Currently, WinUI 3 desktop apps rely on WinAppSDK for windowing, but CoreWindow / UWP-style Window APIs are not directly accessible in these apps. I propose adding support for using UWP windows within WinUI 3 desktop applications to enable scenarios such as:
Integrating legacy UWP window-based features in modern desktop apps.
Leveraging UWP APIs for input, visual effects, or window lifecycle events.
Providing a smoother migration path for existing UWP applications to WinUI 3.
Use Case / Motivation:
Many developers have existing UWP apps or rely on specific UWP Window features. Being able to use CoreWindow in WinUI 3 desktop apps would:
Reduce friction when migrating UWP apps to WinUI 3.
Allow hybrid apps that use both modern Win32 windows and UWP windowing features.
Enable experimentation with UWP-only APIs (like some input or view hosting scenarios) in a desktop context.
Proposed Solution:
Expose a WinAppSDK API wrapper to allow creating or attaching a CoreWindow/UWPWindow in a WinUI 3 app.
Ensure interoperability with Win32/WinUI 3 Windowing so that existing desktop apps are not broken.
Provide sample or guidance on best practices for using UWP windows in a WinUI 3 desktop context.
Additional Context:
This could be useful for developers wanting a “best of both worlds” approach: modern desktop app capabilities with some UWP window behaviors.
Example scenarios include apps that use UWP’s InputPane, Composition APIs, or secondary views that are easier to manage via CoreWindow.
Currently, WinUI 3 desktop apps rely on WinAppSDK for windowing, but CoreWindow / UWP-style Window APIs are not directly accessible in these apps. I propose adding support for using UWP windows within WinUI 3 desktop applications to enable scenarios such as:
Integrating legacy UWP window-based features in modern desktop apps.
Leveraging UWP APIs for input, visual effects, or window lifecycle events.
Providing a smoother migration path for existing UWP applications to WinUI 3.
Use Case / Motivation:
Many developers have existing UWP apps or rely on specific UWP Window features. Being able to use CoreWindow in WinUI 3 desktop apps would:
Reduce friction when migrating UWP apps to WinUI 3.
Allow hybrid apps that use both modern Win32 windows and UWP windowing features.
Enable experimentation with UWP-only APIs (like some input or view hosting scenarios) in a desktop context.
Proposed Solution:
Expose a WinAppSDK API wrapper to allow creating or attaching a CoreWindow/UWPWindow in a WinUI 3 app.
Ensure interoperability with Win32/WinUI 3 Windowing so that existing desktop apps are not broken.
Provide sample or guidance on best practices for using UWP windows in a WinUI 3 desktop context.
Additional Context:
This could be useful for developers wanting a “best of both worlds” approach: modern desktop app capabilities with some UWP window behaviors.
Example scenarios include apps that use UWP’s InputPane, Composition APIs, or secondary views that are easier to manage via CoreWindow.