Table of Contents

Version 1.68.1

Desktop expansion and API polish · Released November 22, 2019 · NuGet · GitHub Release

API changes · SkiaSharp API diff · HarfBuzzSharp 2.6.1

Highlights

This release significantly broadens the 1.68 line with new desktop and Xamarin.Forms capabilities, wider Apple platform coverage, and a larger managed API surface. Highlights include the new WPF backend for Xamarin.Forms, Span<T>-based data APIs, additional text and shader bindings, and a bundled HarfBuzzSharp 2.6.1 update.

Breaking Changes

None in this release.

New Features

Platform

  • WPF backend for Xamarin.Forms — Adds WPF support to the Xamarin.Forms views stack, expanding desktop UI options. (#917)
  • Apple platform packaging updates — Enables bitcode for watchOS and tvOS and adds arm64_32 support for watchOS. (#971, #967)
  • Desktop package refinements — Splits desktop projects and packages to better match platform-specific deployment needs. (#899)

API Surface

  • New graphics APIs — Adds bindings for SKPictureShader, SKTypeface.IsFixedPitch, and additional Unicode overloads to round out the core API surface. ❤️ @alexandrvslv, @Gillibald (#973, #1019, #972)
  • Span-based data access — Introduces Span<T>-focused APIs for data buffers, bitmap access, and text blobs to reduce copying and improve ergonomics. (#865)

Text & Fonts

  • HarfBuzzSharp 2.6.1 — This release ships with HarfBuzzSharp 2.6.1 for updated text shaping support; see the linked HarfBuzz release page for binding-specific details. (#929, #904, #881)

Bug Fixes

  • View and lifecycle stability — Improves UWP GPU view stability and frees native resources when views are detached. (#1024, #1005)
  • Rendering correctness — Fixes transparent pixmap artifacts, color issues, and incorrect color-space ownership behavior. ❤️ @Odirb (#863, #1023, #922)
  • Memory management — Fixes a memory leak in SKRoundRect and avoids zero-byte raster allocations. (#995, #761)

Community Contributors ❤️

Contributor What They Did
@alexandrvslv Added the SKPictureShader binding
@Gillibald Added Unicode overloads, improved Linux native packaging, and updated HarfBuzz
@Odirb Fixed transparent bitmap artifacts in ToSKPixmap

Unreleased

Final release prep added last-minute GPU stability, color, and API cleanups before the 1.68.1 tag landed.

Full Changelog

Release Candidate 172 (November 17, 2019)

This candidate focused on final packaging and release-readiness tweaks.

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Release Candidate 170 (November 16, 2019)

This candidate corrected the netstandard packaging shape for SkiaSharp.Views.Forms.

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Release Candidate 169 (November 12, 2019)

This candidate fixed view-detach memory leaks and moved the Windows milestone build to Clang.

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Release Candidate 165 (November 6, 2019)

This candidate added SKPictureShader, more Unicode overloads, and several memory-management fixes.

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Release Candidate 153 (October 19, 2019)

This candidate brought in HarfBuzzSharp 2.6.1, improved Apple platform packaging, and tightened Linux native exports.

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Release Candidate 147 (July 30, 2019)

This first candidate delivered the managed/native type rework, new desktop capabilities, Span<T> APIs, and multiple rendering fixes.

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