Migrating to Uno Platform 5.0

Uno Platform 5.0 contains binary-breaking changes in order to further align our API surface with the Windows App SDK. Most of these changes are binary-breaking changes but do not introduce behavior changes. You can find a list of these changes below.

Additionally, this version:

  • Adds support for .NET 8 for iOS, Android, Mac Catalyst, and macOS. Follow this guide to upgrade from .NET 7 to .NET 8.
  • Removes the support for Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Android, Xamarin.Mac, .NET 6 (iOS/Android/Catalyst), and netstandard2.0 for WebAssembly.
  • .NET 7.0 support for iOS, Android, Mac Catalyst, and macOS remains unchanged.
  • Updates the base Windows SDK version from 18362 to 19041.

Uno Platform 5.0 continues to support both UWP (Uno.UI and WinUI (Uno.WinUI) API sets.

List of common manual changes for Uno Platform 5.0

This change ensures that the XAML parser will only look for types in an explicit way, and avoids fuzzy matching that could lead to incorrect type resolution.

In order to resolve types properly in a conditional XAML namespace, make use of the new syntax introduced in Uno 4.8.

Enabling Hot Reload

Hot Reload support has changed in Uno Platform 5.0 and a new API invocation is needed to restore the feature in your existing app.

  • If your project is built using a shared class library, you'll need to add the following lines to the csproj:

    <ItemGroup>
    <PackageReference Include="Uno.WinUI.DevServer" Version="$UnoWinUIVersion$" Condition="'$(Configuration)'=='Debug'" />
</ItemGroup>
    Note

    If your application is using the UWP API set (Uno.UI packages) you'll need to use the Uno.UI.DevServer package instead.

  • Then, in your App.cs file, add the following:

    using Uno.UI;

//... in the OnLaunched method

#if DEBUG
        MainWindow.UseStudio();
#endif

Note that Hot Reload has changed to be based on C#, which means that changes done XAML files will need the use of C# Hot Reload feature to be applied to the running app. See this documentation for more details.

Migrating from Xamarin to net7.0-* targets

If your current project is built on Xamarin.* targets, you can upgrade by following this guide.

Migrating from net6.0-to net7.0-

There are no significant changes needed to upgrade to .NET 7 for applications (iOS, Android, Catalyst), aside from replacing all occurrences of net6.0 to net7.0 or net8.0 in all your csproj files.

For libraries that are depending on net6.0-android/ios/maccatalyst, depending on the impact of the breaking changes listed below, you will need to build your libraries with Uno Platform 5.0 packages, as well as target net7.0-* or net8.0-*.

Migrating WebAssembly from netstandard2.0 to net7.0 or net8.0

Migrating from netstandard2.0 WebAssembly apps to net7.0 or net8.0 requires:

  • Replacing all occurrences of netstandard2.0 to net7.0 or net8.0 in all your csproj files
  • Upgrading Uno.Wasm.Bootstrap* packages to version 7.0.x or 8.0.x, depending on your chosen target framework.

Migrating to the new WpfHost

The WpfHost was previously hosted within a WPF Window class, but now it takes care of creating individual windows on its own. To migrate, follow these steps:

  • Remove the StartupUri="Wpf/MainWindow.xaml" attribute from App.xaml
  • Delete both MainWindow.xaml and MainWindow.xaml.cs
  • In App.xaml.cs add the following constructor:
public App()
{
    var host = new WpfHost(Dispatcher, () => new AppHead());
    host.Run();
}

Migrating ApplicationData on Skia targets

Previously, ApplicationData was stored directly in Environment.SpecialFolder.LocalApplicationData folder, and all Uno Platform apps shared this single location. Starting with Uno Platform 5.0, application data are stored in application-specific folders under the LocalApplicationData root. For more details see the docs. To perform the initial migration of existing data you need to make sure to copy the files from the root of the LocalApplicationData folder to ApplicationData.Current.LocalFolder manually using System.IO.

Updating the Windows SDK from 18362 to 19041

If your existing libraries or UWP/WinAppSDK projects are targeting the Windows SDK 18362, you'll need to upgrade to 19041. A simple way of doing so is to replace all occurrences of 18362 to 19041 in all your solution's csproj, .targets, .props, and .wapproj files.

The Uno.[UI|WinUI].RemoteControl package is deprecated

The Uno.[UI|WinUI].RemoteControl is deprecated and should be replaced by Uno.WinUI.DevServer (or Uno.WinUI.DevServer if you're using UWP).

This is not a required change, as the package Uno.[UI|WinUI].RemoteControl transitively uses Uno.WinUI.DevServer, but the package will eventually be phased out.

List of other breaking changes

ShouldWriteErrorOnInvalidXaml now defaults to true

Invalid XAML, such as unknown properties or unknown x:Bind targets will generate a compiler error. Those errors must now be fixed as they are no longer ignored.

ResourceDictionary now requires an explicit Uri reference

Resources dictionaries are now required to be explicitly referenced by URI to be considered during resource resolution. Applications that are already running properly on WinAppSDK should not be impacted by this change.

The reason for this change is the alignment of the inclusion behavior with WinUI, which does not automatically place dictionaries as ambiently available.

This behavior can be disabled by using FeatureConfiguration.ResourceDictionary.IncludeUnreferencedDictionaries, by setting the value true.

IsEnabled property is moved from FrameworkElement to Control

This property was incorrectly located on FrameworkElement but its behavior has not changed.

RegisterLoadActions has been removed

This method has been removed as it is not available in WinUI. You can migrate code using this method to use the FrameworkElement.Loaded event instead.

