---
title: Samples and tools for Windows development
description: Use these GitHub repositories to learn about Windows development. Sample apps demonstrate Windows features, API usage patterns, and end-to-end scenarios.
ms.topic: how-to
ms.date: 11/24/2025
keywords: windows, win32, desktop development
ms.localizationpriority: medium
ms.collection: windows11
ms.custom: kr2b-contr-experiment
---

# Samples and resources

This page contains links to resources that can make you more efficient as you develop your apps for Windows.

## Samples

:::image type="content" source="../get-started/images/WASDK.png" alt-text="Header image for Windows App SDK" border="false":::

The [**WindowsAppSDK-Samples repository**](https://github.com/microsoft/WindowsAppSDK-Samples) provides a collection of code samples that demonstrate how to use the Windows App SDK to build modern Windows applications. These samples cover key features such as WinUI 3, app lifecycle, windowing, and push notifications, offering practical, hands-on guidance for developers. Whether you're new to the Windows App SDK or looking for specific implementation details, this repository serves as a valuable resource to accelerate development and explore best practices. You can find other samples in our [Samples Browser](/samples/browse/).


> [!div class="nextstepaction"]
> [Explore all Windows App SDK samples](https://github.com/microsoft/WindowsAppSDK-Samples)

## WinUI 3 Gallery

:::image type="content" source="../get-started/images/winui3gallery.png" alt-text="Header image for WinUI 3 Gallery" border="false":::

The [**WinUI 3 Gallery**](https://github.com/microsoft/WinUI-Gallery) is the must-have companion app for WinUI developers. It's a sample app that showcases the full range of  WinUI controls, styles, design guidance, and capabilities. This interactive gallery helps you explore and experiment with WinUI components, view XAML code examples, and understand best practices for building modern, fluent Windows applications. Whether you're designing a new app or refining an existing UI, the WinUI 3 Gallery is an essential reference for leveraging the power of WinUI in your projects. You can either [browse the repository](https://github.com/microsoft/WinUI-Gallery) for source code or [**download the WinUI 3 Gallery from the Microsoft Store**](https://aka.ms/winuigallery).


> [!div class="nextstepaction"]
> [Get started with WinUI 3 Gallery](https://aka.ms/winuigallery)

## Windows Community Toolkit

:::image type="content" source="../get-started/images/WCT.png" alt-text="Header image for Windows Community Toolkit" border="false":::

The [**Windows Community Toolkit**](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Windows) is an open-source collection of helper functions, custom controls, and app services. It simplifies and demonstrates common developer tasks when building apps for Windows.

You can get the  [**Windows Community Toolkit Gallery app from the Microsoft Store**](https://aka.ms/windowstoolkitapp) to see the controls in an actual app or get the source code on GitHub at [CommunityToolkit/Windows](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Windows).

> [!div class="nextstepaction"]
> [Explore the Windows Community Toolkit](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/Windows)

[**.NET Community Toolkit**](https://github.com/CommunityToolkit/dotnet)

The .NET Community Toolkit is a collection of NuGet packages with high-performance helpers, extensions, and APIs designed to enhance .NET development across WinUI, WPF, MAUI, and other .NET applications. A key component is the [MVVM Toolkit](/dotnet/communitytoolkit/mvvm/), a lightweight and modern Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) library that simplifies app architecture with features like observable properties, commands, and dependency injection. Built for performance and flexibility, the MVVM Toolkit helps you implement MVVM patterns efficiently while keeping your code clean and maintainable.