Microsoft has launched an experimental framework called Microsoft.UI.Reactor, which allows developers to build native interfaces using C# instead of XAML. The company clarified that this release does not signal the end of WinUI or XAML, emphasizing that WinUI remains the underlying foundation for Windows development.
Alexandre Zollinger Chohfi from Microsoft confirmed on October 21 that XAML remains the primary method for utilizing WinUI and will continue to receive investment. The company aims to maintain technical continuity, similar to the Microsoft 365 model, and has explicitly stated it has no plans to develop a completely new interface framework.
Reactor is designed as a new way to describe WinUI content rather than a separate rendering engine. By allowing developers to manage interface state and components within a single file, it aims to simplify the development process compared to the traditional XAML approach, which often splits code across multiple files.
Despite these assurances, the developer community remains cautious due to Microsoft's history of discontinuing projects like Silverlight, which ended support on October 12, 2021, and the effective abandonment of UWP. Microsoft currently advises developers to focus on the Windows App SDK and WinUI for new applications.
