Support min_os_version on Windows by abdnh · Pull Request #2855 · beeware/briefcase

abdnh · 2026-05-29T13:31:26Z

This adds support for specifying the minimum supported Windows build number using the min_os_version option.

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I will abide by the BeeWare Code of Conduct
I have read and have followed the CONTRIBUTING.md file
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abdnh · 2026-05-29T14:10:19Z

+        app_packages_path: Path,
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
+        support_min_version = 10240  # Windows 10


Hardcoded because there's no reliable way to detect the minimum version from the support package as far as I know.

The support package won't include this information, but we could include it in the briefcase.toml in the app template - that is where the support package build number is defined, so it would make sense to tie the two together, rather than hard-coding the value here. If it isn't in the template, falling back to "not defined" would make sense to me.

freakboy3742

Thanks for the update. This looks like a really useful improvement; a couple of suggestions inline regarding how this will be applied in practice.

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-02T01:01:26Z

+        app_packages_path: Path,
+        **kwargs,
+    ):
+        support_min_version = 10240  # Windows 10


The support package won't include this information, but we could include it in the briefcase.toml in the app template - that is where the support package build number is defined, so it would make sense to tie the two together, rather than hard-coding the value here. If it isn't in the template, falling back to "not defined" would make sense to me.

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-02T01:03:57Z

+                "Your Windows app specifies a minimum build number of "
+                f"{min_version}, but the support package only supports "
+                f"{support_min_version}"
+            )


This checks the value on the installer side, but it won't put the value into the template in the "default" case. i.e., it will catch the error if I try to build the app on Windows 8, but if I build the app on Windows 11, and then try to install on Windows 8, it won't pass that information down unless I explicitly put min_os_version in the app config.

freakboy3742

Looking good; a couple of edge cases and style notes inline.

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-03T02:15:52Z

+    ],
+)
+def test_min_os_version(
+    create_command, first_app_templated, template_version, app_version, compatible


As a style thing, if a list of arguments long enough that it's triggering ruff's "put it on another line" rule, we go straight to the "one argument per line" formatting (which you get out of ruff automatically by adding a comma to the end of the last argument).

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-03T02:15:54Z

+        if template_min_version:
+            min_version = getattr(app, "min_os_version", None)
+            if min_version is None:
+                app.min_os_version = template_min_version


If this is going to propagate into the template, it can't be done here.

install_app_requirements is invoked after the app template is generated, so with this approach, the min_os_version would only be annotated onto the app (a) after the template has been rolled out, and (b) only if requirements were being installed (which they should always be if you're creating the template, but it also means updating requirements would cause the app to be annotated).

If the app configuration is being updated, it should be done in a finalize_app_config() override so that every app configuration has a min_os_version under Windows.

But we can't read briefcase.toml in finalize_app_config() as it's not available at that stage?

Will setting a default min_os_version in cookiecutter.json work (same value as target_windows_build)?

But we can't read briefcase.toml in finalize_app_config() as it's not available at that stage?

Hrm - good point...

Will setting a default min_os_version in cookiecutter.json work (same value as target_windows_build)?

I guess that works - it's also the same approach that the iOS and macOS templates use, so there's at least some consistency there.

The value in briefcase.toml is still needed because the support package can't report a minimum version - but the value can be templated from {{ cookiecutter.min_os_version }} to avoid duplication.

but the value can be templated from {{ cookiecutter.min_os_version }} to avoid duplication.

This will break the build-time check though: target_windows_build will always match min_os_version.

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-03T02:16:52Z

+        template_min_version = self.target_windows_build(app)
+        if template_min_version:


Suggested change

template_min_version = self.target_windows_build(app)

if template_min_version:

if template_min_version := self.target_windows_build(app):

freakboy3742 · 2026-06-03T02:19:38Z

+                min_version = template_min_version
+            if min_version and int(min_version) < template_min_version:


Isn't this an elif? Also - is the int conversion required?

Suggested change

min_version = template_min_version

if min_version and int(min_version) < template_min_version:

elif min_version < template_min_version:

I was thinking it should a string (e.g min_os_version = "17763") for consistency with other platforms, but that's probably unnecessary here.

Hrm - I guess that's fair. I guess it doesn't hurt to have the extra safety there.

abdnh added 4 commits May 29, 2026 14:30

Check Windows version

47452f2

Add tests

cb0c35b

Update docs

82f5536

Add change note

6ddea87

abdnh commented May 29, 2026

View reviewed changes

abdnh mentioned this pull request May 29, 2026

Check Windows build number beeware/briefcase-windows-app-template#96

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3 tasks

abdnh marked this pull request as ready for review May 29, 2026 14:19

freakboy3742 requested changes Jun 2, 2026

View reviewed changes

abdnh added 3 commits June 2, 2026 16:41

Read version from app template

c79adb5

Ensure min_os_version is passed to the template if not specified

015dd30

Add tests for target_windows_build

82f4168

freakboy3742 requested changes Jun 3, 2026

View reviewed changes

abdnh added 3 commits June 3, 2026 19:26

Tweak argument formatting

2cee775

Assume min_os_version is int

90daaa6

Do not set a default min_os_version

30e23b5

		template_min_version = self.target_windows_build(app)
		if template_min_version:

	template_min_version = self.target_windows_build(app)
	if template_min_version:
	if template_min_version := self.target_windows_build(app):

		min_version = template_min_version
		if min_version and int(min_version) < template_min_version:

	min_version = template_min_version
	if min_version and int(min_version) < template_min_version:
	elif min_version < template_min_version:

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abdnh commented May 29, 2026 • edited Loading Uh oh! There was an error while loading. Please reload this page.

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abdnh commented May 29, 2026 •

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