UWP (Universal Windows Platform) is a development platform for creating applications that run on various Windows 10 devices.
UWP apps offer a wide range of features, and registering your app in the Windows Store is a great way for developers to distribute their app to more users.
In this article, we will provide a detailed guide on the process of registering UWP apps in the Microsoft Store.
1. Preparing UWP App
Before registering the app in the Microsoft Store, you first need to develop a UWP app. Let’s look at the typical process of developing an app using Visual Studio.
1.1 Installing Visual Studio
Visual Studio is the most widely used IDE for developing Windows platform apps. To install Visual Studio,
download and install the latest version from the official website. During the installation, you need to select the ‘UWP development’ workload
to include the features necessary for developing UWP apps.
1.2 Creating a New Project
Open Visual Studio and select ‘New Project’. Then select ‘Blank App (UWP)’ to use the basic UWP app template.
Next, set the app’s name and location, and then click the ‘Create’ button to generate the project.
1.3 Basic UI Configuration
Once the project is created, you can configure the basic user interface (UI) in the MainPage.xaml file.
The code below is an example of a UI containing a simple button and a text block.
<Page
x:Class="YourApp.MainPage"
xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation"
xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml"
xmlns:local="using:YourApp"
xmlns:d="http://schemas.microsoft.com/expression/blend/2008"
xmlns:mc="http://schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006"
mc:Ignorable="d">
<Grid Background="{ThemeResource ApplicationPageBackgroundThemeBrush}">
<TextBlock x:Name="HelloWorldTextBlock" Text="Hello, UWP!" FontSize="48" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
<Button Content="Click me!" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Bottom" Click="Button_Click"/>
</Grid>
</Page>
This code essentially displays the text “Hello, UWP!” and a button that says “Click me!”.
1.4 Adding Button Click Event
You can define the action that will be performed when the button is clicked by adding the Button_Click event handler in the MainPage.xaml.cs file.
Below is an example code that changes the content of the text block when the button is clicked.
private void Button_Click(object sender, RoutedEventArgs e)
{
HelloWorldTextBlock.Text = "Button was clicked!";
}
2. Creating App Package
After developing the UWP app, you need to create an app package to register it in the Microsoft Store.
You can create the app package by following the steps below.
2.1 Creating Package in Solution Explorer
Open ‘Solution Explorer’ in Visual Studio and find the ‘Package’ node. Then select ‘Windows Application Distribution’ to
run the package creation wizard.
2.2 Setting App Package
In the app package settings, you can set the app’s name, description, version, and other metadata. After entering all the information,
click the ‘Next’ button to create the package.
3. Creating Microsoft Store Developer Account
A developer account is required to register your app in the Microsoft Store. You can create a developer account by following these steps.
3.1 Creating Microsoft Account
If you do not have a Microsoft account, you can create one [here](https://signup.live.com/). If you already have a Microsoft account,
log in and go to the developer registration page.
3.2 Developer Registration
To register for the Microsoft Store as a developer, you will need to log in with your Microsoft account and fill out the developer registration form.
There is a registration fee, and once payment is completed, you will have access to the developer dashboard.
4. Submitting App
Once your developer account is created, it’s time to submit your app to the Microsoft Store.
Access the Microsoft Store dashboard and select ‘Submit App’.
4.1 Entering App Information
You will need to enter the app’s name, description, keywords, upload screenshots and other media materials.
This information will help users find and evaluate your app in the store, so it should be entered carefully.
4.2 Setting Distribution Details
Set the app’s price, release date, and other distribution options. You can distinguish between the test version and the paid version.
4.3 Review and Submit
After entering and reviewing all the information, click the ‘Submit’ button to submit your app. Microsoft will carry out the app review process, ensuring
that the requirements are met. After passing the review, your app will be published in the Microsoft Store.
5. App Updates and Maintenance
Even after your app is successfully published, continuous maintenance and updates are necessary. Fixing bugs, adding features, and reflecting user feedback are important.
5.1 Creating App Update Package
To update an existing app, you need to create a new package and ensure that the version matches the previously submitted app.
5.2 Submitting Update
You can provide the updated app to users by submitting the new app package in the Microsoft Store dashboard.
Conclusion
In this article, we explained the entire process of developing UWP apps and registering them in the Microsoft Store.
Successfully distributing and continuously managing your app play an important role in expanding communication with users and increasing the app’s value.
We hope you will create better apps through continuous learning and development!