Quick Start Guide
This guide will help you quickly build and run Windows Calculator locally on your development machine.Prerequisites Check
Before you begin, ensure you have:- Windows 11, build 22000 or newer
- Visual Studio (Community edition or higher)
- At least 10GB of free disk space
Get Started in 5 Minutes
Clone the Repository
Open your terminal or command prompt and clone the Calculator repository:Navigate to the cloned directory:
Open the Solution
Launch Visual Studio and open the solution file:You can also open it directly from File Explorer by double-clicking the
.sln file.Restore NuGet Packages
Visual Studio should automatically restore NuGet packages when you open the solution. If not, right-click on the solution in Solution Explorer and select Restore NuGet Packages.
Build the Solution
Build the solution using one of these methods:
- Press
F6orCtrl+Shift+B - From the menu: Build → Build Solution
- Right-click the solution and select Build Solution
The first build may take several minutes as Visual Studio compiles all projects and dependencies.
Verify Your Setup
Once the application launches, verify that everything is working:- Standard Calculator: Perform a basic calculation (e.g.,
2 + 2 = 4) - Switch Modes: Use the navigation menu to switch between Standard, Scientific, and Programmer modes
- Test Converters: Try the unit converter with a simple conversion
Build Configurations
Windows Calculator supports multiple build configurations:| Configuration | Description |
|---|---|
| Debug | Includes debugging symbols, no optimizations. Use for development. |
| Release | Optimized build without debugging symbols. Use for testing performance. |
Diagnostic data is disabled in development builds by default. You can enable it with the
SEND_DIAGNOSTICS build flag if needed.Platform Targets
You can build for different platforms:- x64: 64-bit Windows (recommended for most modern systems)
- x86: 32-bit Windows
- ARM64: ARM-based Windows devices
Common Issues
Missing SDK Error
If you see errors about missing Windows SDK:- Open Visual Studio Installer
- Modify your Visual Studio installation
- Install the latest Windows 11 SDK
NuGet Restore Failed
If NuGet package restoration fails:- Check your internet connection
- Clear the NuGet cache:
Tools → NuGet Package Manager → Package Manager Settings → Clear All NuGet Cache(s) - Restore packages again
Next Steps
Now that you have Calculator running:Explore the Architecture
Learn about the MVVM design pattern and project structure
Contributing Guidelines
Start contributing to the project
Run UI Tests
Set up and run automated UI tests
Code Style Guide
Understand the coding standards and style guidelines
Running UI Tests
To run the UI tests, you need to install Windows Application Driver (WinAppDriver):- Download the latest release from WinAppDriver releases
- Install WinAppDriver on your system
- Run the UI test projects from Visual Studio Test Explorer
Development Tips
- XAML Hot Reload: Visual Studio supports XAML Hot Reload, allowing you to see UI changes without rebuilding
- Debugging: Use breakpoints in both C++ and C# code for effective debugging
- IntelliSense: Take advantage of IntelliSense for code completion and documentation
For detailed installation instructions and advanced setup options, see the Installation Guide.