Accessing device sensors in a console app

[ladeak]

I have a .NET console app that is targeting Windows. I would like to access device sensors, for example the light sensor on the device. What is the best way to do this without installing many GBs of SDKs and UI frameworks etc.?

• MAUI -> install 12 GB of workload
• WinUI -> 8GB of SDK too
• UWP -> I see docs to migrate away
• Maybe COM / Windows Interop, but docs are far from being useful on Windows side
• AI: it just hallucinates

Shouldn't this be a super simple task with great docs?

[huoyaoyuan]

Set your target framework to netX.0-windows10.0.x.0, for example net9.0-windows10.0.22621.0, you will get access to the WinRT apis via the integrated Microsoft.Windows.SDK.NET.Ref.Windows package. After NuGet restoring you can directly use the Windows.Device.Sensors namespace.

It's powered by CsWinRT and is the same interface provided by WinUI/MAUI. It's actually a prerequisite to use the UI technologies, so their project setup will bring it in.

[ladeak]

Thank you, I will try this later today.