THE CRUNCH
Microsoft has released a guide showing how to build a native WinUI 3 application for Windows 11 in roughly 30 minutes. The process relies on free tools like VS Code, .NET 10, and the free tier of GitHub Copilot, alongside Microsoft's winapp CLI. The workflow uses a specialised AI agent called winui-dev to handle project scaffolding, feature addition, testing, and packaging into an MSIX installer. Microsoft notes that
the winui-dev agent is distinct from the general Copilot chatbot and is equipped with specific skills for WinUI design, code review, UI testing, and packaging. The guide recommends connecting the agent to Microsoft's Learn MCP server to access current WinUI documentation, which helps overcome the framework's limited presence in standard AI training data compared to older technologies like WPF and UWP.