Microsoft Talks Bringing Apps to Universal Windows Platform, Store

SEATTLE—App developers would be well advised to update their apps to Windows 10 S, which will only run apps from the operating system's app store, known as Windows Store.

But the ability to run on Windows 10 S isn't the only advantage to moving apps to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) and the Windows Store. Thankfully, a team at Microsoft has come out with the Windows Desktop Bridge, which makes converting old-school apps, if not a cinch, at least a lot easier than it would be without the tool.

At the Redmond software company's annual Build 2017 conference, Microsoft Distinguished Engineer John Sheehan and Program Manager Peyman Zanjani took a crowded room full of developers through the steps of converting their apps. I should note that there's also a Windows Bridge for iOS, and I recently saw a brilliant example of that tool's results in algoriddim's djay Pro app, which can even take advantage of the Surface Dial.

So, what are the advantages of modern UWP apps over desktop applications? Not only do they get the added visibility in the Store and monetization options, but installation, updating, and deletions are all smoothly and automatically handled by the operating system. The old-style programs are also a security and stability risk: Once you approve that User Access dialog when installing a program, it can do whatever it likes on your system. And UWP apps don't add to the system registry, which can slow down bootup.

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And once you get past pure conversion, your UWP app can take advantage of Windows 10 features like Live Start Tiles, system notifications, and other goodies offered by the UWP APIs. If you completely convert the app, getting rid of all non-UWP code, your program can run on hardware other than PCs—Xbox, the Surface Hub, Windows Mobile, and even HoloLens.

Completely converting an app involves five overarching steps, but you can stop at the first one—running your program's installer in the Windows Bridge Desktop App Converter—if you're happy with the results. This sets up a virtual OS environment where the installer goes through all its gyrations as the converter watches, without affecting the host PC. The converter spits out what's called an AppX container, which is something like a zip file containing the code and a manifest.

One of the most startling parts of Sheehan's presentation was the fact that two-thirds of programs converted with this first step just work. Of course, it will be just as a legacy app running inside a modern window, without any of the modern design and extras. The rest of the steps are really about taking advantage of UWP APIs to create a fully modern app, with no legacy code. One of these APIs can handle payments, so the developer doesn't need to implement credit card processing—Windows takes care of it.

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Third-party installer software like Flexera InstallShield and several others have gotten into the act of helping developers move their apps into the modern age. The Flexera tool can even get your app's messages on the Windows 10 Start screen's tiles.

The presenters pointed to Evernote, which used Bridge and was so thrilled that it made a video (below). The team behind Windows Desktop Bridge continues to add support for APIs that real-world developers most often use. "We're gonna make it as easy for you as we can," said Sheehan. With all the justifications for converting old apps, that only sweetens the deal. For more, look for the Windows Desktop Bridge presentation on the Microsoft Build 2017 website.