How to build Application for different platforms using the same code?

Imilio 41

Hi, I am developing a WPF desktop application with .Net 5.0. Is it possible to build the app for Window and Mac os platform with the same code? If yes, how should it be done? Thanks!

3 answers

Hui Liu-MSFT 48,491 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-02-18T09:24:30.24+00:00

You may not make .NET 5 WPF application executed in Mac os.
Quoted from Desktop Guide (WPF .NET)：

Even though .NET is a cross-platform technology, WPF isn't and only runs on Windows.

If the response is helpful, please click "Accept Answer" and upvote it.
Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.
Please sign in to rate this answer.

1 person found this answer helpful.
Imilio 41 Reputation points

2022-02-18T11:27:02.513+00:00

Is it then possible with .Net 6.0?
I don't quite understand your last sentence. How does downloading .NET 5.0, for Windows, macOS, and Linux, for x86, x64, Arm32, Arm64 help me if a WPF application only works on windows and not on Mac OS?

Hui Liu-MSFT 48,491 Reputation points Microsoft Vendor

2022-02-21T06:10:55.007+00:00

Hi,@Imilio . As far as I understand it is not possible to run WPF applications on Mac OS.
.NET 5 (and .NET 6) are frameworks that allow C# to run on different platforms, but platform-specific libraries (like WPF) may still exist going forward.

If you would like to use WPF on Mac OS, the closest thing is Xamarin.Forms.
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
Sreeju Nair 12,346 Reputation points

2022-02-19T05:34:28.9+00:00
As per your query, I understand you need to develop application for different platforms, and ofcourse it is possoble. The solution is .Net Multi-Platform App platform that can be used to create

Desktop application in Windows

Application for MAC

Android Application

iOS application

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/what-is-maui

Currently it is in preview, and you need Visual Studio 2022 Preview version and .Net 6, however, as per the current plan it will be released in the Q2 2022.

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/get-started/installation

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/maui/

Hope this helps.
Please sign in to rate this answer.
Imilio 41 Reputation points

2022-02-20T07:14:37.373+00:00

Hi @Sreeju Nair , Thanks for your answer. I have developed a WPF desktop application using .Net 5.0(I upgraded it to .Net 6.0). Now I want to use this desktop application also on Mac OS.
My question is: is there a way to use this WPF desktop application on Mac OS? (I don't want to start a new extra development for Mac OS => I want to use the same code).

Sreeju Nair 12,346 Reputation points

2022-02-20T08:44:21.97+00:00

You can not run a WPF application in MAC. You need to convert your application to XAMARIN / MAUI

see the application porting guidance from below link

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/cross-platform/desktop/porting

You may find several converters from WPF to Xamarin, a sample is below.

https://github.com/jsuarezruiz/FormsWPFConverter

Basically you need to port your application.
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.
Ken Tucker 5,851 Reputation points

2022-02-21T12:05:38.987+00:00

Take look at the open source project avonlonia UI.

https://docs.avaloniaui.net/
Please sign in to rate this answer.

0 comments No comments
Sign in to comment

Use comments to ask for clarification, additional information, or improvements to the question.

Share via

How to build Application for different platforms using the same code?

3 answers

Your answer