Merge pull request #6105 from MicrosoftDocs/main

Auto Publish – main to live - 2025-12-11 05:00 UTC

Author: learn-build-service-prod[bot]

hub/apps/design/images/header-design.png

@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ ms.localizationpriority: medium
 
 # Design for Windows apps
 
+:::image type="content" source="images/header-design.png" alt-text="A stylized blue brush and shapes representing design tools against a light gradient background" border="false":::
+
+---
+
 Here, you'll find design guidelines and examples for creating Windows app experiences. Windows 11 incorporates Fluent's design language and principles for a cohesive look and feel that's uniquely Microsoft.
 
 To get the building blocks for crafting Windows experiences, use WinUI. These components incorporate Fluent's design language, so you can be confident you're building great experiences within the Fluent ecosystem.

hub/apps/design/index.md

@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 items:
   - name: Build Windows apps
     href: ../desktop/index.yml
-  - name: Overview
+  - name: Design overview
     href: index.md
   - name: Color
     href: signature-experiences/color.md

hub/apps/design/toc.yml

@@ -20,41 +20,64 @@ landingContent:
         links:
           - text: What's new in Windows development
             url: /windows/apps/whats-new/whats-new-for-developers
-          - text: Start here!
+          - text: Setup and tools
             url: ../get-started/start-here.md
-          - text: An overview of Windows development options
+          - text: An overview of UI frameworks
             url: ../get-started/index.md
-          - text: Learning paths and modules
-            url: /training/browse/?products=windows
-          - text: Code samples
-            url: /samples/browse/?products=windows
-
+          - text: Window App SDK
+            url: ../windows-app-sdk/index.md
 
   - title: Design and UI
     linkLists:
       - linkListType: overview
         links:
-          - text: Design and code your app UI
+          - text: Design your app
             url: ../design/index.md
-          - text: Windows 11 design principles
-            url: ../design/signature-experiences/design-principles.md
+          - text: Design resources and tools
+            url: ../design/downloads/index.md
+          - text: Design for accessibility
+            url: ../design/accessibility/accessibility.md
+          - text: Design basics
+            url: ../design/basics/index.md
+
+  - title: Develop
+    linkLists:
+      - linkListType: how-to-guide
+        links:
+          - text: Develop apps
+            url: ../develop/index.md
           - text: Make your apps great on Windows 11
             url: ../get-started/make-apps-great-for-windows.md
           - text: Windows developer FAQ
             url: ../get-started/windows-developer-faq.md
+          - text: Other development tools
+            url: /windows/dev-environment/
 
-  - title: Deploy and publish
+  - title: Deploy
     linkLists:
       - linkListType: overview
         links:
-          - text: Deployment overview
-            url: ../package-and-deploy/index.md
-          - text: Deploy apps
+          - text: Packaging and deployment overview
             url: ../package-and-deploy/index.md
+          - text: Learn about packaged and unpackaged apps
+            url: ../desktop/modernize/package-identity-overview.md
+          - text: Windows App SDK deployment guide
+            url: ../package-and-deploy/deploy-overview.md
           - text: The MSIX app package format
             url: /windows/msix
-          - text: Publish Windows apps and games
+
+  - title: Distribute
+    linkLists:
+      - linkListType: overview
+        links:
+          - text: Microsoft Store overview
             url: ../publish/index.md
+          - text: Open a developer account
+            url: ../publish/partner-center/open-a-developer-account.md
+          - text: Microsoft Store FAQ
+            url: ../publish/faq/get-started-with-the-microsoft-store.md    
+          - text: Microsoft Store Policies
+            url: ../publish/store-policies.md            
 
   - title: Artificial intelligence and machine learning
     linkLists:
@@ -64,25 +87,25 @@ landingContent:
             url: /windows/ai/
           - text: GitHub Copilot extension for Visual Studio
             url: /visualstudio/ide/visual-studio-github-copilot-extension
-          - text: Windows Machine Learning
-            url: /windows/ai/windows-ml/
-          - text: Windows Machine Learning samples
-            url: /windows/ai/windows-ml/samples
+          - text: App Actions on Windows
+            url: /windows/ai/app-actions/
+          - text: Windows ML
+            url: /windows/ai/new-windows-ml/overview
 
