Preface

WinUI 3 is the newest desktop UI framework for Windows application development. It is part of Microsoft’s Windows App SDK, providing developers with the tools to build beautiful apps with the Fluent Design System. This book will quickly get you up to speed with WinUI to build new Windows applications and to build apps across platforms with technologies such as Blazor and Uno Platform.

The book begins by exploring the history of Windows UI development frameworks to gain an understanding of how earlier frameworks influenced WinUI as it exists today. It covers the basics of XAML-based UI development and explores the controls available in WinUI before moving on to an examination of patterns and best practices for WinUI developers. To help reinforce these concepts, the early chapters in the book build practical skills by creating an application to organize a collection of books, music, and movies. Each chapter enhances the application, with new controls and concepts discussed.

Later chapters in the book explore how developers can leverage their WinUI knowledge to leverage open source toolkits, integrate web content in Windows apps, and migrate WinUI apps to Android, iOS, and the web. The book finishes by teaching some essential Visual Studio debugging techniques and discussing app deployment options to get your apps in the hands of consumers and enterprise users. At the end of every chapter, I've included a series of questions for you to attempt on your own, enabling you to gauge your level of understanding. Learn how WinUI can help you build and deploy modern, robust applications!