Microsoft’s Universal Windows Platform (UWP) has had a bumpy ride but remains the underpinning for the company’s solutions such as Windows, Xbox, IoT, and HoloLens. However, the platform could lose a significant backer as the Qt Company is thinking of ending support for Universal Windows Platform.
The Qt Company is currently developing its Qt 6 tool-kit update, the latest version of the free and open source widget software. If you are unfamiliar with Qt, it allows developers to move solutions across platforms without changing the underlying code.
With Qt, a developer can create a user interface and applications that run on Windows, Linux, Android, embedded systems, or Linux with few code changes. At the same time, solutions created in Qt are native to the OS they are developed for.
Qt Company is currently working on Qt 6, although it is not expected to launch until the end of 2020. One of the rumored changes could be the removal of support for the Universal Windows Platform. It is worth noting this is apparently being discussed by the company and is not finalized.
Ongoing Support
Of course, Qt would still support Windows as a whole, just not the universal element of the platform. This would mean developers would not be able to use the software to create for HoloLens, Xbox, and other UWP-structured products.
It seems the end of Windows Phone is playing a role in Qt Company being less enthused by UWP. Microsoft’s mobile platform was certainly a major factor in the software supporting the Universal Windows Platform.
Removing UWP support would help Qt Company to focus on maintaining other elements of the system.
