Build C++ WinUI 3 Apps with Command Line Tools

This repository provides information about how to build C++ WinUI 3 apps with commnad line tools.

Build a sample

You can build a sample app easily.

git clone https://github.com/sotanakamura/winui3-command-line.git
cd winui3-command-line
build

Requirements

• Visual Studio
• Visual Studio Desktop development with C++ Workload
• Visual Studio Windows App SDK C++ Templates
• Windows App SDK Runtime
• NuGet CLI

Install required tools with winget

1. Install Visual Studio and C++ components.

   winget install "Visual Studio Community 2022"  --override "--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop  Microsoft.VisualStudio.ComponentGroup.WindowsAppSDK.Cpp" -s msstore
   

2. Install Windows App Runtime.

   winget install --id Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.1.2
   

3. Install NuGet CLI.

   winget install --id Microsoft.NuGet
   

Build a WinUI 3 app

1. Open x64 Native Tools Command Prompt for VS 2022 and then create a project folder

   mkdir project
   cd project
   

2. Install nuget packages with nuget.exe to support C++/WinRT and Windows App SDK.

   nuget install Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT -OutputDirectory packages
   nuget install Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK -OutputDirectory packages 
   

3. Generate C++ projection header files with cppwinrt.exe.

   packages\Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT.2.0.230225.1\bin\cppwinrt.exe -optimize -input packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.2.230217.4\lib\uap10.0 -input packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.2.230217.4\lib\uap10.0.18362 -input sdk -output "Generated Files"
   

4. Copy DLL file for bootstrap.

   copy packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.2.230217.4\runtimes\win10-x64\native\Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.Bootstrap.dll .
   

5. Add following main.cpp file.

   // main.cpp
   #include <Windows.h>
   #undef GetCurrentTime
   #include <winrt/Microsoft.UI.Xaml.h>
   #include <MddBootstrap.h>
   #include <WindowsAppSDK-VersionInfo.h>
   
   using namespace winrt;
   using namespace winrt::Microsoft::UI::Xaml;
   using namespace ::Microsoft::WindowsAppSDK;
   
   int WINAPI wWinMain(HINSTANCE, HINSTANCE, LPWSTR, int)
   {
     init_apartment(apartment_type::single_threaded);
     MddBootstrapInitialize2(
       Release::MajorMinor,
       Release::VersionTag,
       PACKAGE_VERSION{Runtime::Version::UInt64},
       MddBootstrapInitializeOptions_OnNoMatch_ShowUI);
     Application::Start([](auto&&) {
       Application();
       Window window;
       window.Activate();
     });
     MddBootstrapShutdown(); 
   }

6. Build the WinUI 3 app

   cl /I"packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.2.230217.4\include" /I"Generated Files" /EHsc /std:c++17 main.cpp /link /LIBPATH:"packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.2.230217.4\lib\win10-x64" Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.Bootstrap.lib Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.lib WindowsApp.lib /SUBSYSTEM:WINDOWS /MANIFEST:EMBED
   

   or

   g++ -std=c++20 -municode -I "packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.3.230331000\include" -I "Generated Files" main.cpp -L "packages\Microsoft.WindowsAppSDK.1.3.230331000\lib\win10-x64" -l Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime.Bootstrap -l Microsoft.WindowsAppRuntime -l WindowsApp -l ole32 -l oleaut32
   

7. Execute the WinUI 3 app

   main
   

Reference

• WinUI 3 in C++ without XAML
• WinUI 3 in C++ and XAML without MIDL
• MinGW WinUI 3 Demo by driver1998