Compatibility Matrix
Runtime compatibility
| Target application |
Inspector runtime path |
Notes |
| .NET Framework WPF |
net48 inspector path |
Requires matching bootstrapper architecture |
| .NET 8+ WPF |
net8.0-windows inspector path |
Requires matching bootstrapper architecture |
| .NET 6/7 WPF |
No shipped raw-injection inspector path |
Not currently supported by raw injection; upgrade the target app to .NET 8+ or wait for explicit SDK/inspector target expansion |
Architecture compatibility
| Target process architecture |
Recommended server/bootstrapper build |
Notes |
| x86 |
x86 / Win32 |
Required for cross-bitness safety |
| x64 |
x64 |
Recommended default for most modern WPF apps |
| ARM64 |
ARM64 |
Use only on native ARM64 targets |
Architecture matching is mandatory for raw injection/bootstrapper fallback. SDK-hosted reuse communicates over named pipes and does not require matching process bitness once the target-side host is already running.
Known unsupported or constrained scenarios
| Scenario |
Raw injection path |
Overall support posture |
Notes |
| Self-contained single-file WPF apps |
Not supported |
Supported through SDK-host reuse |
The native injection path cannot rely on the expected assembly layout. Call InspectorSdk.Initialize() in the target app with matching transport settings so connect() can reuse the existing host. |
| Native AOT |
Not supported |
Not supported |
WPF DevTools does not support Native AOT targets today. SDK-hosted reuse is not a Native AOT workaround because the Inspector SDK requires managed WPF runtime and assembly access. |
| Trimmed apps |
Risky / partial |
Prefer SDK-host reuse |
Required types may be removed, making raw injection or inspector startup unreliable. |
| Non-WPF desktop UI stacks |
Not supported |
Not supported |
This server is WPF-specific. |
Practical guidance
- Use
get_processes as the runtime architecture truth source.
- Treat x86 and x64 as separate deployment targets.
- When you own the target app, prefer SDK-hosted reuse; raw injection remains the fallback path for zero-instrumentation diagnostics.
- .NET 6/7 WPF targets do not have a shipped raw-injection inspector path today. Do not assume
net8.0-windows can be injected into those processes.
- If single-file packaging blocks raw injection, start the target-side SDK host with
InspectorSdk.Initialize() and matching transport settings so connect() can reuse it.
- Native AOT remains unsupported; SDK-hosted reuse is not a Native AOT workaround.
- Validate bootstrapper and inspector selection before calling
connect in automation.