Full Cross-Platform Application Development with MAUI

In today's software world, developing applications that run seamlessly on both mobile and desktop platforms with a single codebase offers great advantages. Developing a full cross-platform application with MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) saves both time and cost. .NET MAUI, developed by Microsoft, enables the production of powerful applications that work on different platforms (Android, iOS, Windows, macOS) in a modern and flexible structure.

What is MAUI and Why Is It Used?

Developing a full cross-platform application with MAUI offers consistent interfaces and equal performance on all devices with shared C# code and XAML support, without the need to write platform-specific code. Especially for former Xamarin.Forms users, MAUI stands out with a simpler project structure, extended native API access, and management ease under a single project. Moreover, since it can work integrated with all current .NET technologies, it allows you to develop sustainable and scalable projects.

How to Develop a Full Cross-Platform Application with MAUI?

Required Setup and Project Creation

To start a cross-platform application with MAUI, first Visual Studio 2022 (or newer) and the necessary workloads (Mobile development with .NET) must be installed. Afterwards, a typical full cross-platform application project can be created with the following steps:

dotnet new maui -n CrossPlatformApp

After the project is created, UI files can be managed in the same project as the backend code. The Platforms folder can be used for platform-specific features, but the main business logic and UI code are written shared. For a simple "Hello World" example, the MainPage.xaml file can be edited as follows:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/dotnet/2021/maui"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             x:Class="CrossPlatformApp.MainPage">
    <VerticalStackLayout>
        <Label 
            Text="Full Cross-Platform Application with MAUI!" 
            VerticalOptions="Center" 
            HorizontalOptions="Center" />
    </VerticalStackLayout>
</ContentPage>

Running Code Across Platforms

After building the project with dotnet build or Visual Studio, your application is automatically prepared to run on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS platforms. If necessary, platform-specific code can be managed with directives such as #if ANDROID, but the main codebase remains the same.

Conclusion: Future-Proof Applications with MAUI

Developing full cross-platform applications with MAUI provides a strong advantage for modern developers in terms of performance, accessibility, and code maintenance. Developers can create applications delivering consistent and powerful user experiences on their desired platforms from a single codebase. With the speed, flexibility, and power of the .NET ecosystem provided by MAUI, your projects are ready for the future.