MSIX .wapproj service

Thanks you for waiting.

This is the cleaned appxmanifest:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Package
    xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10"
    xmlns:uap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10"
    xmlns:desktop6="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/desktop/windows10/6"
    xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities"
    IgnorableNamespaces="uap rescap">

    <Identity Name="Service" Publisher="CN=Company" Version="0.0.0.0"/>

    <Properties>
        <DisplayName>Service</DisplayName>
        <PublisherDisplayName>Company</PublisherDisplayName>
        <Logo>logo.png</Logo>
    </Properties>

    <Dependencies>
        <TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.0.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.0.0"/>
        <TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Desktop" MinVersion="10.0.14393.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.14393.0"/>
    </Dependencies>

    <Capabilities>
        <rescap:Capability Name="packagedServices"/>
        <rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust"/>
    </Capabilities>

    <Applications>
        <Application
            Id="App"
            Executable="SomeApp.exe"
            EntryPoint="Program">

            <uap:VisualElements
                DisplayName="Service"
                Description="Service"
                BackgroundColor="transparent"
                Square150x150Logo="large.png"
                Square44x44Logo="small.png"/>

            <Extensions>
                <desktop6:Extension
                    Category="windows.service"
                    Executable="SomeApp.exe"
                    EntryPoint="Program">

                    <desktop6:Service
                        Name="Service"
                        StartupType="manual"
                        StartAccount="localService"/>
                </desktop6:Extension>
            </Extensions>
        </Application>
    </Applications>
</Package>

Assuming that the mentioned files and publisher exist, this packs as expected.

It gets interesting when the following two attributed are changed:

<Application Executable="SomeApp.exe" [...]
<Extension Executable="SomeApp.exe" [...]

This combination works:

<Application Executable="$targetnametoken$.exe" [...]
<Extension Executable="SomeApp.exe" [...]

While this one returns an error:

<Application Executable="SomeApp.exe" [...]
<Extension Executable="$targetnametoken$.exe" [...]

The returned error is:

The file name "$targetnametoken$.exe" declared for element "*[local-name()='Applications']/*[local-name()='Application']/*[local-name()='Extensions']/*[local-name()='Extension' and not(@Category='windows.backgroundTasks' or @Category='windows.appService')]" doesn't exist in the package.

Thank you very much for taking the time.

Unfortunately I won't be able to follow-up with the file until monday, but I'll describe it for you in the meantime:

In a VisualStudio solution containing two projects: One being the .wapproj, the other being the service, and with the wapproj having a project reference to the service, this is what works as expected:

The appxmanifest can contain placeholders inside a declared Application element.

This then directly uses the output of the referenced project's build, without a need to explicitly copy the bin files over to a folder inside the wapproj. Put simply: The tooling manages the linking, without a need for custom build steps. There is no danger of using outdated files, or breaking the build by refactoring something.

Here is where my naive assumptions deviate for reality:

Inside an appxmanifest, an Application element can contain a windows service as an extension. (Application element>Extensions element>Extension element with Category="windows.service").

That extension expects, just like the application element containing it, an Executable and an Entrypoint property linking to an executable file.

If that executable file mentioned in those properties is found within the wapproj's files then the msix package builds and the application and service install as expected.

However, using the same placeholders (eg. $targetnametoken$) inside the Extension elements properties will *not* link the build output to the bundled service, and instead error with a message along the lines of 'file with name $targetnametoken$ not found in project'.

Is there an intended way to link build outputs to bundled services?

If not, is there possibly a .targets file I could take inspiration from?

Again, I'll follow-up with the appxmanifest file on monday. I wish you a great weekend.

Cheers, Ben.