue still exists in this nice framework.

[ChaimCL]

Please synchronize the roadmap

[HEIC-to-JPEG-Dev]

Is there an estimated month for the 1.7 release?

[MartyIX]

Isn't it described here https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/windows-app-sdk/release-channels?

[4OTbIPE]

Is there an estimated month for the 1.7 release?

February+-

[MartinZikmund]

I think even before 1.7 it is extremely crucial to address #4480 - probably something Partner Center team needs to handle - not sure who to contact about it. Can you please help? @chigy