Universal Windows Platform
ARM64 | |
---|---|
Type | Computing platform |
Website | learn |
Universal Windows Platform (UWP) is a
UWP does not target non-Microsoft systems. Microsoft's solution for other platforms is
Compatibility
UWP is a part of Windows 10, Windows 10 Mobile and Windows 11. UWP apps do not run on earlier Windows versions.
Apps that are capable of implementing this platform are natively developed using
Some Windows platform features in later versions have been exclusive to UWP and software specifically packaged for it, and are not usable in other architectures such as the existing WinAPI, WPF, and Windows Forms. However, as of 2019, Microsoft has taken steps to increase the parity between these application platforms and make UWP features usable inside non-UWP software. Microsoft introduced XAML Islands (a method for embedding UWP controls and widgets into non-UWP software) as part of the Windows 10 May 2019 update, and stated that it would also allow UWP functions and Windows Runtime components to be invoked within non-packaged software.[6]
API bridges
UWP Bridges translate calls in other
iOS
Type | Middleware |
---|---|
License | MIT License |
Website | developer |
Windows Bridge for iOS (codenamed "Islandwood") is an
This "WinObjC" project is open source on GitHub. It contains code from various existing implementations of Cocoa Touch like Cocotron and GNUstep as well as Microsoft's own code that implements iOS frameworks using UWP methods. It uses a version of the LLVM clang compiler.[11]
Android
Windows Bridge for Android (codenamed "Astoria") was a runtime environment that would allow for
In February 2016, Microsoft announced that it had ceased development on Windows Bridge for Android, citing redundancies due to iOS already being a primary platform for multi-platform development, and that Windows Bridge for iOS produced native code and did not require an OS-level emulator. Instead, Microsoft encouraged the use of C# for multi-platform app development using tools from Xamarin, which they had acquired prior to the announcement.[14][15][16] In 2021, Microsoft allowed Windows 11 to run Android apps with an OS-level emulator and allowed apps to be installed in the store.[17]
Deployment
UWP provides an application model based upon its CoreApplication class and the Windows Runtime (WinRT).[1] Universal Windows apps that are created using the UWP no longer indicate having been written for a specific OS in their manifest build; instead, they target one or more device families, such as a PC, smartphone, tablet, or Xbox One, using Universal Windows Platform Bridges. These extensions allow the app to automatically utilize the capabilities that are available to the particular device it is currently running on.[18] A universal app may run on either a mobile phone or a tablet and provide suitable experiences on each. A universal app running on a smartphone may start behaving the way it would if it were running on a PC when the phone is connected to a desktop computer or a suitable docking station.[19]
Reception
Games developed for UWP are subject to technical restrictions, including incompatibility with multi-
Windows VP Kevin Gallo addressed Sweeney's concerns, stating that "in the Windows 10 November Update, we enabled people to easily side-load apps by default, with no UX required. We want to make Windows the best development platform regardless of technologies used, and offer tools to help developers with existing code bases of HTML/JavaScript, .NET and Win32, C++ and Objective-C bring their code to Windows, and integrate UWP capabilities. With Xamarin, UWP developers can not only reach all Windows 10 devices, but they can now use a large percentage of their C# code to deliver a fully native mobile app experiences for iOS and Android."[25]
In a live interview with Giant Bomb during its E3 2016 coverage, Spencer defended the mixed reception of its UWP-exclusive releases, stating that "they all haven't gone swimmingly. Some of them have gone well", and that "there's still definitely concern that UWP and our store are somehow linked in a way that is nefarious. It's not." He also discussed Microsoft's relationships with third-party developers and distributors such as Steam, considering the service to be "a critical part of gaming's success on Windows" and stating that Microsoft planned to continue releasing games through the platform as well as its own, but that "There's going to be areas where we cooperate and there's going to be areas where we compete. The end result is better for gamers." Spencer also stated that he was a friend of Sweeney and had been in frequent contact with him.[26][27]
On May 30, 2019, Microsoft announced that it would support distribution of Win32 games on Microsoft Store; Spencer (who had since been promoted to head of all games operations at Microsoft, reporting directly to CEO Satya Nadella) explained that developers preferred the architecture, and that it "allow[s] for the customization and control [developers and players] come to expect from the open Windows gaming ecosystem." It was also announced that future Xbox Game Studios releases on Windows would be made available on third-party storefronts such as Steam, rather than be exclusive to Microsoft Store.[28][29]
References
- ^ a b "What's a Universal Windows app?". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. May 7, 2018. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ "Introduction to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps for designers". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. May 5, 2018. Archived from the original on February 22, 2019. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ "Xamarin Updates From Microsoft Build 2020". Xamarin Blog. May 19, 2020. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
- ^ "Migrate apps to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP)". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. Retrieved July 31, 2015.
