[BLOG] .NET Blog Draft by zateutsch · Pull Request #521 · microsoft/winappCli

zateutsch · 2026-05-05T21:15:14Z

Draft for .NET blogpost.

Let me know if you guys have any feedback, major or minor.

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Pull request overview

Adds a draft blog post documenting how WinApp CLI helps .NET developers run with package identity (via dotnet run) and create signed MSIX packages (via winapp pack), plus pointers to related docs and the VS Code extension.

Changes:

Introduces a new blog draft covering winapp init, dotnet run identity enablement, and optional execution alias setup for console apps.
Adds a packaging walkthrough using winapp cert generate, winapp pack, and winapp cert install.
Includes links to supporting documentation, samples, and the VS Code extension.

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github-actions · 2026-05-05T21:46:02Z

Build Metrics Report

Binary Sizes

Artifact	Baseline	Current	Delta
CLI (ARM64)	30.87 MB	30.87 MB	✅ 0.0 KB (0.00%)
CLI (x64)	31.23 MB	31.23 MB	✅ 0.0 KB (0.00%)
MSIX (ARM64)	13.03 MB	13.03 MB	📉 -0.1 KB (-0.00%)
MSIX (x64)	13.83 MB	13.83 MB	📈 +0.1 KB (+0.00%)
NPM Package	27.08 MB	27.08 MB	📉 -0.0 KB (-0.00%)
NuGet Package	27.17 MB	27.17 MB	📈 +0.4 KB (+0.00%)
VS Code Extension	19.90 MB	19.90 MB	📈 +0.1 KB (+0.00%)

Test Results

✅ 993 passed, 1 skipped out of 994 tests in 404.5s (-43.0s vs. baseline)

Test Coverage

❌ 23.7% line coverage, 39.8% branch coverage · ✅ no change vs. baseline

CLI Startup Time

41ms median (x64, winapp --version) · ✅ no change vs. baseline

Updated 2026-05-12 20:48:39 UTC · commit 92d3207 · workflow run

chiaramooney

Overall looks great!

nmetulev · 2026-05-06T05:45:00Z

+### 1. Initialize your project with winapp.
+
+```
+winapp init --use-defaults


why --use-defaults? wouldn't it be better to use the interactive to better explain what is happening step by step?

In the context of blog posts, I think the fire and forget variant of command usually works the best for getting them through the content without bogging them down with decisions.

I've updated the explanations below for the changes that init makes to your projects, along with more info about what you can control without --use-defaults. let me know if you think thats enough or would just prefer the interactive one.

nmetulev · 2026-05-06T05:47:14Z

@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
+# Packaging and Package Identity for .NET apps with winapp CLI
+
+Package identity has often been a pain point for developers looking to build apps that integrate with Windows APIs. Many modern Windows features, like push notifications or the AI APIs, are gated behind package identity. For Windows apps that are unpackaged by default (like .NET console or WPF applications), this meant wrestling with package manifests, build configurations, and certs to bring your app up to speed.


I wonder if there is a way to show the problems we are solving with the cli up front instead of just telling?

Open to suggestions here - I'm not sure what the best way to do this would be without getting overcomplicated. Do you want more specifics on what was previously required?

Co-authored-by: Jaylyn Barbee <51131738+Jaylyn-Barbee@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Nikola Metulev <nmetulev@users.noreply.github.com>

Co-authored-by: Jaylyn Barbee <51131738+Jaylyn-Barbee@users.noreply.github.com>

chiaramooney · 2026-05-12T21:46:36Z

+winapp unregister
+```
+
+For more details on how exactly the winapp CLI works with dotnet under the hood, check out the [`dotnet run` support docs](https://github.com/microsoft/winappCli/blob/main/docs/dotnet-run-support.md).


nit: WinApp CLI

add blog draft

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zateutsch added DO-NOT-MERGE dotnet tag for issues or feature requests related to .NET-specific functionality (winforms, wpf...) labels May 5, 2026

Merge branch 'main' into zt/dotnet-blog

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zateutsch and others added 10 commits May 12, 2026 15:21

Update docs/blogs/dotnet-identity-and-packaging.md

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		@@ -0,0 +1,142 @@
		# Packaging and Package Identity for .NET apps with winapp CLI

		Package identity has often been a pain point for developers looking to build apps that integrate with Windows APIs. Many modern Windows features, like push notifications or the AI APIs, are gated behind package identity. For Windows apps that are unpackaged by default (like .NET console or WPF applications), this meant wrestling with package manifests, build configurations, and certs to bring your app up to speed.

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zateutsch commented May 5, 2026

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