WinApp — VS Code Extension

The WinApp extension brings the Windows App Development CLI (WinApp CLI) into Visual Studio Code so you can initialize, debug, package, and sign Windows applications without leaving the editor.

Status: Public Preview — The WinApp CLI and this extension are experimental and in active development. We'd love your feedback! File an issue.

Get Started

The WinApp VS Code Extension is not yet available in the VS Code Marketplace. We plan to publish the extension publicly soon.

Try the WinApp extension today by downloading our latest prerelease: VS Code Extension

Simply navigate to the 'Extensions' tab in VS Code, and select the option to 'Install via VSIX...'. You may need to restart VS Code for the extension to begin working.

Features

Command Palette

All commands are accessible from the Command Palette (Ctrl+Shift+P). Type WinApp to see the full list.

Integrated Debugging

The extension provides a custom winapp debug type that launches your app with package identity and automatically attaches the appropriate debugger — all from a single F5 press.

How it works:

1. You press F5 (or start a debug session).
2. The extension locates your build output directories (by scanning for .exe files) and optionally uses a manifest specified via manifest in launch.json or auto-detected by the CLI.
3. You'll then have the option to select the build directory you'd like to run.
4. It launches your app via winapp run to give it package identity.
5. A child debug session attaches to the running process using the debugger you specified.

The winapp debug type assumes your project has already been built and that a build output folder containing an .exe exists in your project. It does not build your project automatically — so after making code changes, you must rebuild your project before launching to see those changes reflected in the running app.

You can automate the build step by adding a preLaunchTask to your launch.json configuration. This tells VS Code to run a build task before every debug session, so your changes are always compiled before launch.

1. Define a build task in .vscode/tasks.json (example for .NET):

   {
       "version": "2.0.0",
       "tasks": [
           {
               "label": "build",
               "command": "dotnet",
               "type": "process",
               "args": ["build", "${workspaceFolder}"],
               "problemMatcher": "$msCompile"
           }
       ]
   }
   

2. Reference it in your launch.json:

   {
       "type": "winapp",
       "request": "launch",
       "name": "WinApp: Launch and Attach",
       "preLaunchTask": "build"
   }
   

Supported debuggers:

Example launch.json:

{
    "version": "0.2.0",
    "configurations": [
        {
            "type": "winapp",
            "request": "launch",
            "name": "WinApp: Launch and Attach",
        }
    ]
}

Configuration properties:

Scenarios

Initialize and set up a project

Run WinApp: Initialize Project to configure your project with the Windows SDK and/or Windows App SDK. The command walks you through selecting an SDK channel and sets up the necessary dependencies.

Debug with package identity

Many Windows APIs — notifications, background tasks, on-device AI, share targets — require your app to have package identity. The WinApp debug type gives your app identity automatically when you press F5, so you can test these APIs during development without building a full MSIX installer.

For scenarios where you need to debug startup code from the very first instruction, use WinApp: Create Debug Identity to register a sparse package for your executable, then launch it normally with your preferred debugger.

When you're done testing, use WinApp: Unregister Package to clean up sideloaded packages without leaving VS Code.

See the full Debugging Guide for more details.

Generate manifests and assets

Use WinApp: Generate Manifest to create an Package.appxmanifest from a template, then WinApp: Update Manifest Assets to auto-generate all required app icons from a single source image. Use WinApp: Add Manifest Execution Alias to add a command-line alias so your packaged app can be launched by typing its name in a terminal.

Package and sign

Use WinApp: Create MSIX Package to package your application. Pair it with WinApp: Generate Certificate and WinApp: Sign Package to produce a signed, ready-to-distribute MSIX. Use WinApp: Certificate Info to verify a certificate's details (subject, thumbprint, expiry) before signing.

Access Windows SDK tools

WinApp: Run SDK Tool gives you direct access to makeappx, signtool, mt, and makepri — no need to find SDK installation paths or open a separate Developer Command Prompt.

Supported Frameworks

The winapp CLI (and this extension) works with any Windows app framework:

• .NET — WPF, WinForms, Console, WinUI 3
• C / C++ — Win32, CMake, MSBuild
• Electron / Node.js
• Rust
• Tauri
• Flutter

Requirements

• Windows 10 or later
• Visual Studio Code 1.109.0 or later

The winapp CLI is bundled with the extension — no separate installation required.

For debugging, install the debugger extension that matches your app's language (see Supported debuggers above).

Troubleshooting

Feedback and Support

• File an issue or feature request
• Support Guide