-  
-  - title: Community and support
+  - title: API Reference
     linkLists:
-      - linkListType: overview
+      - linkListType: reference
         links:
-          - text: Microsoft Q&A Forum
-            url: /answers/questions/
-          - text: "@WindowsDocs"
-            url: https://twitter.com/WindowsDocs
-          - text: OneDevMinute on YouTube
-            url: /shows/One-Dev-Minute/?WT.mc_id=odm-c9-niner
-          - text: Windows developer support
-            url: https://developer.microsoft.com/windows/support
-
+          - text: WinRT API for the Windows SDK
+            url: /uwp/api/
+          - text: Win32 API for the Windows SDK
+            url: /windows/win32/api/
+          - text: WinRT API for the Windows App SDK
+            url: /windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/
+          - text: Win32 API for the Windows App SDK
+            url: /windows/windows-app-sdk/api/win32/
+          - text: WinUI 2 for UWP API reference
+            url: /windows/winui/api/
 
   - title: Platforms
     linkLists:
@@ -98,20 +121,16 @@ landingContent:
             url: /dotnet/desktop/wpf/overview/?view=netdesktop-7.0
           - text: Windows Forms
             url: /dotnet/desktop/winforms/overview/?view=netdesktop-7.0
-          - text: Other development technologies
-            url: /windows/dev-environment/
-
-  - title: API Reference
+  
+  - title: Community and support
     linkLists:
-      - linkListType: reference
+      - linkListType: overview
         links:
-          - text: WinRT API for the Windows SDK
-            url: /uwp/api/
-          - text: Win32 API for the Windows SDK
-            url: /windows/win32/api/
-          - text: WinRT API for the Windows App SDK
-            url: /windows/windows-app-sdk/api/winrt/
-          - text: Win32 API for the Windows App SDK
-            url: /windows/windows-app-sdk/api/win32/
-          - text: WinUI 3 API reference
-            url: /windows/winui/api/
+          - text: Microsoft Q&A Forum
+            url: /answers/questions/
+          - text: "@WindowsDocs"
+            url: https://twitter.com/WindowsDocs
+          - text: OneDevMinute on YouTube
+            url: /shows/One-Dev-Minute/?WT.mc_id=odm-c9-niner
+          - text: Windows developer support
+            url: https://developer.microsoft.com/windows/support

hub/apps/desktop/images/header-community.png

@@ -14,11 +14,22 @@ ms.localizationpriority: medium
     <a href="../publish/index.md" class="button button-sm"><span>Distribute</span></a>
 </div>
 
-# Develop Windows desktop apps
+# Windows app development
 
-This section of the documentation provides information about APIs and features you can use while developing Windows desktop apps. Some of these features are available by using APIs in the [Windows App SDK](../windows-app-sdk/index.md). Other features are available by using APIs in the Windows OS (via the [Windows SDK](https://developer.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windows-sdk)) and .NET, and don't require use of the Windows App SDK.
+:::image type="content" source="images/header-coding.png" alt-text="Blue code brackets icon centered on a gradient background transitioning from light blue to purple, representing Windows application development" border="false":::
 
-[!INCLUDE [UWP migration guidance](../windows-app-sdk/includes/uwp-app-sdk-migration-pointer.md)]
+---
+
+This section of the documentation provides information about APIs and features you can use to develop Windows desktop apps. Some of these features are available by using APIs in the [Windows App SDK](../windows-app-sdk/index.md). Other features are available by using APIs in the Windows OS (via the [Windows SDK](https://developer.microsoft.com/windows/downloads/windows-sdk)) and .NET.
+
+:::row:::
+    :::column span="2":::
+        **Build apps with the Windows App SDK and WinUI**<br>WinUI is Microsoft's modern native user interface framework for building Windows desktop applications. It brings the Fluent Design System, high-performance rendering, and a powerful XAML-based programming model to both C# and C++ developers.
+    :::column-end:::
+    :::column span="2":::
+        **Use Windows App SDK and WinRT APIs with other UI frameworks**<br>The [Windows App SDK](../windows-app-sdk/index.md) provides a unified set of APIs and tools for building modern Windows applications. It brings the latest Windows features and capabilities to both new and existing apps — all through a consistent developer experience that works across multiple UI frameworks.
+    :::column-end:::
+:::row-end:::
 
