feat(windows): apply webpack HMR updates without restarting the app

lib/common/mobile/windows/windows-application-manager.ts

@@ -10,6 +10,9 @@ import { IBuildData } from "../../../definitions/build";
 export const WINDOWS_INSPECTOR_MARKER = "ns-inspector";
 export const WINDOWS_DEBUGBREAK_MARKER = "ns-debugbreak";
 export const WINDOWS_DEBUGGER_STARTED_MARKER = "ns-debugger-started";
+// Written by a running debug host that watches for WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_MARKER.
+export const WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_READY_MARKER = "ns-livesync-ready";
+export const WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_MARKER = "ns-livesync";
 
 export class WindowsApplicationManager extends ApplicationManagerBase {
 	private _runningPid: number | null = null;
@@ -373,6 +376,28 @@ export class WindowsApplicationManager extends ApplicationManagerBase {
 		return this._localStatePath(pfn, fileName);
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Asks the running app to apply the files just synced into bin\app: the debug host watches
+	 * LocalState for the marker and calls global.__onLiveSync(), which runs webpack's hot update.
+	 * Returns false when the app's host does not watch for it (EXE targets, older runtimes).
+	 */
+	public async signalLiveSync(appId: string): Promise<boolean> {
+		const pfn = await this._resolvePackageFamilyName(appId);
+		const readyPath = this._localStatePath(pfn, WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_READY_MARKER);
+		const markerPath = this._localStatePath(pfn, WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_MARKER);
+		if (!readyPath || !markerPath || !fs.existsSync(readyPath)) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		try {
+			// New content on every sync, so a marker the host has not consumed yet still changes.
+			fs.writeFileSync(markerPath, String(Date.now()), "utf8");
+			return true;
+		} catch (e) {
+			this.$logger.trace(`[Windows] Could not write ${WINDOWS_LIVESYNC_MARKER} marker: ${e}`);
+			return false;
+		}
+	}
+
 	private _localStatePath(pfn: string, fileName: string): string | null {
 		const localAppData = process.env.LOCALAPPDATA;
 		if (!localAppData) return null;

lib/services/livesync/windows-device-livesync-service.ts

@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { spawnSync } from "child_process";
 import { DeviceLiveSyncServiceBase } from "./device-livesync-service-base";
 import { IPlatformsDataService } from "../../definitions/platform";
 import { IProjectData } from "../../definitions/project";
+import { WindowsApplicationManager } from "../../common/mobile/windows/windows-application-manager";
 
 export class WindowsDeviceLiveSyncService
 	extends DeviceLiveSyncServiceBase
@@ -40,22 +41,36 @@ export class WindowsDeviceLiveSyncService
 		_projectData: IProjectData,
 		liveSyncInfo: ILiveSyncResultInfo,
 	): Promise<boolean> {
-		return !liveSyncInfo.useHotModuleReload || !!liveSyncInfo.waitForDebugger;
+		// A full sync (also the CLI's recovery after a failed hot update) needs a fresh start.
+		return (
+			!liveSyncInfo.useHotModuleReload ||
+			!!liveSyncInfo.isFullSync ||
+			!!liveSyncInfo.waitForDebugger
+		);
 	}
 
 	public async tryRefreshApplication(
 		projectData: IProjectData,
 		liveSyncInfo: ILiveSyncResultInfo,
 	): Promise<boolean> {
-		// Vite HMR: a running app pulls every change from the dev server over its WebSocket
-		// (HTTP ES modules), so a synced file never needs a restart. But an app that isn't
-		// running yet (first sync after install) must still be launched. Webpack HMR isn't
-		// implemented for Windows: signal a restart.
+		// An app that isn't running yet (first sync after install) must still be launched.
+		if (
+			!liveSyncInfo.useHotModuleReload ||
+			!this.isAppRunning(projectData.projectName)
+		) {
+			return false;
+		}
+		// Vite HMR: the app pulls every change from the dev server over its WebSocket
+		// (HTTP ES modules), so a synced file never needs a restart.
+		if (projectData.bundler === "vite") {
+			return true;
+		}
+		// Webpack HMR: the hot-update files are already in bin\app; tell the app to apply them.
+		const appId =
+			projectData.projectIdentifiers?.["windows"] ?? projectData.projectId;
 		return (
-			projectData.bundler === "vite" &&
-			!!liveSyncInfo.useHotModuleReload &&
-			this.isAppRunning(projectData.projectName)
-		);
+			this.device.applicationManager as WindowsApplicationManager
+		).signalLiveSync(appId);
 	}
 
 	private isAppRunning(processName: string): boolean {