Windows Terminal will soon receive the settings UI, which will be based on WinUI 2 controls that currently exist. Microsoft continues to add several new features to Windows Terminal. At the same time, the company is adding more controls to WinUI. In the coming months, the partnership between Windows Terminal and WinUI will introduce new features and controls.
Windows Terminal to bring major improvements
Windows Terminal is a new command-line hub that allows users to access different environments such as Command Prompt, PowerShell, and WSL. In a recent blog post, Microsoft wrote:
“As Windows Terminal gains more features, we are able to continually work with WinUI to add more controls as these become available. The next big item on the list is the settings UI, which will use many WinUI 2 controls that are available today. This partnership has been fantastic and we can’t wait to continue to improve both Windows Terminal and WinUI with the creation of new features and controls.”
Recap of WinUI and Windows Terminal partnership
The partnership between WinUI and Windows Terminal dates as far back as December 2017 when Microsoft initially started working on the early prototype of the Windows Terminal.
Microsoft wanted to redefine the user experience for the command line on Windows, courtesy of the Windows Terminal. While in its early stages of planning, Microsoft realized the importance of building a modern command-line tool with modern features.
“We wanted to make sure that it was visually consistent with other inbox applications and followed Fluent Design principles.”
Microsoft initially decided to build Windows Terminal as a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) application. Building Windows Terminal as UWP meant one thing: Easy access to UWP XAML and the entire WinUI 2 library.
Plus, WinUI 2 library provides developers with native controls, styles, and capabilities designed specifically for Windows apps. However, building Windows Terminal as a UWP app would derive no permission on the operating system.
Hence, Microsoft shifted its focus to XAML Islands. Built by the WinUI team, XAML Islands enables developers to use new UI elements from the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) on their existing Win32 applications.
“As a Win32 application, we’re able to use all of the legacy Win32 APIs that a terminal app might need to launch processes and query the filesystem. We’ve also been able to use the power of UWP XAML and WinUI 2 to help build the UI of Terminal quickly and beautifully,” Microsoft added.
Last month, Microsoft announced the release of Windows Terminal Preview 1.3, which brings new features and improvements such as in the form of a command palette, advanced tab switcher, tab color setting, among other things. Windows Terminal Preview 1.3 also brings support for several new commands.
