With the release of the Windows 10 Anniversary Update, desktop apps converted with Microsoft’s Project Centennial bridge tools will now be available to purchase in Windows Store, reports WindowsCentral.
That means developers with existing Win32 apps can market them via the store without turning them into true Universal Windows Platform apps that function on all Windows 10 platforms.
Among the companies going this route is Evernote, which recently announced that its updated Windows 10 PC app will be available in the Store August 2. Windows Mobile users will be left with the current version.
Electron’s Windows Store Guide also mentions that developers running Windows 10 Anniversary Update can compile their Electron apps into .appx packages that will have some of the capabilities of UWP apps and can be distributed via the store.
Apps marketed through the Windows Store can be automatically updated there, whether or not they are UWP apps.
With Project Centennial, developers run their desktop apps through a Microsoft-built Desktop App Converter. Once converted, the app can be easily installed via the universal Windows packaging model. Developers can use UWP API calls to add functionality, such as support for Live Tiles and notifications, and use an App Container process to update the UI for better compatibility.
If a developer chooses to migrate all functionality over to the App Container, the app becomes a full-on UWP app that can function on all Windows platforms.