Create app package sample

This sample shows you how to create an app package by using the app Packaging API.

Users acquire your app as an app package. Windows uses the information in an app package to install the app on a per-user basis, and ensure that all traces of the app are gone from the device after all users who installed the app uninstall it. Each package consists of the files that constitute the app, along with a package manifest file that describes the app to Windows.

The sample covers the following tasks:

Warning This sample requires Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 or a later version (any SKU); it doesn't compile with Microsoft Visual Studio Express 2013 for Windows.

Note The Windows-classic-samples repo contains a variety of code samples that exercise the various programming models, platforms, features, and components available in Windows and/or Windows Server. This repo provides a Visual Studio solution (SLN) file for each sample, along with the source files, assets, resources, and metadata needed to compile and run the sample. For more info about the programming models, platforms, languages, and APIs demonstrated in these samples, check out the documentation on the Windows Dev Center. This sample is provided as-is in order to indicate or demonstrate the functionality of the programming models and feature APIs for Windows and/or Windows Server. This sample was created for Windows 8.1 and/or Windows Server 2012 R2 using Visual Studio 2013, but in many cases it will run unaltered using later versions. This sample was created for Windows 8.1 and/or Windows Server 2012 R2 using Visual Studio 2013, but in many cases it will run unaltered using later versions. Please provide feedback on this sample!

To get a copy of Windows, go to Downloads and tools.

To get a copy of Visual Studio, go to Visual Studio Downloads.

Operating system requirements

Client

Windows 8.1

Server

Windows Server 2012 R2

Build the sample

From the Command window

  1. Open a Command window.

  2. Go to the directory where you downloaded the CreateAppx sample.

  3. Run the following command:

    msbuild CreateAppx.sln

From Visual Studio

  1. Start Visual Studio and select File > Open > Project/Solution.

  2. Go to the directory where you downloaded the CreateAppx sample and select its Microsoft Visual Studio Solution (.sln) file.

  3. Press F7 (or F6 for Visual Studio 2013) or use Build > Build Solution.

Run the sample

  1. Open a Command window.

  2. Go to the CreateAppx\Data directory.

  3. Run the following command (where <path> is "..\debug\CreateAppx" or "..\release\CreateAppx"):

    \<path\>\\CreateAppx

    This command creates an app package named HelloWorld.appx from the contents of the CreateAppx\Data directory.

Sample

Extract app package contents sample

Tasks

How to create a package

Concepts

App packages and deployment

Reference

IAppxFactory::CreatePackageWriter

IAppxPackageWriter

App packaging and deployment