Foundry Local WinRT/C++ support

Question

Foundry Local WinRT/C++ support

Jacques Quidu 0

Hello,

we would like to know if you intend to add support to C++ native applications for FoundryLocal in a near future, as a WinRT/C++ Package Nuget for instance ?

Unfortunately, we cannot use Microsoft.Windows.AI which is available in WinRT/C++ because of the requirement for a Package Identity and Copilot+ PC so we would like to use Microsoft.AI.Foundry.Local instead in our native WIN32 C++ application.

Kind regards,

Jacques Quidu
Software Engineer
4D SAS

Darran Rowe 2,616 Reputation points

2026-06-22T16:14:55.47+00:00

One thing to note is that depending on the use case, the package identity isn't really an issue. If it is an internal application, you only need to use a code signing certificate that is signed by the organisations CA, or even a self signed code signing certificate. Of course, this only works internally, but that lowers the barrier to entry for internal/LoB applications. But if this is a customer facing application and you are signing your executables, the same certificate will work.

In addition to this, you don't need to repackage the entire application into an MSIX package. This is documented in Grant package identity by packaging with external location manually. You will still need to create a package and register it, but this can happen as part of the application's installer or first time startup, and you can then remove the package as part of the uninstaller. You also don't need to distribute the application in the Windows Store either.

2 answers

Your answer

Darran Rowe 2,616 Reputation points

2026-06-22T16:14:55.47+00:00

One thing to note is that depending on the use case, the package identity isn't really an issue. If it is an internal application, you only need to use a code signing certificate that is signed by the organisations CA, or even a self signed code signing certificate. Of course, this only works internally, but that lowers the barrier to entry for internal/LoB applications. But if this is a customer facing application and you are signing your executables, the same certificate will work.

In addition to this, you don't need to repackage the entire application into an MSIX package. This is documented in Grant package identity by packaging with external location manually. You will still need to create a package and register it, but this can happen as part of the application's installer or first time startup, and you can then remove the package as part of the uninstaller. You also don't need to distribute the application in the Windows Store either.

Answer 1

Bruce (SqlWork.com) 84,251

While not shipped, the sdk source contains a windows only c/c++ sdk. You must build the static library yourself. See:

https://github.com/microsoft/Foundry-Local/blob/main/sdk/cpp/README.md

if you do not want to build the c/c++ library, you can use the rust implementation with a simple rust wrapper that exposes the desired endpoints to c.

0 comments

Answer 2

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello @Jacques Quidu ,

Thanks for your question.

Regarding native C++ and WinRT/C++ NuGet support for Microsoft.AI.Foundry.Local:

There is currently no official public Microsoft documentation that explicitly confirms native C++ support is in development or provides a formal release timeline for the near future.

For deeper guidance, I'd suggest checking directly with the product group through their official GitHub repository - they'll confirm their roadmap and the best approach for you.

About the current strategy, the officially supported languages (C#, JavaScript, Python, and Rust) are the recommended path for Foundry Local integration. Microsoft's investments, new features, and tooling support for this SDK are currently focused on those environments.

I hope this addresses your question. If this response was helpful, please consider following the guidance to provide feedback.

Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-25T02:17:17.08+00:00

Hi @Jacques Quidu ,

I wonder if there is any update on this post. If you have any question, feel free to reach out. I'm happy to support you.
Nancy Vo (WICLOUD CORPORATION) 6,595 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-06-29T02:36:39.78+00:00

Hi @Jacques Quidu ,

Since I haven’t received any recent updates, I’ll go ahead and close this thread for now. If you still need assistance, please feel free to reach out at any time. I’ll be happy to help.

Thank you.