MSIX packaging for arbitrary .NET project types

[daniel-lerch]

Is your feature request related to a problem? Please describe.

The .NET SDK supports streamlined MSIX publishing for WinUI 3 and MAUI projects. For other project types one can use an application packaging project. Packaging projects are cumbersome to use, more complicated to use than dotnet in CI pipeline and cannot pass MSBuild properties to child projects easily.

Describe the solution you'd like

I would like to have MSIX packaging tools for arbitrary .NET project types including Avalonia, WPF, WinForms, Console. It should be compatible with other features like single file executable, trimming and Native AOT. Furthermore, it should be able to build Appx Bundles for multiple architectures.

Additional context

Given an app manifest and a Windows SDK installed, it should be quite easy to create an MSIX package from publish output files (PowerShell example). I do not consider Appx Bundles with packages for specific locales in the scope of this issue.

[dotnet-issue-labeler]

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[dotnet-issue-labeler]

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[Sergio0694]

This should be possible with Microsoft.Windows.SDK.BuildTools.MSIX. If not, this feels like a feature request for that package. I don't really see the .NET SDK adding logic specific for creating MSIX packages, as it would just be duplicate. For context, that package has the logic for creating MSIX packages that is used by both UWP (.NET 9) apps, and WinUI 3 apps (and MAUI too, indirectly, I think).

[daniel-lerch]

Thank for pointing that out @Sergio0694. I agree that it makes sense to reuse that package for other scenarios as well.

Unfortunately, Microsoft.Windows.SDK.BuildTools.MSIX is poorly documented and only mentioned in the Visual Studio Release Notes and indirectly in your excellent Dev Blog article.

Can you give me hint, where I can find the project website and the repository for Microsoft.Windows.SDK.BuildTools.MSIX?