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Set up a C++ project for the Windows ML Runtime API

Important

The Windows ML Runtime API is currently experimental and not supported for use in production environments. Apps trying out this API should not be published to the Microsoft Store.

This topic shows you how to configure a native C++ project to use the Runtime API and create an IWinMLRuntime instance. Continue to Run a model with the Windows ML Runtime API for model loading, tensor binding, and inference.

Prerequisites

Note

C++20 and C++/WinRT are requirements of these documentation samples, not of the Runtime API. The Runtime API is a native COM-style ABI that can also be consumed from C or C++ by using raw COM, WRL, WIL, or another COM helper under that app's language requirements.

The CPU execution target is the baseline path. GPU and NPU availability depends on the device, platform capabilities, and execution backend installed for your app.

Configure native NuGet restore

Native Visual C++ projects need a NuGet target moniker so package restore selects the native Windows assets. Add this property group near the top of the .vcxproj file, before the first Microsoft.Cpp.* import:

<PropertyGroup Label="NuGet">
  <RestoreProjectStyle>PackageReference</RestoreProjectStyle>
  <NuGetTargetMoniker>native,Version=v0.0</NuGetTargetMoniker>
  <NuGetTargetPlatformIdentifier>Windows</NuGetTargetPlatformIdentifier>
  <NuGetTargetPlatformVersion>$(WindowsTargetPlatformVersion)</NuGetTargetPlatformVersion>
</PropertyGroup>

Install the Microsoft.Windows.AI.MachineLearning package by using Manage NuGet Packages or PackageReference. To build the samples on these pages, also install Microsoft.Windows.CppWinRT and set C++ Language Standard to ISO C++20 Standard (/std:c++20). The Windows ML package supplies the Runtime headers, import libraries, and self-contained DLLs; C++/WinRT supplies the winrt::com_ptr, winrt::check_hresult, and <winrt/base.h> conveniences used only by the sample code.

For CMake and deployment options, see Self-contained installation.

Initialize the Runtime

Replace main.cpp with the following code:

// Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

#include <Windows.h>
#include <winrt/base.h>

#include <WinMLRuntime.h>

#pragma comment(lib, "windowsapp.lib")

int wmain()
{
    winrt::com_ptr<IWinMLRuntime> runtime;
    winrt::check_hresult(WinMLCreateRuntime(
        __uuidof(IWinMLRuntime),
        runtime.put_void()));

    return 0;
}

Build for the architecture that matches the package assets, such as Release|x64. A successful build confirms that NuGet restore found the Runtime headers and import library and copied the required DLLs beside the executable.

Next steps

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