A few months after BUILD 2016 ago we told you about Project Centennial and how that Desktop Bridge will help you move your Win32 and .NET based software to the Universal Windows Platform (UWP).
Not only would these programs be in the universal Windows Store but they would also be able to take advantage of many of the features in Windows 10 such as Live Tiles, Push Notifications, Cortana and many others.
After releasing the Windows 10 Anniversary Update in early August and updating some of the Desktop Bridge related tools, Microsoft is now ready to accept these newly converted apps into the Windows Store.
According to Microsoft, some of the first apps that were converted using the bridge will be in the store in the next couple of days including Evernote, Arduino IDE, doubleTwist, PhotoScape, MAGIX Movie Edit Pro and others. Note: You can get a full run down on how Evernote has taken their desktop app to a new level by converting it to UWP over on the Windows Experience blog.
For those of you who are developers you can now get started on your own software conversions using the desktop bridge and begin to submit them to the Windows Store. The latest version of the Desktop App Converter app is now available in the Windows Store and is there for any developer to use on their own software programs. You will also need a Windows 10 base image to use the converter and they are available atr the Microsoft Download Center.
Some of the features of the Desktop Converter App include:
- Command line interface
- App installer conversion
- Package generation
- Fix PE headers
- Package signing
If you work with other tools for building your software installers like Installshield, WiX or Advanced Installer then you can also use them to covert your software for the Windows Store as they have all partnered with Microsoft to incorporate the converter into their software.
Looking for more on the Desktop App Converter?
First check out this 12 minute video with Microsoft's Kevin Gallo as he explains how the app conversion process works:
Next, head over to these additional resources:
- Desktop Bridge on Dev Center
- Windows Developer Site
- Desktop Converter App in Windows Store
- Desktop App Converter Base Images Download
But, wait...there's probably more so be sure to follow me on Twitter and Google+.
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