Publish WPF Core using MSIX...multiple problems - wpf

Question

Edit #1 Start
To Replicate this:
Create a new "vanilla" WPF application addressing .Net Core 3.1
Add an Windows Application Packaging Project to the solution (follow the steps mentioned in Set up your desktop application for MSIX packaging in Visual Studio)
Try to "deploy" to a UNC path...
Edit #1 End
I am in the process of converting a WPF .net framework application to .net core 3.1. This application is an "internal" tool that we've always deployed by using ClickOnce to place create the setup on a shared UNC path. So simple....
I've now re-written it in .Net Core and need to deploy it. Finding that "ClickOnce" is no longer available, I understand that I have to go down the "MSIX" route. The documentation looks like it should be simple, but I guess I'm missing a few things....
1 - I've had to change my Developer Settings from "Side Bar" to "Developer Mode"
2 - It builds fine on my machine, but on Azure DevOps fails
3 - and how do I actually deploy it...?
Let's look at each in turn.
1 - Side Bar => Developer Mode issue
I add a new Windows Application Packaging Project to my solution, pick Windows version 1909 for both target and minimum versions, and set my WPF application to be the Entry Point. I try to run this and it forces me to change from "Side Bar" to "Developer Mode".
Is this only affecting me as the developer....if so, that's fine. I doubt the final end users will want to do this.
2 - Azure DevOps build pipeline fails
Locally, it compiles just fine, even under Release Mode where I have all warnings set to Error, and have FxCop running. Push it to Azure and it says:
[error]C:\Program Files\dotnet\sdk\3.1.201\Sdks\Microsoft.NET.Sdk\targets\Microsoft.PackageDependencyResolution.targets(234,5):
Error NETSDK1047: Assets file
'd:\a\1\s\MyApp\MyApp\obj\project.assets.json' doesn't have a target for '.NETCoreApp,Version=v3.1/win-x86'.
Ensure that restore has run
and that you have included 'netcoreapp3.1' in the TargetFrameworks for
your project.
You may also need to include 'win-x86' in your
project's RuntimeIdentifiers.
Okay
my YAML file has a "Restore NuGet Packages" step preceding the build
that succeeded.
I look in my SKD project file for my application and
I see <TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.1</TargetFramework>
Regarding "RuntimeIdentifiers", I found the link Additions to the csproj format for .NET Core so added <RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-x86</RuntimeIdentifiers> immediately under <TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.1</TargetFramework> (should I be more specific an use win10-x64;win10-x86?)
Either way, this failed with a slightly different message:
There was a mismatch between the processor architecture of the project
being built "MSIL" and the processor architecture of the reference
"path to my dll", "x86". This mismatch may cause runtime failures.
Please consider changing the targeted processor architecture of your
project through the Configuration Manager so as to align the processor
architectures between your project and references, or take a
dependency on references with a processor architecture that matches
the targeted processor architecture of your project.
3 - how do I actually deploy it?
From MSIX: The Modern Way to Deploy Desktop Apps on Windows it states:
To generate the actual MSIX package, there’s a wizard available under
Project | Store | Create App Packages in Visual Studio.
There isn't on my machine....I even went as far as installing the Visual Studio workload "Universal Windows Platform Development". I can see a "Deploy" under the Build menu...but is this it....where do I put the UNC path?
I think I'm missing something fairly fundamental....
The relevant part of my CSPROJ is
<PropertyGroup>
<OutputType>WinExe</OutputType>
<TargetFramework>netcoreapp3.1</TargetFramework>
<RuntimeIdentifiers>win-x64;win-x86</RuntimeIdentifiers>
<UseWPF>true</UseWPF>
</PropertyGroup>
The package project is:
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Project ToolsVersion="15.0" DefaultTargets="Build" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/msbuild/2003">
<PropertyGroup Condition="'$(VisualStudioVersion)' == '' or '$(VisualStudioVersion)' < '15.0'">
<VisualStudioVersion>15.0</VisualStudioVersion>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup Label="ProjectConfigurations">
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|x86">
