Concept

Windows Runtime

Summary
Windows Runtime (WinRT) is a platform-agnostic component and application architecture first introduced in Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 in 2012. It is implemented in C++ and officially supports development in C++ (via C++/WinRT, C++/CX or WRL), Rust/WinRT, Python/WinRT, JavaScript-TypeScript, and the managed code languages C# and Visual Basic .NET (VB.NET). WinRT is not a runtime in a traditional sense but rather a language-independent application binary interface based on COM to allow APIs to be consumed from multiple languages, with services usually provided by a full-blown runtime, such as type activation. Apps using the Windows Runtime may run inside a sandboxed environment to allow greater security and stability and can natively support both x86 and ARM. WinRT components are designed with interoperability among multiple languages and APIs in mind, including native, managed and scripting languages. Built-in APIs provided by Windows which use the WinRT ABI are commonly known as WinRT APIs; however, anyone can use the WinRT ABI for their own APIs. WinRT is implemented in the programming language C++ and is object-oriented by design. Its underlying technology, the Windows API (Win32 API), is written mostly in the language C. It is an unmanaged application binary interface based on Component Object Model (COM) that allows interfacing from multiple languages, as does COM. However, the API definitions are stored in .winmd files, which are encoded in ECMA 335 metadata format, which .NET Framework also uses with a few modifications. For WinRT components implemented in native code, the metadata file only contains the definition of methods, classes, interfaces and enumerations and the implementation is provided in a separate DLL. This common metadata format makes it easier to consume WinRT APIs from .NET apps with simpler syntax than P/Invoke. Windows provides a set of built-in APIs which are built on the WinRT ABI which provide everything from the XAML-based WinUI library and device access such as camera, microphone etc.
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