The Benefits of the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is a cross-platform development framework for building native mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML. The framework is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, enabling developers to create multi-platform apps using a single project , while adding platform-specific source code and resources where necessary. Ultimately, the framework enables developers to implement as much app logic and UI layout as possible in a single codebase. However, while the framework’s rich set of controls and features draws developers in, it’s the extensive community support and the accompanying .NET MAUI Community Toolkit that enhance its appeal by providing additional resources, tools, and best practices.

Why Developers Choose .NET Maui

.NET MAUI is ideal for any developer who wants to write cross-platform apps from a single shared code base and share UI layout, design, code, tests and business logic across platforms. Moreover, .NET MAUI offers a huge collection of controls, an elaborate layout engine, multiple page types, cross-platform APIs for accessing native device features, and more. Ultimately, developers choose .NET MAUI for the following key reasons:

  • Familiar Language – as .NET MAUI is based on popular development languages, there is a much lower barrier to entry and development is much faster.
  • Visual Studio Integration – .NET MAUI integrates effortlessly with Visual Studio, offering Microsoft’s advanced debugging features and productivity tools.
  • Control and Component Library – .NET MAUI offers an extensive library of controls and components that can be used across iOS, Android and Windows apps to build sophisticated user interfaces. 
  • Microsoft Support – .NET MAUI supports the latest version of .NET, providing new features and performance improvements. Moreover, Microsoft offers continuous updates and ensures it keeps up with the latest technologies. 
  • Community Support – as well as having Microsoft’s backing, .NET MAUI has a large active community who are on hand to answer questions and provide resources. One such resource is the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit, a comprehensive library of reusable components designed to simplify and accelerate the development process for .NET MAUI applications.

What is the .NET Maui Community Toolkit?

The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit is an open-source, community-created library, a collection of components and elements that developers often need to use in application development. With this collection of helper functions, custom controls and app services on hand, developers can simplify the app development process. The library contains extensions, advanced UI/UX controls, converters and behaviours that all make development easier. The incredible thing about the toolkit is that all features are contributed by the .NET community and then maintained by a designated set of maintainers, experienced developers from the .NET community. Some of the features from the toolkit are even incorporated into the main .NET MAUI toolkit. There is also lots of great documentation available to help developers understand and utilise these features effectively, ensuring they can make the most of what the toolkit has to offer.

Advantages of the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit

The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit offers a wealth of benefits to developers, continually evolving to meet the needs of modern app development. Its robust and expanding collection of features makes it a valuable asset for crafting high-quality applications efficiently. With its growing repository of reusable components, the toolkit streamlines development across multiple platforms and enhances the overall developer experience. Some of the key benefits include:

  • Reusable Components – the toolkit provides a collection of reusable elements for app development, such as animations, converters, and behaviours. 
  • Simplified Development – the toolkit simplifies and demonstrates common developer tasks when building apps for iOS, Android, macOS, and WinUI. 
  • Open Source – the toolkit is open source, free and accessible to all, and maintained by the community. 
  • Compatibility – the toolkit ensures seamless compatibility across iOS, Android, macOS, and WinUI. 
  • C# Markup – the toolkit includes C# Markup, which is a set of helper methods for building user interfaces in C# code. 
  • Tizen Support – The toolkit includes Tizen support, which brings it to millions of Samsung TVs, phones, and other devices running Tizen. 
  • New Features – the toolkit continually includes new features, such as Expander View, DockLayout, and StateContainer. 

What’s New in Version 8 of the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit?

Earlier in 2024, Microsoft introduced version 8 of the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit to coincide with the .NET 8 release. This update aligns with broader advancements across the .NET ecosystem and ensures continued integration with the latest .NET features. Some of the core updates in version 8 include:

  • TouchBehaviour – this much-anticipated update to TouchEffect introduces the ability to interact with any visual app element based on touch, mouse clicks, or hovers. It allows for extensive customisation and interaction, greatly enhancing user experience.
  • Changes in Behaviours – the work on TouchBehavior highlighted issues with the binding context not being applied correctly. These issues have been addressed to resolve breaking changes and improve stability.
  • Snackbar Updates – adjustments have been made to the Snackbar component, primarily used on Android for displaying brief messages at the bottom of the screen. These updates address previous breaking changes and enhance its functionality and integration across platforms.
  • Android Navigation Bar – updates include the ability to customise the navigation bar colour on Android, enhancing the visual consistency of apps across different devices.

Of course, these are just the main improvements. The release also includes numerous bug fixes and optimisations, which are detailed in the release notes. Looking ahead, the community is already working on the next major features, such as CameraView and enhancements for MediaElement, to continue advancing the toolkit’s capabilities.

Are You Getting the Most from .NET MAUI?

.NET MAUI is a formidable choice for cross-platform app development. To get the most from the framework, you’ll need to be familiar with C# and .NET and should leverage Visual Studio’s advanced debugging and productivity tools. However, what will really make the difference is becoming part of the .NET MAUI community. The community is an invaluable resource, with forums, discussion groups, and online tutorials. Not forgetting the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit, an open-source collection of reusable components and helpers designed to streamline development. By using the toolkit, you have access to essential tools and resources that can greatly enhance productivity, simplify the app development process and ensure that you can build robust, high-quality applications more efficiently.

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