Need guidance on packaging QT Desktop Application into AppX format using Visual Studio 17

Question

I am trying to create an appx/appxupload package for my QT GUI application so that it can be published to the Windows Store. Here are the list of steps I followed to generate an appx package:

Generate a Visual Studio project file using my QT .pro file by using the qmake -tp vc command in the directory containing my .pro file. I have used the x86 msvc-2017 kit in QT
Opened the .vcproj file using Visual Studio 2017 ,Version 15.9.10 and built the project to check for any errors.
Added a new project Windows Application Packaging Project (Visual C++) to the same Visual Studio solution.
Added my QT project (now converted to Visual Studio project) as a reference to Applications in my new Packaging project
Added all the Visual Assets, app name and other configuration settings in the Designer mode and then built the project
Package the application to upload to Windows Store

When, I try to install and run the application, I get an error saying : This application failed to start because it could not find or load the Qt platform plugin "windows" in "".. All the QT plugins are present in the installation folder, however my application exe file is present inside an another folder in the installation directory like AppName\AppName.exe. If I copy the AppName.exe outside the AppName folder and run, the app runs fine.

I went through the various xml files and I see under Application section, Executable = "AppName\AppName.exe" instead of Executable = AppName.exe. I believe there is a configuration setting where one can configure the Application target path. If the exe file is at the same level as that of all the other QT dll's, the app will run fine without errors.

Can someone please help resolve this issue?

Thanks

Obviously we need to get your EXE and DLLs in the same folder. Can you post the manifest file for your package? — selbie, Nov 28 '19 at 08:25
@selbie, I have added the manifest file in the Answer. Thanks — Mustafa Shamsi, Nov 28 '19 at 09:04

score 0 · Answer 1 · answered Nov 28 '19 at 08:59

The Package.appxmanifest generated by Visual Studio

<Package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10" xmlns:mp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/2014/phone/manifest" xmlns:uap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10" xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities" IgnorableNamespaces="uap mp rescap">
  <Identity Name="CybernetyxTechnikPvt.Ltd.AirMindThinker" Publisher="CN=FD00F14F-4E0A-4328-8B66-60A5777EDBFE" Version="1.0.24.0" />
  <Properties>
    <DisplayName>AirMind Thinker</DisplayName>
    <PublisherDisplayName>Cybernetyx Technik Pvt. Ltd.</PublisherDisplayName>
    <Logo>Images\StoreLogo.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>
  <Resources>
    <Resource Language="x-generate" />
  </Resources>
  <Applications>
    <Application Id="App" Executable="$targetnametoken$.exe" EntryPoint="$targetentrypoint$">
      <uap:VisualElements DisplayName="AirMind Thinker" Description="AirMind Thinker Application" BackgroundColor="transparent" Square150x150Logo="Images\Square150x150Logo.png" Square44x44Logo="Images\Square44x44Logo.png">
        <uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Images\Wide310x150Logo.png" Square310x310Logo="Images\LargeTile.png" Square71x71Logo="Images\SmallTile.png">
        </uap:DefaultTile>
        <uap:SplashScreen Image="Images\SplashScreen.png" />
      </uap:VisualElements>
    </Application>
  </Applications>
  <Capabilities>
    <Capability Name="internetClient" />
    <rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
  </Capabilities>
</Package>

This is the AppxManifest.xml generated in the output folder (bin/x86/Release/)

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<Package xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10" xmlns:mp="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/2014/phone/manifest" xmlns:uap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/uap/windows10" xmlns:rescap="http://schemas.microsoft.com/appx/manifest/foundation/windows10/restrictedcapabilities" IgnorableNamespaces="uap mp rescap build" xmlns:build="http://schemas.microsoft.com/developer/appx/2015/build">
  <!--
    THIS PACKAGE MANIFEST FILE IS GENERATED BY THE BUILD PROCESS.

    Changes to this file will be lost when it is regenerated. To correct errors in this file, edit the source .appxmanifest file.

    For more information on package manifest files, see http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=241727
  -->
  <Identity Name="CybernetyxTechnikPvt.Ltd.AirMindThinker" Publisher="CN=FD00F14F-4E0A-4328-8B66-60A5777EDBFE" Version="1.0.24.0" ProcessorArchitecture="x86" />
  <Properties>
    <DisplayName>AirMind Thinker</DisplayName>
    <PublisherDisplayName>Cybernetyx Technik Pvt. Ltd.</PublisherDisplayName>
    <Logo>Images\StoreLogo.png</Logo>
  </Properties>
  <Dependencies>
    <TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Universal" MinVersion="10.0.14393.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.17763.0" />
    <TargetDeviceFamily Name="Windows.Desktop" MinVersion="10.0.14393.0" MaxVersionTested="10.0.17763.0" />
    <PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop" MinVersion="14.0.26905.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US" />
  </Dependencies>
  <Resources>
    <Resource Language="EN-US" />
  </Resources>
  <Applications>
    <Application Id="App" Executable="AirMindThinker\AirMindThinker.exe" EntryPoint="Windows.FullTrustApplication">
      <uap:VisualElements DisplayName="AirMind Thinker" Description="AirMind Thinker Application" BackgroundColor="transparent" Square150x150Logo="Images\Square150x150Logo.png" Square44x44Logo="Images\Square44x44Logo.png">
        <uap:DefaultTile Wide310x150Logo="Images\Wide310x150Logo.png" Square310x310Logo="Images\LargeTile.png" Square71x71Logo="Images\SmallTile.png"></uap:DefaultTile>
        <uap:SplashScreen Image="Images\SplashScreen.png" />
      </uap:VisualElements>
    </Application>
  </Applications>
  <Capabilities>
    <Capability Name="internetClient" />
    <rescap:Capability Name="runFullTrust" />
  </Capabilities>
  <build:Metadata>
    <build:Item Name="Microsoft.Build.DesktopBridge.Tasks.dll" Version="4.6.30319.200" />
    <build:Item Name="TargetFrameworkMoniker" Value=".NETCore,Version=v5.0" />
    <build:Item Name="VisualStudio" Version="15.0" />
    <build:Item Name="VisualStudioEdition" Value="Microsoft Visual Studio Community 2017" />
    <build:Item Name="OperatingSystem" Version="10.0.18362.1 (WinBuild.160101.0800)" />
    <build:Item Name="Microsoft.Build.AppxPackage.dll" Version="15.0.28307.104" />
    <build:Item Name="ProjectGUID" Value="e995a5ab-e99d-4e1c-864d-a5fbbfc73ceb" />
    <build:Item Name="MakePri.exe" Version="10.0.17763.132 (WinBuild.160101.0800)" />
  </build:Metadata>
</Package>

Need guidance on packaging QT Desktop Application into AppX format using Visual Studio 17

1 Answers1