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uwpwindows-10desktop-bridge

Can desktop app desktop-bridged via Visual Studio call UWP APIs?

I'm a bit confused about calling Calling UWP APIs from a desktop app. The last sentence of the first paragraph of this link states:

a WPF, Windows Forms, or Win32 app cannot call UWP API unless the app is packaged in an MSIX package.

Using VS2019 I have desktop-bridged my WPF app (developed in VS2019). This process created a folder (under ...\AppPackages folder) whose contents are shown below. Double clicking the .appxbundle from this folder, I can successfully sideload the app on my Windows 10 (and it gives me the option to upload to upload/publish to Microsoft Store as well):

Question: After satisfying some other requirement, can this app now call UWP APIs? As noted from the above link, the app needs to be packaged in an MSIX package. And I don't see any MSIX file in the image below:

enter image description here

Solution

  • Yes. There is no important difference between an APPX and an MSIX package, or whether you have packaged your application using the desktop bridge, a Windows Application Packaging project or manually using MakeAppx.exe.

    The package file extension is .msix (or .msixbundle if you are creating a bundle) if the target version is set to 1809/October 2018 Update/Build 17763/RS5 or later. Otherwise it's .appx.

    Both APPX and MSIX packages are installed and can be used the exact same way.