This article represents the second installment of the XAML for Beginners series, which elucidates the concept of declarative markup in the context of defining UI in .NET applications. All articles within this series are accessible from here.
The initial article focused mainly on introducing XAML and its building blocks.
In this article, the focus will be on the following:
Starting a new series entitled XAML for Beginners elucidates the concept of declarative markup to define UI in .NET applications. All articles within this series can be accessed from here.
The second installment of this series is now available to read here.
XAML is an acronym that stands for eXtensible Application Markup Language. It was first introduced in 2006, accompanying the initial release of Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) alongside .NET 3.0.
The principal objective of this methodology is to segregate the UI design from the program logic. This separation allows the design team to focus solely on the UI, while the program logic can be developed and evaluated independently. Consequently, these components can be integrated into a unified system.
The MVVM design pattern is an exemplary framework for accomplishing this. However, XAML also supports the code-behind approach.
Window TitleBar is one of the two prominent enhancements in .NET MAUI 9, the recently released major version of the cross-platform App UI framework.
The other new feature is HybridWebView, consult this article titled Exploring .NET MAUI 9 – HybridWebView to delve into the details of this new control.
An article that comprehensively outlines the significant features of this version has already been published and is accessible here.
The Window type defines two properties – Page and TitleBar.
Page:
In .NET MAUI 9, the MainPage property of the Application class is now obsolete, replaced by the Page property of the Window class to accommodate this new TitleBar feature for the Desktop (Windows and Mac Catalyst). To know more about this MainPage change, refer to this article.
Comprehending the intricacies of a system often requires more than just deciphering the code itself. It also involves understanding the web of dependencies that are inextricably linked to it.
This includes navigating through solution files, project files, package references, static asset management, build configuration, and other related components.
With .NET going cross-platform, SDK-style projects have been introduced. The project files have been significantly simplified. They are now more comprehensible. Due to their XML-based nature, they can be easily modified using a basic text editor.
Nonetheless, the restructuring of the Visual Studio solution file is long overdue due to its intricate layout and obscure GUIDs.
Back in February, an article was published on the efficient utilization of Item Templates through the use of script automation. The article, titled .NET MAUI – Item Templates – Made Easy on CLI and VS Code, provides a detailed focus on this topic.
That article addressed two issues:
Now, the namespace resolution issue has been partially supported within the .NET SDK, eliminating the requirement for additional script files. A PR was submitted to the .NET Templating source repository, underwent review, and was subsequently merged into the main branch. This enhancement was then included in the release of .NET 9 Preview 6.
The August .NET MAUI community standup features a discussion on MAUI UI July, with its organizer, Matt Goldman.
More details on the MAUI UI July 2024 with links to the articles are here.
Remember to join live on Thu, Aug 1 at 17:00 UTC. Click the link to access the timing in your local or preferred time zone.
The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit standup is scheduled to occur two hours after the primary event. Here’s the link to join the same.
Happy coding. Stay connected as we continue to learn and share the experiences from this exciting journey of being a .NET developer.
This month’s .NET MAUI community standup focuses on Mixed Reality, specifically on building MAUI apps for AR and VR devices, featuring Ed Charbeneau, well-known in the Blazor community.
His article about Mixed Reality features in the most recent edition of Code Magazine.
This is the fifth article in the recently started series titled Developer Tips, which offers concise hints to enhance productivity. All the articles in this series can be accessed from here.
A label in .NET MAUI is a simple yet powerful View that presents read-only text, like titles, captions, or descriptions.
The Text property holds the string to be displayed and is also bindable.
This is the fourth article in the recently started series titled Developer Tips, which offers concise hints to enhance productivity. All the articles in this series can be accessed from here.
Basically, theming refers to managing a consistent look and feel across the app. An app can be themed in a variety of ways (MS Office and Visual Studio offer various themes). For mobile apps, the most significant themes are the Light and Dark modes, both of which are inherently supported by the OS. So, the app should have the capability to adapt to mode changes to the least.
Consulting the previous article on Styles is recommended as a foundation for Theming.
Excerpt from the preceding article:
Styles can be referenced through StaticResource or DynamicResource. The key difference is that the former is applied just once, while the lattter maintains a reference and adjusts to changes in themes.
After the installation of .NET MAUI 9 Preview 5, an XAML compilation (XAMLC) issue has arisen.
In general, it is not necessary to explicitly specify the default property such as Content, Children, etc.
The Content is the default property for Page, View, and Toolkit’s Popup, and this XAMLC issue is about the Content property.