DotNet core using webview 2 and something like react for the frontend.
Or you can look into https://tauri.app/
Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
31–40 of 107 posts
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#32Without more details, this is the way to get the most native Windows 11 look and feel: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/winui/winui3/ Disclosure: I work at Microsoft on a team that works on visual look and feel for Windows.
It's a shame that, unlike with Win32, using WinUI places pretty harsh restrictions on which programming languages and environments you can use. Only C# and C++ are supported, the latter only with Microsoft compilers. For everything else, including Rust[1], Python and MinGW C/C++, there is no answer for OP's question, and the effect of this on the visual consistency of the Windows desktop is obvious - there is none. E…
That's horridly confusing given MS has a Rust crate "Windows" has a "UI" Module that I guess is something different to WinUI.
https://microsoft.github.io/windows-docs-rs/doc/windows/UI/i...
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#33Delphi is probably the best, but I can't afford it. Lazarus is pretty good, except for the documentation, which needs a huge refactoring effort. You can put together small applications in minutes.
I had no idea Delphi was even still around.
Last time I used it it was with Turbo Pascal probably 18-19 years ago. It was a really decent IDE, nice to see it's still around.
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#34Microsoft is using React Native for Windows [0] for their Office applications [1]. As a fan of RN this would be the first avenue I’d explore if I had to develop something for Windows. [0] https://microsoft.github.io/react-native-windows/ [1] https://microsoft.github.io/react-native-windows/resources-s...
This is a bit misleading. Only minor parts of Office are built with React Native, not the whole thing.
Teams is, and it's IMO the worst Office app available. I don't have time to get into all the reasons why right now because I need to sleep and it always leads to a 30 minute irl rant or a multiparagraph screed about the complete breakdown of their corporate work culture and terrible UI tooling that they can't fix a context menu rendering bug in their own damn "native" first-party corporate communications app when _They're The Company Writing The UI/GFX API THAT REACT NATIVE USES!!!!_ hooooosaaaaa I don't work there anymore, I don't work there anymore. Good night HN.
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#35I will still place my bet for C++ combined with a third party UI Framework. I know that Qt has changed its license model, but it offers many capabilities and is battle-tested enough.
Otherwise another shot could be a Java/JavaFX application, possibility compiled natively or packaged with jpackage, so you deliver your own tailored JVM, without requiring the installation of a JRE on the user system.
Another way would be to embrace the Microsoft ecosystem with the Windows UI Frameworks and then use C# or C++
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#36Looks like MFC is still a thing.
Definitely, that would also be a solution, but how risky is to bet on it?
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#37Without more details, this is the way to get the most native Windows 11 look and feel: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/apps/winui/winui3/ Disclosure: I work at Microsoft on a team that works on visual look and feel for Windows.
It's a shame that, unlike with Win32, using WinUI places pretty harsh restrictions on which programming languages and environments you can use. Only C# and C++ are supported, the latter only with Microsoft compilers. For everything else, including Rust[1], Python and MinGW C/C++, there is no answer for OP's question, and the effect of this on the visual consistency of the Windows desktop is obvious - there is none. E…
Not to mention that WinUI is not supported on Windows Server. Therefore, if you need to deploy to server and desktop environments, it's better to stay with WinApi (WinForms) or WPF.
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#38I will say it without fear: nothing beats electron in beauty and eye candy. You have the entire HTML5/CSS3 at your disposal.
> nothing beats electron in beauty and eye candy.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Even Windows 2.0 looks better than Teams.
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#39If you want a performant application use C++ and Win32. Yep I am serious.
Re: Ask HN: What is the best way to build a desktop app in Windows in 2023?
#40Earlier quoted context omitted.
This is a bit misleading. Only minor parts of Office are built with React Native, not the whole thing.
Teams is, and it's IMO the worst Office app available. I don't have time to get into all the reasons why right now because I need to sleep and it always leads to a 30 minute irl rant or a multiparagraph screed about the complete breakdown of their corporate work culture and terrible UI tooling that they can't fix a context menu rendering bug in their own damn "native" first-party corporate communications app when _Th…
Would appreciate if you could spare some time to elaborate. I’ve had pretty much the worst experience with Teams of all communication solutions. I just can’t figure out what’s going on with it. On Macs it constantly misbehaves. Is it due to RN?