microsoft / microsoft/react-native-windows
Couldn't create react windows app with existing react-native application if app name has a dash in it
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- Dominant language
- C++
- Stars
- 17.3k
- Forks
- 1.2k
- Avg merge
- 1d 13h
- Merged PRs (30d)
- 33
Description
Can we create windows app with existing react-native application.
I was trying to do the same. I am getting following errors.

Processing WinMD c:\program files (x86)\windows kits\10\references\10.0.18362.0\windows.ui.xaml.core.direct.xamldirectcontract\2.0.0.0\windows.ui.xaml.core.direct.xamldirectcontract.winmd
9>D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native\App.idl(1): error MIDL2025: [msg]syntax error [context]: expecting { near "-" [D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native\gvc-re
act-native.vcxproj]
9>D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native\App.idl(2): error MIDL2026: [msg]cannot recover from earlier syntax errors; aborting compilation [D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-
react-native\gvc-react-native.vcxproj]
9>Done Building Project "D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native\gvc-react-native.vcxproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
2>Done Building Project "D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native\gvc-react-native.vcxproj.metaproj" (default targets) -- FAILED.
1>Done Building Project "D:\MCD\MCDSource\gvc-react-native\windows\gvc-react-native.sln" (default targets) -- FAILED.
Contributor guide
First steps
- Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
- Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
- Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
- Open a pull request that references the issue number.
Research direction
Start by reproducing creation of a Windows app from an existing React Native application whose name contains a dash, then inspect the generated windows/gvc-react-native/App.idl referenced in the build error. Done means the generated Windows project builds successfully for dashed app names without the reported MIDL syntax errors.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Tech stack
- cpp, react-native
- Domain
- build-system, desktop
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Stale
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 38/100