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Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: hub/apps/desktop/modernize/index.md
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description: Add modern XAML user interfaces, create MSIX packages, and incorporate other modern components into your desktop application.
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title: Modernize your desktop apps for Windows
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ms.topic: article
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ms.date: 01/28/2026
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ms.date: 02/27/2026
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ms.localizationpriority: medium
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---
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@@ -61,39 +61,16 @@ For more information, see [Use MSIX framework packages dynamically from your des
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For more information, see [What's new in .NET 10](/dotnet/core/whats-new/dotnet-10/overview).
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## Host WinRT XAML controls (XAML Islands)
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## Host WinUI XAML controls (XAML Islands)
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Starting with Windows 10, version 1903, you can add [UWP XAML controls](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/controls-by-function) directly to any UI element in a WPF, Windows Forms, or C++ desktop app that is associated with a window handle (HWND). This means that you can fully integrate the latest UWP features such as [Windows Ink](/windows/uwp/design/input/pen-and-stylus-interactions) and controls that support the [Fluent Design System](/windows/uwp/design/fluent-design-system/index) into windows and other display surfaces in your desktop apps. This developer scenario is sometimes called *XAML islands*.
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For more information, see [WinRT XAML controls in desktop apps](xaml-islands/xaml-islands.md)
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## Use the Visual layer in desktop apps
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You can now use Windows Runtime APIs in non-UWP desktop apps to enhance the look, feel, and functionality of your WPF, Windows Forms, and C++ desktop apps, and take advantage of the latest Windows UI features that are only available via UWP. This is useful when you need to create custom experiences that go beyond the built-in WinRT XAML controls you can host by using XAML Islands.
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You can add [WinUI XAML controls](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/controls-by-function) directly to any UI element in a WPF, Windows Forms, or C++ desktop app that is associated with a window handle (HWND). This means that you can fully integrate the latest WinUI features and controls that support the [Fluent Design System](../../design/index.md) into windows and other display surfaces in your desktop apps. This developer scenario is sometimes called *XAML islands*.
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For more information, see [Modernize your desktop app using the Visual layer](ui/visual-layer-in-desktop-apps.md).
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## Additional features available to apps with package identity
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Some modern Windows experiences are available only to desktop apps that have [package identity](/uwp/schemas/appxpackage/uapmanifestschema/element-identity) at runtime. These features include certain Windows Runtime APIs, package extensions, and UWP components. For more info, see [Features that require package identity](modernize-packaged-apps.md).
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<aid="desktop-uwp-controls"></a>
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## WinRT XAML controls optimized for desktop apps
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Whether you're building a UWP app that exclusively targets the desktop device family or you want to use WinRT XAML controls in a WPF, Windows Forms, or C++ desktop app, the following new and updated WinRT XAML controls are designed to offer desktop-optimized experiences with the [Fluent Design System](/windows/uwp/design/fluent-design-system/index). These controls were introduced in Windows 10, version 1809 (the October 2018 Update, or version 10.0.17763).
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| Control | Description |
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|------ |--------------|
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|[MenuBar](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/menus#create-a-menu-bar)| Provides a quick and simple way to expose a set of commands for apps that might need more organization or grouping than a **CommandBar** allows. |
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|[DropDownButton](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/buttons#create-a-drop-down-button)| Shows a chevron as a visual indicator that it has an attached flyout that contains more options. |
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|[SplitButton](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/buttons#create-a-split-button)| Provides a button has two parts that can be invoked separately. One part behaves like a standard button and invokes an immediate action. The other part invokes a flyout that contains additional options that the user can choose from.|
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|[ToggleSplitButton](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/buttons#create-a-toggle-split-button)| Provides a button has two parts that can be invoked separately. One part behaves like a toggle button that can be on or off. The other part invokes a flyout that contains additional options that the user can choose from. |
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|[CommandBarFlyout](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/command-bar-flyout)| Lets you show common user tasks in the context of an item on your UI canvas. |
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|[ComboBox](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/combo-box#make-a-combo-box-editable)| You can now make a combo box editable so the user can enter values that aren't listed in the control. |
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|[TreeView](/windows/uwp/design/controls-and-patterns/tree-view)| You can now configure a tree view to enable data binding, item templates, and drag and drop. |
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|[DataGridView](/windows/communitytoolkit/controls/datagrid)| Provides a flexible way to display a collection of data in rows and columns. This control is available in the [Windows Community Toolkit](/windows/uwpcommunitytoolkit/). |
Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: uwp/xaml-islands/host-custom-control-with-xaml-islands-cpp.md
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4. Right-click the **MyUWPApp** node and select **Properties**. On the **Common Properties** -> **C++/WinRT** page, set the **Verbosity** property to **normal** and then click **Apply**. When you are done, the properties page should look like this.