- ^ "Move from Windows Runtime 8.x to UWP". Microsoft Developer Network. Microsoft. February 8, 2017. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ Foley, Mary Jo. "Microsoft wants to close the UWP, Win32 divide with 'Windows Apps'". ZDNet. Retrieved May 8, 2019.
- ^ a b c Hachman, Mark (August 6, 2015). "Microsoft releases iOS-to-Windows app maker Windows Bridge to open source". PC World. IDG. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ "Universal Windows Platform Bridges - Windows app development". Microsoft Developer.
- Anandtech. Purch Inc. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Protalinski, Emil (May 1, 2015). "Everything you need to know about porting Android and iOS apps to Windows 10". VentureBeat. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ "microsoft/WinObjC: Objective-C for Windows". GitHub. Microsoft. February 16, 2020.
- ^ Branscombe, Mary (May 11, 2015). "How will Android support work in Windows 10 for Phones?". TechRadar. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Bright, Peter (April 29, 2015). "Microsoft brings Android, iOS apps to Windows 10". Ars Technica. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- CBS Interactive. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ Jo Foley, Mary (February 25, 2016). "Microsoft: Our Android Windows 10 bridge is dead, but iOS, Win32 ones moving ahead". ZDNet. Retrieved February 26, 2016.
- ^ Bright, Peter (February 26, 2016). "Microsoft confirms: Android-on-Windows Astoria tech is gone". Ars Technica. Conde Nast. Retrieved April 29, 2019.
- ^ "How to Run Android Apps in Windows 11".
- ^ Domingo, Michael (May 1, 2015). "Inside the Universal Windows Platform Bridges". Visual Studio Magazine. Retrieved October 9, 2015.
- ^ Radich, Quinn; Satran, Michael; Whitney, Tyler; Jacobs, Mike; Weston, Susan; Das, Debalin (May 7, 2018). "Guide to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps". Windows Developers Center. Microsoft. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ "Microsoft needs to stop forcing console-like restrictions on Windows Store PC games". Ars Technica. Conde Nast. February 29, 2016. Retrieved March 30, 2016.
- ^ "Create a DirectX Universal Windows Platform (UWP) game - UWP applications". learn.microsoft.com.
- ^ Hruska, Joel (May 10, 2016). "New Windows 10 updates add support for FreeSync, G-Sync, and unlocked frame rates". ExtremeTech. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ Makuch, Eddie (March 30, 2016). "Xbox Boss on PC Gaming: "We've Heard the Feedback Loud and Clear"". GameSpot. Retrieved May 10, 2018.
- ^ Walton, Mark (March 4, 2016). "Epic CEO: "Universal Windows Platform can, should, must, and will die"". Ars Technica. Conde Nast. Retrieved May 10, 2019.
- ^ Takahashi, Dean (March 4, 2016). "Epic's Tim Sweeney questions Microsoft's commitment to an open Windows platform". VentureBeat.
- ^ Bright, Peter (June 16, 2016). "Microsoft will use Steam to sell Windows games, not just its own store". Ars Technica. Condé Nast.
- CBS Interactive.
- ^ Spencer, Phil (May 30, 2019). "Our Approach to PC Gaming". Xbox. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
- ^ Humphries, Matthew (May 30, 2019). "Microsoft Teases Xbox Game Pass for PC". PCMag. Retrieved May 30, 2019.
External links
- Guide to Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps
- WindowsCommunityToolkit on GitHub
- Windows apps concept mapping for Android and iOS developers a comparison of UWP, Android, and iOS from a programmer's point of view