Tools and samples for Windows app development

Build Windows apps more efficiently with the right tools, samples, and AI-powered resources. From IDEs and command-line utilities to developer environment tools like Dev Drive, WinGet, and Windows Terminal, this section brings together everything you need to be productive as a Windows developer.

Resource	Description
Agentic AI tools	Enhance your AI coding agent with Windows-specific context using the Microsoft Learn MCP Server and community plugins like the WinUI 3 Development plugin for GitHub Copilot.
Visual Studio	The recommended IDE for building Windows apps with WinUI and the Windows App SDK, featuring XAML Hot Reload, Live Visual Tree, and rich debugging.
Windows App Development CLI (winapp CLI)	A command-line interface for managing Windows SDKs, packaging, app identity, manifests, certificates, and build tools across any app framework.
CLI tools	Command-line utilities for Windows, including Coreutils (ls, cat, grep, and more), the Edit text editor, curl, sudo, and tar.
Dev Configs	Curated, declarative setups that configure your Windows development environment in one step — install tools, set preferences, and get coding faster.
Dev Drive	A storage volume optimized for developer workloads, with a performance-tuned file system and Microsoft Defender antivirus integration for faster builds.
WinGet	The Windows Package Manager — install, update, and configure development tools and dependencies from the command line.
Windows Terminal	A modern, GPU-accelerated terminal application with tabs, panes, Unicode support, and extensive customization for any command-line workflow.
Windows Subsystem for Linux	Run Linux distributions natively on Windows — use Linux command-line tools, utilities, and applications alongside your Windows development workflow.
Code samples	Browse sample apps that demonstrate Windows features, API usage patterns, and end-to-end scenarios — including the WinUI 3 Gallery and Windows App SDK samples.