microsoft / microsoft/winget-cli

Include ARP for uncorrelated apps in `winget export`

Open
#5,872 4 comments 2 reactions 0 assignees View on GitHub

Nobody has claimed this yet.

Issue-Feature
Dominant language
C++
Stars
26.4k
Forks
1.8k
Avg merge
1d 11h
Merged PRs (30d)
15

Description

Relevant area(s)

WinGet CLI

Description of the new feature / enhancement

When using winget export -o <path>, any apps that cannot be correlated to a package from an available source are not exported to the JSON file. There exists a case where the app currently does not exist in any source, but, could be added to a source between the time of the export and the time of an import. It would be helpful if the app could be correlated at the time of import and imported, rather than being omitted entirely.

Proposed technical implementation details

Have an option or setting to include un-correlated apps in the export. Enabling this would place the ARP data for the applications into a new section within the resulting JSON file from winget export. Enhance winget import to check for this new section, if it is present, attempt correlation using the ARP data there - if a match is returned, install it.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

First steps

  1. Read the whole issue, then the project's contributing guide.
  2. Comment on the issue to say you are picking it up — it saves two people doing the same work.
  3. Fork the repository and make your change on a branch.
  4. Open a pull request that references the issue number.

Research direction

Start by tracing the WinGet CLI paths for winget export and winget import, focusing on how uncorrelated applications and ARP data are handled. Clarify the option or setting and the proposed JSON section before changing anything. Done means export can preserve the ARP data and import can use it for correlation when a package becomes available.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
cpp
Domain
cli
Issue type
Feature
Difficulty
5/5
Estimated time
Over a week
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
30/100

Get new issues in your inbox

A short digest of beginner-friendly GitHub issues.