SettingsUI

When it comes to the concept of usage experience, one of the most important aspects is customization, since it allows users to tailor the application’s features to their preferences, instead of having to become accustomed to the developer’s own vision of how the utility is meant to meet certain needs, ultimately covering a broader range of users due to the enhanced flexibility. As such, those who want their program’s settings window to fit seamlessly with native Windows apps can try out SettingsUI, a framework ported from Microsoft’s popular PowerToys suite of extensions.

When booting up the available demo app, users are greeted to a stylish interface following the guidelines of Microsoft’s latest iteration of the Fluent Design language, resulting in a modern and clean layout that still packs a vast array of features for power-users. For instance, those who have become accustomed to the quintessential command ribbon found in legacy desktop programs can still make use of its collapsible menus from the top left corner, with each item’s respective hotkey combination included for new users to embed them in their keyboard-focused workflows.

The more complex an application gets, the harder it can become to find the most minute options, which is why the framework includes support for a search bar within the title bar, or collapsible side panel if developers want to leave the top fully available for dragging around the window when changing its position. For an even faster searching experience, suggestions can also be implemented in the form of an auto-complete function, thus sparing users from typing the entire option’s name.

When it comes to programs that make modifications to vital parts of the system, users need to be properly informed of the risks, which can be laid out in separate pop-up windows that force the reader to acknowledge its content. For apps that feature system monitoring capabilities, a “Compact Overlay” mode can be activated to take up less screen space and remain on top of other opened programs at all times. Finally, developers working on instant messaging clients may find good use in the ability to send notifications with interactive text boxes for quick replies.

Whether you are looking for a comprehensive template for a program that changes system settings, or you simply wish to add an “Options” to a lightweight utility that should fit in with the rest of Windows’ built-in apps, then SettingsUI may be the right framework for your project, given its elegant design and impressive number of features for all kinds of use-cases.