Replace windows dependency with generated bindings
#14
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Since `windows-bindgen 0.64` there's a new `--specific-deps` option that allows us to drop the `windows-core` dependency (which releases at the same cadence as `windows`, so replacing with that isn't a net-win except for `windows` crate download size) and purely utilize a few small non-COM utility crates that are not expected to release breaking updates very often while still taking advantage of the high-level non-`sys` windows-rs bindings.
This was referenced Oct 17, 2025
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Since
windows-bindgen 0.64there's a new--specific-depsoptionthat allows us to drop thethat are not expected to release breaking updates very often while still taking advantage of the high-level non-windows-coredependency (which releases at the same cadence aswindows, so replacing with that isn't a net-win except forwindowscrate download size) and purely utilize a few small non-COM utility cratessyswindows-rs bindings.Caution
There are currently a few violations here such as a
windows_core::Errorreference that should have beenwindows_result::Error, and a reference/requirement onwindows_core::Paramandimpl windows_core::Free for HANDLEthat don't actually allow us to drop thewindows-coredependency just yet, CC @kennykerr. I'll report these upstream and use this draft PR as a live example out in the wild.Note that this
windows-bindgenversion bumps the minimum version (and resulting MSRV?) bounds on all these crates significantly.