Not confined to .NET MAUI, the XAML Live Preview functions as an invaluable tool for inspecting the UI and its associated properties in XAML apps overall.
However, it is imperative that the app be connected to the debugger, is it not? Yes, that is prior to the intro of the debugger-detached XAML Live Preview in VS2022, v17.13 Preview 1.0.
Yesterday, during the .NET MAUI session at .NET Conf 2024(YouTube clip linked), David and Rachel provided an insightful overview of its functionality.
November is set to be an exceptionally significant month for .NET developers globally, as a new version of .NET will be officially released during its annual event, .NET Conf. Similar to previous years, this year’s event will also be conducted virtually, allowing participation online. The highly anticipated .NET 9 is scheduled for release during this conference, which will take place over three days from Tue, Nov 12, 2024, to Thu, Nov 14, 2024. Please mark your calendars accordingly.
Quite like .NET 7, .NET 9 is also a short-term support (STS) release, which will be supported for 18 months till mid-May 2026. Even-numbered releases are LTS whereas odd-numbered are STS. More details on the release lifecycle are here. The support for .NET 6 (the previous LTS release) ends (more details here), with .NET 7 already out of support, and .NET 8, the current LTS release, has another 2 years of support till early Nov 2026.
.NET Release Schedule
Due to the underlying external dependencies, the support policy of .NET MAUI differs significantly from .NET, each major release will be supported only for 18 months. So, if you’re using .NET MAUI 8, support will cease by mid-May 2025 (in another 6 months). Hence, it’s necessary to plan for your app migration to .NET MAUI 9. An article has already been published detailing the comprehensive features of .NET MAUI 9.
Syncfusion.Maui.Toolkit NuGet package - A collection of free and open-source .NET MAUI controls
Yesterday, Syncfusion, a prominent vendor of software components, announced its dedication to contributing to .NET MAUI and the release of the initial set of free and open-source controls for .NET MAUI, which is now available as a NuGet package titled Syncfusion.Maui.Toolkit.
Microsoft has gladly welcomed Syncfusion’s open-source contributions, a gesture seen as a positive step for .NET MAUI confirming the ongoing commitment to the cross-platform framework.
Syncfusion is utilizing its proficiency in developing software components to collaborate with Microsoft, with the objective of significantly enhancing .NET MAUI. Their team is already making a noteworthy impact.
.NET 9, the next major version of .NET following the annual release cadence, will be a Short-Term Support (STS) release, which will be supported for 18 months from release.
This release is packed with a broad set of features. The primary highlight is the support for Native AOT across app models.
In this article, we’ll explore the high-level features of .NET MAUI 9.
This September, the .NET MAUI monthly community standup discusses the.NET MAUI 9 release enhancements. The HybridWebView and amazing TitleBar for Windows are just the tip of the iceberg.
Remember to join live on Thu, Sep 5 at 17:30 UTC. Click the link to access the timing in your local or preferred time zone.Note, that it’s half an hour behind the usual schedule.
Update: The community links for this month’s standup are here.
Happy coding. Stay connected as we continue to learn and share the experiences from this exciting journey of being a .NET developer.
In February, an article was published discussing the use of VS Code as a tool for developing .NET MAUI apps, following the announcement of the retirement of Visual Studio for Mac.
The support for Visual Studio for Mac will be discontinued by the end of this month.
No more cryptic GUIDs - Here's XML-based SLNX solution files.
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:
Better namespace resolution
Do more with fewer keystrokes
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 topic for this June month’s .NET MAUI community standup is VS Code Updates.
Of late, VS Code has incorporated many new features, such as XAML IntelliSense and Hot Reload, as the end of support for VS for Mac is quickly approaching (Aug 31, 2024).
Update: The community links for this month’s standup are here.
David highlighted using MAUI Nightly Builds in the standup. Projects in the All-in-One templates pack already support utilizing the Nightly builds from version 4.6 onwards. However, setting up the package source from the CI feed involves a few manual steps as detailed in the earlier article.
But, automation is the need of the hour. The upcoming release of templates pack v5.6, scheduled for this week, will streamline the process by eliminating manual steps, ensuring seamless functionality when selecting the Nightly builds option upon project creation. Cool 😊.
Update: v5.6 has just been released. Consult this article for further details.
Remember to join live on Thu, Jun 6 at 17:00 UTC. Click the link to access the timing in your local/preferred time zone. Note, it’s back at the same time.
Happy coding. Stay connected as we continue to learn and share the experiences from this exciting journey of being a .NET developer.
