launch_uwp_win32.cpp

#include <iostream>
#include <Windows.h>
#include <atlbase.h>
#include <Shobjidl.h>
#include <appmodel.h>
#include <AppxPackaging.h>
#include <string>

HRESULT LaunchApplication(LPCWSTR packageFullName, PDWORD pdwProcessId)
{

	CComPtr<IApplicationActivationManager> spAppActivationManager;
	HRESULT result = E_INVALIDARG;
			// Initialize IApplicationActivationManager
			result = CoCreateInstance(CLSID_ApplicationActivationManager, NULL, CLSCTX_LOCAL_SERVER, IID_IApplicationActivationManager, (LPVOID*)&spAppActivationManager);

			if (!SUCCEEDED(result))
				return result;

			// This call ensures that the app is launched as the foreground window
			result = CoAllowSetForegroundWindow(spAppActivationManager, NULL);


			if (!SUCCEEDED(result))
				return result;

			// Launch the app
			result = spAppActivationManager->ActivateApplication(packageFullName, NULL, AO_NONE, pdwProcessId);

	return result;
}

int main()
{
	DWORD pid = 0;

	std::wstring name = L"Microsoft.ApexPG_8wekyb3d8bbwe!forzamotorsportapex"; //AppUserModelID

	HRESULT hr = CoInitialize(nullptr);
	if (SUCCEEDED(hr)) {
			HRESULT result = LaunchApplication(name.c_str(), &pid);
			std::cout << "result: " << result << "; pid: ";
	}
	CoUninitialize();
	return 0;
}