Overview
This lecture provides a comprehensive beginner's guide to .NET MAUI development in 2025, covering its architecture, platform support, hybrid options, tools, community resources, and learning materials.
What is .NET MAUI?
- .NET MAUI is a unified framework for building native apps across iOS, Android, Mac, and Windows using a single shared C# codebase.
- It allows developers to use a consistent API for UI controls and platform features, rendering native controls per platform.
- MAUI sits atop the .NET runtime, abstracting platform-specific APIs and providing bindings for iOS, Android, and Mac/Windows.
- Business logic and most app code are fully shared across platforms.
UI and APIs in .NET MAUI
- UI controls (e.g., ActivityIndicator, Slider) map to native widgets on each platform.
- Layouts like StackLayout, Grid, and FlexLayout help organize UI elements.
- Custom controls and 2D drawing are supported.
- Access native platform APIs in C# (camera, maps, sensors), with both cross-platform and raw native bindings available.
- Dependency injection is built-in, mirroring ASP.NET Core patterns.
Hybrid Development Options
- Blazor Hybrid enables web UI (HTML/CSS/Blazor components) inside native MAUI apps.
- Developers can mix native and web controls as needed.
- Hybrid WebView allows embedding JavaScript UIs (React, Angular, Vue).
- New templates are available for MAUI + Blazor hybrid projects.
What's New in .NET 9 for MAUI
- Improved app performance and native AOT (ahead-of-time compilation) for smaller, faster apps.
- Support for latest Android/iOS versions.
- New controls like the TitleBar, asset packs, input and lifecycle event enhancements.
- Xcode Sync CLI and Native Library interop for integrating platform-specific assets and libraries.
Development Tools & Platforms
- Visual Studio Code (with extension): available on Windows, Mac, Linux; target platforms depend on your OS.
- Visual Studio 2022 (Windows): build Windows, Android, and debug iOS apps with device connection.
- JetBrains Rider: supports MAUI development on all major platforms.
- .NET CLI is available for cross-platform command-line development.
Community & Ecosystem Resources
- "Awesome .NET MAUI" repo: curated list of books, samples, tools, plugins, UI components.
- "Built with .NET MAUI": showcases open-source apps made with MAUI.
- MAUI Community Toolkit: open-source library with common controls, behaviors, converters, and MVVM tools.
- Third-party vendors (Syncfusion, Telerik, DevExpress, etc.) provide advanced free/paid UI controls and plugins.
Learning & Workshops
- Learn .NET MAUI repo: guides, blogs, social links, and code samples.
- .NET official beginner series and workshops, including MAUI and Blazor hybrid tracks.
- Microsoft Learn platform: interactive, free learning paths updated for .NET 9.
Key Terms & Definitions
- .NET MAUI — Multi-platform App UI; framework for cross-platform native app development.
- Blazor Hybrid — Technique for embedding web UI inside native MAUI apps.
- Dependency Injection (DI) — Design pattern for managing dependencies and services in code.
- Native AOT — Ahead-of-time compilation for optimized app binaries.
- MVVM — Model-View-ViewModel pattern for UI separation.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Choose your development platform and install needed tools (Visual Studio, VS Code, or Rider).
- Explore sample projects and the MAUI Community Toolkit.
- Start beginner modules or workshops via Microsoft Learn.
- Review the "Awesome .NET MAUI" repo for additional learning and component resources.