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| WinUI 3 | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Other names | Windows UI Library, WinUI, UWP XAML, WinRT XAML,Microsoft.UI.Xaml,Windows.UI.Xaml |
| Developer | Microsoft |
| Initial release | September 2011; 14 years ago (2011-09) |
| Stable release | |
| Preview release | |
| Written in | C++,C# |
| Operating system | Microsoft Windows[3] |
| Platform | Intel x86 32-bit,x86-64 andARM |
| Type | Application framework |
| License | MIT License after 2018-12-04;[4]Freeware before |
| Website | aka |
| Repository | |
Windows UI Library (WinUI codenamed "Jupiter",[5][6] and also known asUWP XAML andWinRT XAML) is auser interfaceAPI that is part of theWindows Runtimeprogramming model that forms the backbone ofUniversal Windows Platform apps (formerly known asMetro-style orImmersive) for theWindows 8,Windows 8.1,Windows 10 andWindows Phone 8.1 operating systems. It enables declaring user interfaces usingExtensible Application Markup Language (XAML) technology.
WinUI is one of the multiple UI frameworks provided built-in for the Windows Runtime; the others beingHTML5 (e.g., viaWinJS) andDirectX.
WinUI 2 is an extension library for UWP XAML containing controls and styling that match the Windows 11 design language. It is shipped through NuGet and is distinct from the UWP XAML framework, which provides the actual rendering engine; though, they may be treated as synonyms.
WinUI 3 decouples WinRT XAML from the operating system as a separate package to be updated quickly and make new features work on older versions of Windows.[7] It is part ofWindows App SDK (codenamed "Project Reunion"), a Microsoft effort to reconcile the Windows desktop (Win32) and the UWP low IL app model.
Up toWindows Phone 8.0 WinRT XAML was not supported and XAML applications were based onSilverlight XAML and deployed inXAP format.
InWindows Phone 8.1 WinRT XAML is available along with improved Windows Runtime support. This convergence between platforms enableUniversal apps that can target both Windows 8.1 and Windows Phone 8.1 while sharing most of the code, including user interface. TheWindows Phone 8.1 is still capable of runningSilverlight XAML apps and new features and API were also added to this too (calledSilverlight 8.1[8])
WinUI is related toWindows Presentation Foundation (WPF) andSilverlight (WPF/E)—similar XAML-based UI frameworks used for desktop applications and portable applications respectively. WinUI uses a lot of the same names for its APIs as both of these older technologies—especially Silverlight, but its use is limited to the Windows (specifically Windows 8 and later) as with WPF. The major difference is that WPF and Silverlight are written inC# and require using.NET languages such asC# orVisual Basic, while WinRT XAML is part of the Windows Runtime, written inC++ and available tonative code, and has tools for development, withC++/CX orC++/WinRT.
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