<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
<Platform>x86</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|x86">
<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
<Platform>x86</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|x64">
<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
<Platform>x64</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|x64">
<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
<Platform>x64</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|ARM">
<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
<Platform>ARM</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|ARM">
<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
<Platform>ARM</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|ARM64">
<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
<Platform>ARM64</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|ARM64">
<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
<Platform>ARM64</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Debug|AnyCPU">
<Configuration>Debug</Configuration>
<Platform>AnyCPU</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
<ProjectConfiguration Include="Release|AnyCPU">
<Configuration>Release</Configuration>
<Platform>AnyCPU</Platform>
</ProjectConfiguration>
</ItemGroup>
<PropertyGroup>
<WapProjPath Condition="'$(WapProjPath)'==''">$(MSBuildExtensionsPath)\Microsoft\DesktopBridge\</WapProjPath>
</PropertyGroup>
<Import Project="$(WapProjPath)\Microsoft.DesktopBridge.props" />
<PropertyGroup>
<ProjectGuid>08b169a2-6461-440b-afa1-ca35c7d98aa7</ProjectGuid>
<TargetPlatformVersion>10.0.18362.0</TargetPlatformVersion>
<TargetPlatformMinVersion>10.0.18362.0</TargetPlatformMinVersion>
<DefaultLanguage>en-US</DefaultLanguage>
<AppxPackageSigningEnabled>True</AppxPackageSigningEnabled>
<EntryPointProjectUniqueName>..\MyApp\MyApp.csproj</EntryPointProjectUniqueName>
<PackageCertificateThumbprint>01C08F1E21D5624A484DB362BE4F056504B825CC</PackageCertificateThumbprint>
</PropertyGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<AppxManifest Include="Package.appxmanifest">
<SubType>Designer</SubType>
</AppxManifest>
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<Content Include="Images\SplashScreen.scale-200.png" />
<Content Include="Images\LockScreenLogo.scale-200.png" />
<Content Include="Images\Square150x150Logo.scale-200.png" />
<Content Include="Images\Square44x44Logo.scale-200.png" />
<Content Include="Images\Square44x44Logo.targetsize-24_altform-unplated.png" />
<Content Include="Images\StoreLogo.png" />
<Content Include="Images\Wide310x150Logo.scale-200.png" />
</ItemGroup>
<ItemGroup>
<ProjectReference Include="..\MyApp\MyApp.csproj">
<SkipGetTargetFrameworkProperties>True</SkipGetTargetFrameworkProperties>
</ProjectReference>
</ItemGroup>
<Import Project="$(WapProjPath)\Microsoft.DesktopBridge.targets" />
</Project>
(can/should I remove references to the "DEBUG" and to "ARM" which I don't think will be relevant??)
And the manifest is
<?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:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities"
IgnorableNamespaces="uap rescap">
<Identity
Name="46aebba6-d403-4412-89c0-05279b36e54e"
Publisher="CN=MyCompany"
Version="2020.5.0.0" />
<Properties>
<DisplayName>MyApp</DisplayName>
<PublisherDisplayName>MyCompany</PublisherDisplayName>
<Logo>Images\StoreLogo.png</Logo>
</Properties>
<Dependencies>
<TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Desktop" MinVersion="10.0.14393.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.14393.0" />
</Dependencies>
<Resources>
<Resource Language="x-generate"/>
</Resources>
<Applications>
<Application Id="App"
Executable="$targetnametoken$.exe"
EntryPoint="$targetentrypoint$">
<uap:VisualElements
DisplayName="MyApp.Package"
Description="MyApp.Package"
BackgroundColor="transparent"
Square150x150Logo="Images\Square150x150Logo.png"
Square44x44Logo="Images\Square44x44Logo.png">
<uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Images\Wide310x150Logo.png" />
<uap:SplashScreen Image="Images\SplashScreen.png" />
</uap:VisualElements>
</Application>
</Applications>
<Capabilities>
<Capability Name="internetClient" />
<rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
</Capabilities>
</Package>
Thanks!

Answer 1

In .wapproj project file please add,
<PropertyGroup>
<ResolveAssemblyWarnOrErrorOnTargetArchitectureMismatch>
None
</ResolveAssemblyWarnOrErrorOnTargetArchitectureMismatch>
</PropertyGroup>