In order to deliver “constant” functionalities across numerous devices running Windows 10 (version 1809 and higher) and Windows 11, developers can use the Windows App SDK, which is a collection of tools and APIs, in their Windows apps. It’s crucial to realise that it only offers a uniform toolset of APIs that may be used to enhance your existing app, not replace existing app types like.NET or Windows SDK. The Windows App SDK version 1.2, which includes several new capabilities, was released by Microsoft today.
The ability for third-party developers to create Widgets for their Win32 apps in Windows 11 Insider previews and test them locally may be the release’s standout feature. Microsoft stated that it was working on something back in May and just over a month ago, more details were made public. For further information, interested developers can consult this documentation.
Developers can use the most recent media playback controls in WinUI 3 thanks to the Windows App SDK 1.2. Additionally, they can use Microsoft’s cloud-based Azure Communication Services to provide audio and video calling functionality to their app. The Microsoft Teams platform makes use of the same technologies.
The DisplayInformation class of the Windows App SDK now supports HDR and Auto Color Management (ACM) as well. It makes it relatively simple for client apps to keep track of changes to application views. And if you’re using Visual Studio 17.3 Preview 2 or later, the capability to create natively for the Arm64 architecture is another intriguing feature.
Trimming for.NET apps, Windows 11’s Dynamic Refresh Rate (DRR), and an AppNotificationBuilder component to make creating and defining notifications simple are other additions. Microsoft has also underlined that the x64 binary footprint of Windows App SDK 1.2 is 11% less than that of version 1.1.5.
Microsoft hasn’t made any particular mention of what will come next. It just said that it is coordinating with partners in the development community to move their apps to WinUI 3 and the Windows App SDK. The business started doing this last year when it urged developers to switch from the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) to the Windows App SDK.
