CmdPal: Restore CmdPal package dependency on VCRT

[jiripolasek]

Summary of the Pull Request

This PR restores the CmdPal's package dependency on the Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime (VCRT).
The change ensures that Adaptive Cards can be created and rendered correctly without requiring a separate VCRT installation.

Projected change to CmdPal's app package manifest:

Debug:

<PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.Debug" MinVersion="14.0.33519.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"/>
<PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.Debug.UWPDesktop" MinVersion="14.0.33728.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"/>

Release:

<PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00" MinVersion="14.0.33519.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"/>
<PackageDependency Name="Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop" MinVersion="14.0.33728.0" Publisher="CN=Microsoft Corporation, O=Microsoft Corporation, L=Redmond, S=Washington, C=US"/>

PR Checklist

• Closes: CmdPal: Adaptive Cards can’t be created at runtime #42497
• Communication: I've discussed this with core contributors already. If the work hasn't been agreed, this work might be rejected
• Tests: Added/updated and all pass
• Localization: All end-user-facing strings can be localized
• Dev docs: Added/updated
• New binaries: Added on the required places
  • JSON for signing for new binaries
  • WXS for installer for new binaries and localization folder
  • YML for CI pipeline for new test projects
  • YML for signed pipeline
• Documentation updated: If checked, please file a pull request on our docs repo and link it here: #xxx

Detailed Description of the Pull Request / Additional comments

Validation Steps Performed

[jiripolasek]

To do: The PT installer should consider those dependencies

[jiripolasek]

Yop, current PTs installer won't include content of Dependencies folder. 0cb7cc6 removes dependency from the installer. When the .appx files are back, package::RegisterPackage should install it with the CmdPal.

[jiripolasek]

The AdaptiveCards.Rendering.WinUI3 library has supported Hybrid CRT since version 2.2.2-beta (we use 2.1.0-beta). While it was also added to AdaptiveCards.ObjectModel.WinUI3, it was never published to NuGet.

[vanzue]

Can we get the package in private feed?
Or we package the CRT into our installer for now?

[jiripolasek]

Can we get the package in private feed?

Or we package the CRT into our installer for now?

Hi @vanzue,

They never released a package for the ObjectModel library. I’ve opened an issue in the AdaptiveCards repo requesting it, but I don’t expect a response anytime soon.

I don’t think building it ourselves would be wise, so packaging the CRT with CmdPal seems like the way to go. I just need to get it building to verify the installer changes.

[vanzue]

OK! Let me pick installer code and spin a installer to test

[vanzue]

Ohh, I realize there are two vcruntime packed, do you know how we can just get our dependency to "Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.Debug.UWPDesktop"? adpative card should only depend on this (our previous version only pack this package and it works)

[jiripolasek]

Ohh, I realize there are two vcruntime packed, do you know how we can just get our dependency to "Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.Debug.UWPDesktop"? adpative card should only depend on this (our previous version only pack this package and it works)

The PackageDependency can be added to manifests manually. WinUISDKReferences just looked like a cleaner solution (even through it adds both of them).

    <SDKReference Include="Microsoft.VCLibs.Desktop, Version=14.0" />

might do the trick.

Thanks for checking this out. I’ve finally managed to get the machine close to building the installer after a clean install of VS (looks like some weird interference between different VS2022, 2022 preview and 2026 instances 🤯), but now I’m facing just few linker errors in PT.sln and a few WIX00010 errors on the generated elements :/