Chapter 1: Native runtime x Windows runtime

MarcioAB · June 7th, 2017, 12:34 PM

I see on many Microsoft docs the term ".Net Native RUNTIME".
On the other hand, in this book I do not see this term, but instead I see "Windows RUNTIME", what I'm using as a similar term. But, just to double-check:

Is ".Net Native RUNTIME" the same as "Windows RUNTIME" ?

Thank you
Marcio

ChristianNagel · June 7th, 2017, 02:27 PM

Hi Marcio,

it's not the same. Creating UWP apps you use the Windows Runtime and .NET Core. The Windows Runtime can be used from native C++, JavaScript, and .NET callers (e.g. using C#). The types look like .NET types, but we just have the same metadata for the description. Open the Object Browser in Visual Studio and select the category "Windows". This shows the Windows.* namespaces that belong to the Windows Runtime.
Also, check this Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Windows_Runtime

The Windows Runtime is already native. Creating UWP applications with .NET, the .NET code is also compiled to native code (when you publish the app to the store, and you can also select native code generation with the Visual Studio project settings). Here, you are using native runtime components - I think you've read about this in some articles. Can you supply links to these articles?

Hope this helps.

Cheers,

MarcioAB · June 7th, 2017, 02:42 PM

Hi and thank you Christian,

This is the link:
https://blogs.windows.com/buildingap...1ltwjX3XpKF.97

From this article I understood when you build (a UWP app) in DEBUG mode you use the .Net CoreCLRuntime and when you build in RELEASE mode you use .Net Native Runtime ( and not use the .Net CoreCLRuntime anymore ).

Any idea, why this people from "Windows App Team" does not use the term Windows Runtime ?

Thank you
Marcio

ChristianNagel · June 7th, 2017, 04:56 PM

Hi Marcio,

thanks for the link. This is about .NET Native which I also mentioned when publishing the app to the store and the configuration in the project settings.

This article https://blogs.windows.com/buildingap...1ltwjX3XpKF.97 doesn't mention the Windows Runtime because this article is only about the .NET Native part of Windows apps.

You'll also find many Microsoft articles with the Windows Runtime, e.g. https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/win...rt-components/. Using .NET to create Windows apps, you need both .NET and the Windows Runtime.

Cheers,