.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is a cross-platform framework for creating native mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML. Using .NET MAUI, you can develop apps that can run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows from a single shared code-base.
Will .NET MAUI replace Xamarin Form?
.NET MAUI is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, a cross-platform mobile first framework for Android, iOS, and UWP.
Announcing .NET MAUI for .NET 7 General Availability – .NET Blog (microsoft.com)
Xamarin support will end on May 1, 2024 for all Xamarin SDKs. Android 13 and Xcode 14 SDKs (iOS and iPadOS 16, macOS 13) will be the final versions Xamarin will target.
Xamarin official support policy | .NET (microsoft.com)
Goals of .NET MAUI
- Quality
- Fix existing issues of Xamarin
- Reorganized project structure
- Standardized class naming and structure
- Performance
- Improve code start time
- Responsive UI rendering, animations and transitions
- Reduced view nesting
- Design
- Simple and elegant default UI theme
- Easy control extensibility
- Quick cross platform templating
- Platform:
- Android, iOS, MacOS, Windows
.NET MAUI highlight?
- Architecture:
- In a .NET MAUI app, you write code that primarily interacts with the .NET MAUI API. .NET MAUI then directly consumes the native platform APIs. In addition, app code may directly exercise platform APIs, if required.
- Single Project
- MAUI provides a multi-targeting system that allows one to have a single project holding both shared code and resources, as well as platform-specific code and resources underneath a Platforms folder.
- MVU Design Pattern
- MVU (Model – View – Update): This pattern provides a unified way to build cross-platform native front ends from a single code base. It also allows us to write UI code and logic in C# as shown below.
- Blazor:
- .NET MAUI integrates with Blazor, so you can reuse existing Blazor web UI components directly in native mobile and desktop apps.
- .NET MAUI executes your Blazor components natively on the device (no WebAssembly needed) and renders them to an embedded web view control
- You can even add native UI controls alongside your Blazor web UI. This is an all new kind of hybrid app: Blazor Hybrid!
- Hot reload: C# and XAML hot reload
- Performance Improvements in .NET MAUI – .NET Blog (microsoft.com)
.NET MAUI with Azure Mobile Apps
With Azure Mobile Apps we can add a cloud-based backend service to .NET MAUI application easier, such as:
- Authentication
- Data query
- Offline data synchronization
Build a .NET MAUI app with Azure Mobile Apps | Microsoft Learn
Azure Devops for .NET MAUI
By using Azure Devops you can leverage the the power of CICD in automating the deployment process. Getting Started with DevOps and .NET MAUI – .NET Blog (microsoft.com)
AppCenter for .NET MAUI
If you are a fan of Xamarin, you may use the AppCenter which offer abilities to continuously build, test, release, and monitor apps for every platform. Get Started with Xamarin – Visual Studio App Center | Microsoft Learn
.NET MAUI Roadmap
- .NET 8 (November 2022 – November 2023)
- Improve upgrade path from Xamarin to .NET
- SDK quality
- .NET Upgrade Assistant
- Guides and documentation
- Speed up UI rendering
- Reduce the developer inner-loop time
- Build time improvements
- Hot reload improvements
- NET MAUI for .NET 7 General Availability (November 2022)
- .NET MAUI will be serviced on the .NET monthly cadence. You can check out the issues we’re working on for service releases in the MAUI SDK Ongoing at Roadmap · dotnet/maui Wiki (github.com)
