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Yes, because anything WinRT has been messed up, it was going well between Windows 8 and Project Reunion, as it was progressively getting feature parity with Win

by pjmlp 7mo ago

Yes, because anything WinRT has been messed up, it was going well between Windows 8 and Project Reunion, as it was progressively getting feature parity with Win32, then everything went downhill and you can safely ignore anything from Microsoft marketing related to WinUI/WinAppSDK. It was so bad that on BUILD 2024, WPF regained its official status out of deprecation. So, Win32 (+ COM, most new APIs since Vista are COM based), Forms, and WPF, or oldie MFC, if on Microsoft own stacks. Otherwise Delphi, FreePascal, C++ Builder, Qt, Avalonia, Uno if going 3rd party. You can deploy any of them to the store.

peteforde 7mo ago
Well, that's clear as mud. Don't get me wrong; I actually appreciate the breakdown. It just makes me not want to even consider native Windows development. This is definitely an example of too many choices being a very bad thing.
- pjmlp 7mo ago
  Like the continuously fragmented Linux Desktop, or the multiple ways to do Apple UIs nowadays? All desktops have issues nowadays, and many devs only make it worse by helping Google's takeover the Web, by shipping Electron crap.
  - peteforde 7mo ago
    This reply stuck in my head and bothered me enough that I am back several days later to tell you about it. First, blaming this on developers is simply a bad take. Developing a native app shouldn't be a purity test. Electron and friends clearly offer a path of least resistance, even if it is deeply flawed. The decision to use it and accept the tradeoffs is just as pragmatic for the solo greenfield dev as it is for the many who are told by their employer to use the cheapest, fastest option. No, if there is a fault, it is squarely on the shoulders of Microsoft for not successfully executing and sticking to their promises. Developers and companies are effectively investing in Microsoft's integrity when they decide to accept that the latest framework is truly the final form, and they've been let down over and over by them. Second, defending the state of development on Windows as fine because everyone else is doing it is just... kind of lazy while being totally irrelevant to the larger question of how to develop native apps on Windows. I'm annoyed because this comment really and truly feels like an example of why we can't have nice things.

by pjmlp 7mo ago

peteforde 7mo ago

Well, that's clear as mud. Don't get me wrong; I actually appreciate the breakdown. It just makes me not want to even consider native Windows development. This is definitely an example of too many choices being a very bad thing.

pjmlp 7mo ago
Like the continuously fragmented Linux Desktop, or the multiple ways to do Apple UIs nowadays? All desktops have issues nowadays, and many devs only make it worse by helping Google's takeover the Web, by shipping Electron crap.
- peteforde 7mo ago
  This reply stuck in my head and bothered me enough that I am back several days later to tell you about it. First, blaming this on developers is simply a bad take. Developing a native app shouldn't be a purity test. Electron and friends clearly offer a path of least resistance, even if it is deeply flawed. The decision to use it and accept the tradeoffs is just as pragmatic for the solo greenfield dev as it is for the many who are told by their employer to use the cheapest, fastest option. No, if there is a fault, it is squarely on the shoulders of Microsoft for not successfully executing and sticking to their promises. Developers and companies are effectively investing in Microsoft's integrity when they decide to accept that the latest framework is truly the final form, and they've been let down over and over by them. Second, defending the state of development on Windows as fine because everyone else is doing it is just... kind of lazy while being totally irrelevant to the larger question of how to develop native apps on Windows. I'm annoyed because this comment really and truly feels like an example of why we can't have nice things.