VS2019 drops .jsproj (UWP JS) support, VS2017 keeps working

[zgramana]

Bug Report

Problem

Cordova Windows projects no longer function in the latest Visual Studio release (2019).

What is expected to happen?

Cordova Windows Visual Studio solutions open, compile, and deploy successfully using the latest Visual Studio release.

What does actually happen?

None of the above.

Information

Command or Code

cordova run windows

Environment, Platform, Device

The official Visual Studio 2019 release drops all support for JavaScript UWP projects. Per it’s release notes:

UWP JavaScript apps are no longer supported in Visual Studio 2019. You cannot create or open JavaScript UWP projects (files with extension jsproj).

As best as I can tell, the only two paths forward for Cordova apps using .NET plugins are 1) Cordova-Electron + Edge.js, or 2) writing a custom UWP host with a full-screen WebView (perhaps using WebView.Interop.

Version information

Checklist

• I searched for existing GitHub issues
• I updated all Cordova tooling to most recent version
• I included all the necessary information above

[janpio]

Ugh, that's a bummer.

Is https://github.com/apache/cordova-electron an appropriate replacement?

[brody4hire]

Sure is a shame, I just tweeted this sentiment https://twitter.com/brodybits/status/1115291586223583233

I would consider it a breaking change if Cordova Windows would drop JavaScript or Cordova would drop the existing Windows platform altogether. Basically a big breaking change.

[zgramana]

The key question is what to do about Cordova Windows plug-ins. If you don’t need that, but still want WinJS access to the Universal Runtime API’s, then Microsoft provides tooling. Unfortunately, it also relies on Edge which is now deprecated. However Microsoft is pushing people towards W3C PWA’s, likely paving the way for their eventual replacement for Edge.

To keep Cordova idiomatic on Windows, and allow .NET interop, I would argue option 2 (Full-screen WebView) would be worth pursuing first-if the desire is towards near-term continuity. Option 1 has strong personal appeal to it for me, but it also represents a pretty big re-tool. Option 2 would represent a more incremental change.

That said, it only makes sense if Microsoft will maintain WebView compatibility with its future engine. Really, it’s hard to bet on any future Microsoft roadmap given how unceremoniously it ended wwahost apps and the demise of Edge. Their long-term outlook towards JavaScript in UWP, and hybrid Windows apps at this point seems dim.

[janpio]

For anyone wondering what that looks like in VS19:

Confirmed once again here:

JavaScript Universal Windows Projects are not supported in Visual Studio 2019. To maintain these projects, use Visual Studio 2017.

https://docs.microsoft.com/de-de/visualstudio/porting/port-migrate-and-upgrade-visual-studio-projects?view=vs-2019#project-types (second to last row in the table)

[janpio]

There seems to be a few people that care:
https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/content/problem/400513/please-dont-remove-javascript-uwp-development-from.html

Some straight answers from MS:

There is no Cordova support in Visual Studio 2019. You will need to stay on Visual Studio 2017 if you require Cordova support in Visual Studio.

https://developercommunity.visualstudio.com/comments/533740/view.html

[janpio]

PWAs might possibly be a viable path forward as well: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/progressive-web-apps/windows-features This looks pretty much like what UWP JS offered.

[zgramana]

@janpio that’s assuming your project/plugin does not interop with .NET code.

[brody4hire]

https://github.com/nodekit-io/nodekit-windows could be a solution to support JavaScript, C#/.NET, and the app store

[janpio]

@zgramana I would have assumed https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/progressive-web-apps/windows-features#call-winrt-apis-from-your-pwa would apply to your own, custom Runtime Components as well. This is not the case?

[zgramana]

@janpio that’s a good question. My research on workarounds focused on finding a solution that will support .NETSTANDARD2.0 libraries, which wwahost.exe does not. I moved on during my research when I saw it mention it uses WWA Host, but it’s possible it’s support for Edge might not be so limited.

I spent a lot of time looking at makeappx.exe-based solutions, so I’ll have to come back to this and take a closer look.

[brody4hire]

https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-edge/progressive-web-apps/windows-features#call-winrt-apis-from-your-pwa
[...]

I hope this is still possible on Visual Studio 2019, just raised the following issue: MicrosoftDocs/edge-developer#257

If not, it would be a very unfortunate step backwards (see my comment in MicrosoftDocs/edge-developer#252 (comment)).

I spent a lot of time looking at makeappx.exe-based solutions, so I’ll have to come back to this and take a closer look.

Thanks @zgramana, please keep us posted.

I can think of a couple more alternative workarounds in case we lose support from Visual Studio:

• Support Electron with Windows Store - see https://www.microsoft.com/developerblog/2016/05/08/compiling-electron-apps-for-the-windows-store/
• https://github.com/nodekit-io/nodekit-windows seem to support C#, C++, and JavaScript on Windows

P.S. See also this thread on dev@cordova.apache.org: Native (C#, C++) UI plugins for Cordova Windows?