Xamarin Overview of .NET MAUI

Introduction

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is a modern cross-platform UI framework that allows you to create native apps for mobile and desktop platforms using a single codebase. It's a successor to Xamarin.Forms and will be released as part of .NET 6.

MAUI is designed to provide a highly productive developer experience while delivering performant, high-quality user experiences on iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, Linux, and more.

Syntax

.NET MAUI uses a similar XAML-based syntax to Xamarin.Forms for creating user interfaces. MAUI also introduces an updated set of APIs and features to make it even easier to develop cross-platform apps.

Here's an example of a .NET MAUI XAML code snippet for a basic login form:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             x:Class="MyApp.LoginPage"
             Title="Login">
    <StackLayout VerticalOptions="CenterAndExpand">
        <Entry x:Name="UsernameEntry"
               Placeholder="Username" />
        <Entry x:Name="PasswordEntry"
               Placeholder="Password"
               IsPassword="True" />
        <Button Text="Login"
                Clicked="OnLoginButtonClicked" />
    </StackLayout>
</ContentPage>

Explanation

In the above example, we're defining a content page (the main UI element) that contains a stack layout. The stack layout contains three child elements: two entry fields for the username and password and a button for logging in.

We've also set some properties on the child elements, such as the Placeholder property on the entry fields and the Clicked event on the button.

.NET MAUI provides a similar set of controls to Xamarin.Forms, such as Button, Entry, Label, ListView, and more.

Use

.NET MAUI can be used for building cross-platform native applications for mobile and desktop, using a shared codebase. This allows developers to write code once and deploy it to multiple platforms, improving productivity and reducing cost.

.NET MAUI can be used to develop:

• Mobile apps for iOS and Android
• Windows apps for desktop and tablet
• macOS apps for desktop and laptop
• Linux apps for desktop and server

Important Points

• .NET MAUI is a cross-platform UI framework for building native apps
• .NET MAUI provides a XAML-based syntax for creating user interfaces
• .NET MAUI supports a wide range of platforms, including iOS, Android, Windows, macOS, and Linux
• .NET MAUI offers a large set of controls for building user interfaces, such as Button, Entry, Label, and more.
• .NET MAUI is backward-compatible with Xamarin.Forms

Summary

.NET MAUI is a modern cross-platform UI framework that allows developers to create native apps for mobile and desktop platforms using a single codebase. It provides a highly productive developer experience while delivering performant, high-quality user experiences. With its XAML-based syntax and a wide range of platform support, .NET MAUI is a powerful tool for developers looking to build cross-platform apps.