Setup and Start

Learn how to get Setup and Start with Windows App SDK with this Tutorial

Setup and Start

Windows App SDK provides a modern development platform for developing applications for Windows 11, but you can also develop applications for Windows 10 version 1809 and later.

Setup

You will need to enable Developer Mode in Windows if this has not been enabled then you can do so with the following for Windows 11

Right-click on Start then select or search for Settings from the Start Menu and then select it.
Settings
Next from Settings select Privacy & security
Privacy and Security
Then in Privacy & security select For developers
For developers
Finally in For developers make sure that the Toggle in Developer mode underneath Install apps from any source, including loose files is set to On if it is not already.
Developer mode

Install

Windows App SDK applications can be created using Visual Studio 2022 to Install it, if this has not been done already or to check you have what you need, you can do so with the following:

Visit visualstudio.com from your Browser, then from the Download Visual Studio section you can pick Community 2022 which is a version of Visual Studio 2022 that you can use for free to create your own applications with.
Visual Studio Versions
Next once the Download has completed from the Thank you for downloading Visual Studio screen choose the Open file option or similar in your Browser or find the VisualStudioSetup.exe in your Downloads and double-click on it.
Download Visual Studio
Once the VisualStudioSetup.exe has started this will launch the Visual Studio Installer, select Continue to begin installation.
Visual Studio Installer
Next select .NET desktop development from the Workloads section in the Visual Studio Installer.
.NET desktop development workload
Then from Installation details make sure that Windows App SDK C# Templates is selected and then select Install or Modify and follow any further instructions to complete the installation of Visual Studio 2022 and the Windows App SDK.
Windows App SDK C# Templates

Start

To create an application using the Windows App SDK you will need to open Visual Studio 2022 and Create a new project, by doing the following:

In Windows 11 choose Start and then find or search for Visual Studio 2022 and then select it.
Visual Studio 2022
Once Visual Studio 2022 has started select Create a new project.
Create a new project
Then choose the Blank App, Packages (WinUI in Desktop) and then select Next.
Blank App, Packages (WinUI in Desktop)
After that in Configure your new project pick a Project name and Location and then select Create
Configure project

Finally, the Solution for your application will be opened in Visual Studio 2022

Visual Studio Solution

Guide

Visual Studio has a Menu at the top of the Window, when you need to do something from the Menu this is where you need to do it and there is also a Search box to find commands if needed.

Visual Studio Menu

In Visual Studio, below the Menu is the Toolbar options include Debug shown with the name of the application which will start your application along with other options including Save, although please note your Toolbar may look different.

Visual Studio Toolbar

When your application is running, the Toolbar will change to include other options including Stop to finish Debugging and Close your application although again your Toolbar may look different.

Visual Studio Toolbar Running

When a Solution has been opened or created in Visual Studio to then Edit or Add any XAML for the Main Window for your application in Visual Studio from Solution Explorer double-click on MainWindow.xaml for the XAML of Main Window.

Visual Studio XAML View

Then to Edit or Add any Code for the Main Window for your application, from Solution Explorer select the arrow next to MainWindow.xaml to reveal MainWindow.xaml.cs then double-click on it to for the Code for the Main Window.

Visual Studio Code View

If you need to Add anything else to your application, in Visual Studio from Solution Explorer right-click on the Project which is displayed under the Solution and then select the Add then New Item... option.

Visual Studio Add New Item

In Add New Item you could select Code File in Code for a Class such as Library.cs or a Blank Page in WinUI, and then select the Add to include this new item in your application.
Once done you should be ready to start developing the Windows App SDK with this from tutorialr.com!