Microsoft tests new Windows 11 UI design and development framework

Microsoft is working on two significant updates for the Windows 11 ecosystem aimed at improving user experience and developer efficiency.

In response to user feedback regarding the Windows 11 right-click context menu, Microsoft has introduced a new design draft within the Windows Insider Program. The redesign aims to make the menu more compact and customizable, addressing previous criticisms that the layout was either too cluttered or lacked immediate access to essential functions. Key changes in the draft include consolidating OneDrive entries into a submenu and moving file-opening programs into a separate submenu to reduce visual bloat.

Simultaneously, Microsoft is testing a new development framework called Microsoft.UI.Reactor. This tool allows developers to build native Windows 11 applications entirely using the C# programming language, eliminating the traditional need for XAML markup language. By describing the entire user interface directly in C# code, the framework aims to reduce project complexity. In demonstrations, tasks that previously required multiple files were successfully completed within a single C# file, while maintaining native integration with existing Windows UI elements.