Move SwipeControl, SwipeItem, SwipeItemInvokedEventArgs, SwipeMode, SwipeItems, SwipeBehaviorOnInvoked, MenuBar, MenuBarItem, and MenuBarItemFlyout implementation from WUX namespace to MUX namespace

These controls were present in both the Windows.UI.Xaml and Microsoft.UI.Xaml. Those are now located in the Microsoft.UI.Xaml namespace for the UWP version of Uno (Uno.UI).

Move AnimatedVisualPlayer, IAnimatedVisualSource, and IThemableAnimatedVisualSource from WUX to MUX and Microsoft.Toolkit.Uwp.UI.Lottie namespace to CommunityToolkit.WinUI.Lottie

This change moves the AnimatedVisualPlayer to the appropriate namespace for WinUI, aligned with the WinAppSDK version of the Windows Community Toolkit.

SimpleOrientationSensor should not schedule on Dispatcher

SimpleOrientationSensor on Android now raises events from a background thread and needs to be explicitly dispatched to the UI thread as needed.

The following types are removed from public API: DelegateCommand, DelegateCommand<T>, IResourceService, IndexPath, and SizeConverter

These legacy classes have been removed. Use the CommunityToolkit.Mvvm package instead.

SolidColorBrushHelper isn't available in UWP, so we are making it internal

This type is not present in WinUI, use new SolidColorBrush(xxx) instead.

Application.OnWindowCreated does not exist in WinAppSDK

The method has been removed.

DependencyObjectGenerator no longer generated an empty ApplyCompiledBindings method

These methods have been unused since Uno 3.0 and have been removed.

EasingFunctionBase API is now aligned with WinUI

The easing functions classes are now inheriting properly from EasingFunctionBase.

Remove ResourcesService and ResourceHelper

The legacy ResourcesService and ResourceHelper have been removed.

Implicit conversion from string to Point is removed

The implicit conversion has been removed but a conversion can be performed using the XamlBindingHelper class.

Rename CreateTheamableFromLottieAsset to CreateThemableFromLottieAsset

This change is a rename for an identifier typo. Renaming the invocation to the new name is enough.

Timeline shouldn't implement IDisposable

Timeline does not implement IDisposable anymore. This class was not supposed to be disposable and has been removed.

GridExtensions and PanelExtensions are removed

These legacy classes have been removed.

GetLeft, GetTop, SetLeft, SetTop, GetZIndex, and SetZIndex overloads that take DependencyObject are now removed

Those legacy overloads are now removed and the UIElement overloads should be used instead.

BaseFragment is not needed and is now removed

The legacy BaseFragment class has been removed. Use Page navigation instead.

ViewHelper.GetScreenSize method on iOS/macOS is now internal

Use the DisplayInformation class instead.

FrameworkElement constructors are now protected instead of public

Use the Control class instead.

ViewHelper.MainScreenScale and ViewHelper.IsRetinaDisplay are removed in iOS and macOS

Use the DisplayInformation class instead.

WebView.NavigateWithHttpRequestMessage parameter type is now Windows.Web.Http.HttpRequestMessage instead of System.Net.Http.HttpRequestMessage

Use the new types instead.

OnVerticalOffsetChanged and OnHorizontalOffsetChanged are now private instead of virtual protected

Use the related events instead.

FrameBufferHost and GtkHost constructors that take args are now removed. args were already unused

You can remove the last argument of the constructor invocation. The parameters are read by the host directly.

RegisterDefaultStyleForType methods were removed

This legacy method was deprecated in Uno 3.x

Xaml code generator was generating an always-null-returning FindResource method. This method is no longer generated

This legacy method was deprecated in Uno 3.x

The type Windows.Storage.Streams.InMemoryBuffer is removed

Use Windows.Storage.Streams.Buffer instead.

ContentPropertyAttribute.Name is now a field to match UWP

This change has no effect on Control's behavior.

Remove FontWeightExtensions and CssProviderExtensions

Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.GTK.UI.Text.FontWeightExtensions and Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.GTK.Extensions.Helpers.CssProviderExtensions don't exist in UWP/WinUI. So they are made internal.

Change GtkHost, WpfHost, FrameBufferHost namespaces

GtkHost, WpfHost, and FrameBufferHost are now Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.Gtk.GtkHost, Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.Wpf.WpfHost, and Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.Linux.FrameBuffer.FrameBufferHost instead of Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.GtkHost, Uno.UI.Skia.Platform.WpfHost, and Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.FrameBufferHost, respectively.

Change RenderSurfaceType namespace

There used two be two RenderSurfaceTypes, Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.RenderSurfaceType (for Gtk) and Uno.UI.Skia.RenderSurfaceType (for Skia). They are now Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.Gtk.RenderSurfaceType and Uno.UI.Runtime.Skia.Wpf.RenderSurfaceType respectively.

Panels no longer measure or arrange any children in MeasureOverride or ArrangeOverride, respectively

Panels used to measure and arrange the first child in MeasureOverride or ArrangeOverride, respectively. This is no longer the case. Now, to match WinUI, Panels just return an empty size in MeasureOverride, and the finalSize as is in ArrangeOverride. You should override these layout-override methods in Panel-derived subclasses instead.

Remove Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls.NavigationView in Uno.WinUI

Uno.WinUI used to have NavigationView both in Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls and Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls namespaces. It's now removed from Windows.UI.Xaml.Controls and kept only in Microsoft.UI.Xaml.Controls namespace.