 ## Windows App SDK features
 

hub/apps/desktop/index.yml

@@ -1,12 +1,10 @@
 items:
   - name: Build Windows apps
     href: ../desktop/index.yml
-  - name: Overview
+  - name: Development overview
     href: index.md
   - name: Features
     items:
-    - name: Use Win32 interop APIs in a C# WinUI app
-      href: ../winui/winui3/desktop-winui3-app-with-basic-interop.md
     - name: Accessibility
       href: accessibility.md
     - name: AI and machine learning >>
@@ -445,7 +443,7 @@ items:
         href: windows-integration/cross-device-resume.md
       - name: Default apps platform
         href: windows-integration/default-apps-platform.md
-      - name: Pin your app to the taskbar
+      - name: Pin to taskbar
         href: windows-integration/pin-to-taskbar.md
       - name: Recall
         items:
@@ -477,19 +475,19 @@ items:
           items:
           - name: Overview
             href: feeds/feed-providers.md
-          - name: Implement a feed provider in a win32 app (C#)
+          - name: Implement a feed provider in a Win32 app (C#)
             href: feeds/implement-feed-provider-cs.md
-          - name: Implement a feed provider in a win32 app (C++/WinRT)
+          - name: Implement a feed provider in a Win32 app (C++/WinRT)
             href: feeds/implement-feed-provider-win32.md
           - name: Feed provider package manifest XML format
             href: feeds/feed-provider-manifest.md
         - name: Widget providers
           items:
           - name: Overview
             href: widgets/widget-providers.md
-          - name: Implement a widget provider in a win32 app (C#)
+          - name: Implement a widget provider in a Win32 app (C#)
             href: widgets/implement-widget-provider-cs.md
-          - name: Implement a widget provider in a win32 app (C++/WinRT)
+          - name: Implement a widget provider in a Win32 app (C++/WinRT)
             href: widgets/implement-widget-provider-win32.md
           - name: Web widget providers
             href: widgets/web-widget-providers.md
@@ -576,7 +574,7 @@ items:
           href: security/windows-hello-auth-service.md
     - name: Speech
       href: speech.md
-    - name: Test apps built with the Windows App SDK and WinUI
+    - name: Testing
       href: ../winui/winui3/testing/index.md
       items:
           - name: Unit tests for Windows UI Library (WinUI) apps in Visual Studio
@@ -807,7 +805,7 @@ items:
         href: ui/display-ui-objects.md
       - name: Choose the right visual tree viewer
         href: ui/visual-tree.md
-  - name: Use WASDK and WinRT with other UI frameworks
+  - name: WASDK and WinRT in other UI frameworks
     items:
     - name: APIs not supported in desktop apps
       href: ../desktop/modernize/desktop-to-uwp-supported-api.md
@@ -933,6 +931,8 @@ items:
               href: ../windows-app-sdk/migrate-to-windows-app-sdk/upgrade-assistant.md
   - name: Tutorials
     items:
+    - name: Use Win32 interop APIs (PInvoke) in a C# WinUI app
+      href: ../winui/winui3/desktop-winui3-app-with-basic-interop.md
     - name: Build a C# .NET app with WinUI 3 and Win32 interop
       href: ../winui/winui3/desktop-winui3-app-with-basic-interop.md
     - name: Use Github Copilot to build WinUI 3 apps in Visual Studio
@@ -1050,12 +1050,8 @@ items:
         href: settings/settings-common.md
       - name: Cloud Data Store Settings Reader Tool (readCloudDataSettings.exe)
         href: settings/readclouddatasettings-exe.md
-    - name: Visual Studio project templates
-      items:
-      - name: All templates for Windows apps
-        href: ../desktop/visual-studio-templates.md
-      - name: WinUI 3 templates in Visual Studio
-        href: ../winui/winui3/winui-project-templates-in-visual-studio.md
+    - name: WinUI templates in Visual Studio
+      href: ../winui/winui3/winui-project-templates-in-visual-studio.md    
   - name: API reference
     href: ../api-reference/index.md
     items:

hub/apps/develop/images/header-coding.png

@@ -14,9 +14,23 @@ ms.localizationpriority: medium
   <a href="../publish/index.md" class="button button-sm"><span>Distribute</span></a>
 </div>
 
-# Packaging and deployment overview
+# Packaging and deployment for Windows apps
+
+:::image type="content" source="images/header-tools.png" alt-text="Blue wrench and screwdriver icons on a light gray banner background representing tools for app packaging and deployment." border="false":::
+
+---
+
+The topics in this section introduce options and guidance around deploying different types of Windows apps.
+
+:::row:::
+   :::column span="":::
+      **App packaging**<br>WinUI apps are packaged by default, but many other types of apps aren't. Package identity is needed for many Windows extensibility features—including background tasks, notifications, live tiles, custom context menu extensions, and share targets.
+   :::column-end:::
+   :::column span="":::
+      **Deployment**<br> Your app can be _Framework-dependent_, which means it depends on the Windows App SDK runtime and/or Framework package being present on the target machine. Or it can be _Self-contained_, which means it carries the Windows App SDK dependencies with it.
+   :::column-end:::
+:::row-end:::
 
-The topics in this section introduce options and guidance for deploying different types of Windows apps.
 
 ## Advantages and disadvantages of packaging your app