Deprecation of Gauge API - Big Dilemma Facing Developers?

As I see it, the complete deprecation of the Gauge API presents developers with a dilemma.

If they wish to support both MSFS 2020 (and earlier versions up to a point) and MSFS2024 they will be forced to make a big decision:

  1. Continue their existing and future development using only the deprecated Gauge API, which will enable their application to run both MSFS2024 as well as earlier versions, or

  2. Focus new development on using the newer Vars API, Event API etc… to future-proof their products.

Taking option (1) is easy. It demands no significant changes in code, will continue to run OK on all versions of MSFS (and others, probably). However, it runs the risk that new features introduced in MSFS2024 and later may not be available because they can only be accessed via the new APIs.

Option(2) would mean developers will need 2 versions of their application if they wish to develop comprehensively for both MSFS2024 as well as earlier versions – one using the legacy APIs to run MSFS,2020 and earlier, and one using the new APIs to run MSFS2024 (and beyond?).

New developers just starting will also need to make the same decision. Do they develop only with the future in mind (ie use the new APIs), or do they also target versions of Flight Simulator earlier than 2024? If they only develop with the new APIs, their work won’t run on versions earlier than 2024. That’s a lot of market to miss out on!

The connotations here are obvious (I believe) so I won’t dwell on them

I suspect many developers will be forced to take option(1) because they won’t be able to absorb the difficulties of supporting 2 versions.

Maybe I’ve missed the point completely and if so please let me know (politely!).

I make the assumption that making the new APIs backwards compatible with earlier versions is not a possibility.

“It runs the risk that new features introduced in MSFS2024 and later may not be available because they can only be accessed via the new APIs.”
This comment doesn’t make sense. Leaving the old APIs in your code does not make it impossible to use the new APIs. The two APIs are not allergic to each other.
“If they only develop with the new APIs, their work won’t run on versions earlier than 2024. That’s a lot of market to miss out on!”
Not if history is anything to go by. Within the first year of a new sim being released, addon sales on the old sim drop to 0.

I’m not referring only to add-on sales. What about apps that are intended to target all versions? Something that springs to mind here might be SpadNext (I have nothing to do with that product, btw, it’s just an example)…or a map tracker? Those are probably not version-specific .They’re apps that enable interaction between the user and the application.

As I see it, they are. If you write code that uses the new APIs, it won’t run if you’re targeting MSFS2020 or earlier unless you include some probably complex code to identify the app at run time.

As I said - maybe I missed the point completely, but it all doesn’t seem that straightforward to me right now.

I think you are missing the point I just don’t see how the situation is anything less than optimal. What alternative do you suggest that solves your problem?

I don’t have a problem that needs solving. I simply raised the point that others might have a problem. You clearly don’t have a problem either, so we can leave it at that and let others decide whether the change affects them or not.

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