.NET MAUI Overview

What is .NET MAUI?

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is an open-source framework for creating native cross-platform applications for iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows, using C# and XAML.

It's the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, providing a more modern and efficient way to build desktop and mobile applications with .NET. With .NET MAUI, you can develop applications that run on multiple platforms from a single shared codebase, significantly reducing development time and effort.

Key Benefits

Architecture

.NET MAUI is built on top of .NET and leverages the native UI toolkits of each target platform. The core of MAUI consists of:

• .NET Runtime: Provides the execution environment for your C# code.
• .NET MAUI Base Class Libraries: Includes abstractions for UI, platform APIs, and application lifecycle.
• Platform Abstractions: A thin layer of code that bridges your shared code to the native platform APIs.
• Native UI Controls: MAUI maps your abstract UI definitions to the native controls of each platform (e.g., UIKit on iOS, Android SDK on Android, WinUI 3 on Windows).

This architecture ensures that your application looks and feels native on each platform while maintaining a high degree of code reuse.

Core Concepts

• XAML: A declarative XML-based language for defining user interfaces.
• Controls: Reusable UI elements like buttons, labels, and text entries.
• Layouts: Containers that arrange child controls on the screen (e.g., StackLayout, Grid, FlexLayout).
• Data Binding: A powerful mechanism for synchronizing data between your UI and your business logic.
• MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel): A design pattern that promotes separation of concerns and testability.
• Resources: Shared definitions for styles, colors, and templates.
• Platform-Specific Features: Accessing native device capabilities and platform-specific UI elements when needed.

Getting Started with MAUI

To start building applications with .NET MAUI, you'll need the latest version of Visual Studio or the .NET CLI with the MAUI workload installed.

Here's a simplified overview of the steps:

1. Install .NET MAUI: Ensure you have the .NET SDK and the MAUI workload installed.
2. Create a New Project: Use Visual Studio or the command line to create a new .NET MAUI project.
3. Design Your UI: Define your user interface using XAML or C#.
4. Implement Logic: Write your application logic in C#, often using the MVVM pattern.
5. Deploy: Build and deploy your app to your target platforms.

For detailed installation and setup instructions, please refer to the Getting Started guide.

Explore the UI Fundamentals to learn how to build rich and responsive user interfaces.