Resolve Bug: Blue Plate behind App Icon in Taskbar while Running with Debug Identity

src/winapp-CLI/WinApp.Cli.Tests/MrtAssetHelperTests.cs

@@ -366,6 +366,70 @@ public void ExpandManifestReferencedFiles_DeduplicatesAcrossReferences()
 
     #endregion
 
+    #region ExpandManifestReferencedFiles — unplated variants
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void ExpandManifestReferencedFiles_IncludesUnplatedVariants()
+    {
+        // Arrange — create asset directory with base icon + unplated variants
+        var assetsDir = Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.Combine(_tempDir.FullName, "Assets"));
+        var assetFiles = new[]
+        {
+            "Square44x44Logo.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-16.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-16_altform-unplated.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-24.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-24_altform-unplated.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-48.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.targetsize-48_altform-unplated.png",
+            "Square44x44Logo.scale-200.png",
+        };
+        foreach (var file in assetFiles)
+        {
+            File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(assetsDir.FullName, file), [0]);
+        }
+
+        var result = MrtAssetHelper.ExpandManifestReferencedFiles(
+            _tempDir,
+            [@"Assets\Square44x44Logo.png"],
+            taskContext: null);
+
+        // Assert — all variants including unplated must be discovered for PRI generation
+        Assert.AreEqual(assetFiles.Length, result.Count, "Should expand to all MRT variants in the directory");
+        Assert.IsTrue(result.Any(f => f.RelativePath.Contains("altform-unplated", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)),
+            "Should discover altform-unplated variants for taskbar icon resolution");
+    }
+
+    [TestMethod]
+    public void ExpandManifestReferencedFiles_IncludesLightUnplatedVariants()
+    {
+        var assetsDir = Directory.CreateDirectory(Path.Combine(_tempDir.FullName, "Assets"));
+        var assetFiles = new[]
+        {
+            "AppList.png",
+            "AppList.targetsize-32.png",
+            "AppList.targetsize-32_altform-unplated.png",
+            "AppList.targetsize-32_altform-lightunplated.png",
+        };
+        foreach (var file in assetFiles)
+        {
+            File.WriteAllBytes(Path.Combine(assetsDir.FullName, file), [0]);
+        }
+
+        var result = MrtAssetHelper.ExpandManifestReferencedFiles(
+            _tempDir,
+            [@"Assets\AppList.png"],
+            taskContext: null);
+
+        Assert.AreEqual(assetFiles.Length, result.Count);
+        Assert.IsTrue(result.Any(f => f.RelativePath.Contains("altform-unplated", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)),
+            "Should discover altform-unplated variants");
+        Assert.IsTrue(result.Any(f => f.RelativePath.Contains("altform-lightunplated", StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase)),
+            "Should discover altform-lightunplated variants");
+    }
+
+    #endregion
+
     #region PriIncludedExtensions
 
     [TestMethod]

src/winapp-CLI/WinApp.Cli/Services/MsixService.Identity.cs

@@ -621,22 +621,89 @@ private async Task RunMtToolAsync(string arguments, bool printErrors, TaskContex
 
         taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Files} Created debug manifest: {debugManifestPath.FullName}");
 
-        // Step 6: Copy all assets
+        // Step 6: Copy all assets and generate resources.pri
         var entryPointDir = Path.GetDirectoryName(entryPointPath);
         if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(entryPointDir))
         {
             var entryPointDirInfo = new DirectoryInfo(entryPointDir);
             var originalManifestDir = originalManifestPath.DirectoryName;
+            var expandedFiles = MrtAssetHelper.GetExpandedManifestReferencedFiles(originalManifestPath, taskContext);
 
             if (!string.Equals(originalManifestDir, entryPointDirInfo.FullName, StringComparison.OrdinalIgnoreCase))
             {
-                var expandedFiles = MrtAssetHelper.GetExpandedManifestReferencedFiles(originalManifestPath, taskContext);
                 MrtAssetHelper.CopyAllAssets(expandedFiles, entryPointDirInfo, taskContext);
             }
             else
             {
                 taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Warning} Manifest directory and target directory are the same, skipping assets copy");
             }
+
+            // Generate resources.pri in a temporary staging directory, then copy only the
+            // final resources.pri into the ExternalLocation (entry point directory). This avoids
+            // leaving intermediate files such as priconfig.xml and pri.resfiles alongside app output.
+            // Sparse packages look for resources.pri in the ExternalLocation, not alongside the manifest.
+            if (expandedFiles.Count > 0)
+            {
+                string? priStagingDir = null;
+
+                try
+                {
+                    taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Note} Generating PRI for asset resource resolution...");
+                    var priResourceCandidates = expandedFiles.Select(file => file.RelativePath).ToArray();
+
+                    priStagingDir = Path.Combine(
+                        Path.GetTempPath(),
+                        "WinAppCli-Pri-" + Guid.NewGuid().ToString("N"));
+
+                    var priStagingDirInfo = Directory.CreateDirectory(priStagingDir);
+                    MrtAssetHelper.CopyAllAssets(expandedFiles, priStagingDirInfo, taskContext);
+
+                    await priService.CreatePriConfigAsync(
+                        priStagingDirInfo,
+                        taskContext,
+                        precomputedPriResourceCandidates: priResourceCandidates,
+                        cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
+                    await priService.GeneratePriFileAsync(priStagingDirInfo, taskContext, cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
+
+                    var stagedPriPath = Path.Combine(priStagingDirInfo.FullName, "resources.pri");
+                    var targetPriPath = Path.Combine(entryPointDirInfo.FullName, "resources.pri");
+
+                    if (!File.Exists(stagedPriPath))
+                    {
+                        throw new FileNotFoundException("Generated resources.pri was not found in the staging directory.", stagedPriPath);
+                    }
+
+                    if (File.Exists(targetPriPath))
+                    {
+                        File.Delete(targetPriPath);
+                    }
+
+                    File.Copy(stagedPriPath, targetPriPath);
+                    taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Check} Generated resources.pri in entry point directory");
+                }
+                catch (OperationCanceledException)
+                {
+                    throw;
+                }
+                catch (Exception ex)
+                {
+                    taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Warning} Failed to generate PRI: {ex.Message}");
+                }
+                finally
+                {
+                    if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(priStagingDir) && Directory.Exists(priStagingDir))
+                    {
+                        try
+                        {
+                            Directory.Delete(priStagingDir, recursive: true);
+                        }
+                        catch (Exception cleanupEx)
+                        {
+                            taskContext.AddDebugMessage($"{UiSymbols.Warning} Failed to clean up PRI staging directory '{priStagingDir}': {cleanupEx.Message}");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         return (debugManifestPath, debugIdentity);