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5. On the **Configuration Properties** -> **General** page of the properties window, set **Configuration Type** to **Dynamic Library (.dll)**, and then click **OK** to close the properties window.
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6. Add a placeholder executable file to the **MyUWPApp** project. This placeholder executable file is required for Visual Studio to generate the required project files and properly build the project.
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1. In **Solution Explorer**, right-click the **MyUWPApp** project node and select **Add** -> **New Item**.
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2. In the **Add New Item** dialog, select **Utility** in the left page, and then select **Text File (.txt)**. Enter the name **placeholder.exe** and click **Add**.
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3. In **Solution Explorer**, select the **placeholder.exe** file. In the **Properties** window, make sure the **Content** property is set to **True**.
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4. In **Solution Explorer**, right-click the **Package.appxmanifest** file in the **MyUWPApp** project, select **Open With**, and select **XML (Text) Editor**, and click **OK**.
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5. Find the **<Application>** element and change the **Executable** attribute to the value `placeholder.exe`. When you are done, the **<Application>** element should look similar to this.
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5. Repeat the previous step to add the **Solution.props** file to the **MyUWPApp** project in the **Property Manager** window.
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6. Close the **Property Manager** window.
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7. Confirm that the property sheet changes were saved properly. In **Solution Explorer**, right-click the **MyDesktopWin32App** project and choose **Properties**. Click **Configuration Properties** -> **General**, and confirm that the **Output Directory** and **Intermediate Directory** properties have the values you added to the **Solution.props** file. You can also confirm the same for the **MyUWPApp** project.
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8. In **Solution Explorer**, right-click the solution node and choose **Project Dependencies**. In the **Projects** drop-down, make sure that **MyDesktopWin32App** is selected, and select **MyUWPApp** in the **Depends On** list.
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9. Click **OK**.
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1. Add a new [Windows Application Packaging Project](/windows/msix/desktop/desktop-to-uwp-packaging-dot-net) to your solution. As you create the project, name it **MyDesktopWin32Project** and select **Windows 10, version 1903 (10.0; Build 18362)** for both the **Target version** and **Minimum version**.
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2. In the packaging project, right-click the **Applications** node and choose **Add reference**. In the list of projects, select the check box next to the **MyDesktopWin32App** project and click **OK**.
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3. For info about distributing/deploying the package, see [Manage your MSIX deployment](/windows/msix/desktop/managing-your-msix-deployment-overview).
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5. Right-click the **MyDesktopWin32App** project, select **Properties**, and expand **Manifest Tool** -> **Input and Output** in the left pane. Set the **DPI Awareness** property to **Per Monitor High DPI Aware**. If you do not set this property, you may encounter a manifest configuration error in certain high DPI scenarios.
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6. Click **OK** to close the **Property Pages** dialog.
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Run the solution and confirm that **MyDesktopWin32App** opens with the following window.
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Copy file name to clipboardExpand all lines: uwp/xaml-islands/host-custom-control-with-xaml-islands.md
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If you're hosting a custom control that contains a control from the WinUI library, you may encounter a problem where the control cannot be loaded in a packaged app and debugging the code shows the following error.
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To resolve this error, copy the **App.xbf** file from the build output folder of the WPF project to the **\AppX\\<WPF project\>** build output folder of the packaging project.
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