Proposal: Deploy WinUI 3 runtime using Framework Packages for Packaged and Unpackaged apps

[marb2000]

Summary

WinUI 3 runtime will be distributed as Framework Packaged for UWP and Packaged WinUI 3 Apps. However, Framework Packages don’t work for apps that are no using MSIX as the deployment mechanism. This proposal is for enabling unpackaged WinUI 3 apps can register WinUI 3 Framework Package dependency. This dependency should be downloaded and updated automatically without application code required, as packaged UWP apps do today.

Rationale

Deploy the WinUI runtime using the Framework Package mechanism, like UWP apps service updates. The Framework Packages are hosted on the Microsoft Store and automatically deployed to the app’s device when there is an update. This automatic update helps to ensure that the customers always have the latest available version of the library installed on their devices. The framework packages mechanism was designed for the MSIX deployment and requires the package manifiest to register these dependent packages (dependencies) and the packaged identity to allow them be deployed.

Below there is a sample of Framework Packages dependencies from a package manifest:

<Dependencies>
    <TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.17134.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.18362.0" />
    <PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.Debug" MinVersion="14.0.27323.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US" />
  </Dependencies>

However, Framework Packages don’t work for apps that are no using MSIX as the deployment mechanism. And as a consequence, each unpackaged Desktop WinUI apps will need to carry on a copy of the runtime binaries and there is not servicing via Store (for updating critical bugs, for instance).

Unpackaged Desktop WinUI apps should be able to register Framework Package dependencies (e.g. using the SxS manifest) . Some subsystem should downloaded and updated these dependencies automatically without application code required.

Scope

Capability	Priority
Unpackaged Desktop WinUI apps can register WinUI 3 Framework Package dependency using SxS Manifest	Must
WinUI 3 runtime is downloaded and updated automatically without application code required.	Must
App can query whether there is new updates of the WinUI 3 Runtime	Should