Boost Your XAML Productivity with These Tools - .NET MAUI 101

[@jfversluis]

Really want to get that pixel-perfect design? Use Debug Rainbows 🌈 kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5uyg2dtdt2Gd80

[@MrSuxor]

I appreciate these tools immensely, but I still see a significant need for a XAML preview designer. Sometimes, focusing on the design of a single page or pop-up is crucial. While it's possible to rewrite code to launch directly to that page, it can be frustrating, especially if the page is deep in the navigation hierarchy or only appears under specific conditions, such as error handling. Forcing the app to display such a screen for testing or design purposes can be challenging. Instead of constantly modifying the app to showcase the screen I'm working on, a preview editor would be far more efficient.

[@jfversluis]

But what would the previewer do? Which flavor of android? Dark mode? Light mode? Tablet? Phone? Watch? The landscape is so much more complex than it ever was. This mirrors what you are looking at on your device with all its nuances. It’s near impossible to create a drag and drop designer that will work great for all the supported platforms

[@MrSuxor]

Additionally, my ideal tool would include a single simulator capable of testing multiple screen sizes and operating systems simultaneously. This would allow me to see how my app looks and functions across different devices and platforms in real-time. Currently, launching separate simulators and building packages for each test scenario is incredibly time-consuming. An all-in-one simulator would streamline the design and testing process significantly.

[@WarBorg]

the Android studio IDE already does this with different previews for all the options you mentioned above when running a kotlin compose app, also xcode does the same for iOS swiftUI apps, but then again they use code to display UI and it's much easier to setup these previews, maybe in the future we could have something like that

[@rubendmribeiro]

Great video like always, we need and its really productive is the drag and drop controls, that is what i call being productive. Microsoft removed that probably because of s lot of errors it caused, but we’re in 2024, these kinda of tools MUST exist.

[@dsuess]

Amazing as always, Gerald! Who needs an XAML designer? Our new team members coming onto the projects. It puts the Visual into Visual Studio.

[@jfversluis]

Maybe then we should also make the C# code blocks so we can drag those around? 🙃

[@dsuess]

@@jfversluis Baby steps my friend, baby steps. Though, I can't deny it, VB3's GUI is what got me into programming

[@rotteneggconcept]

Would like to thank You and James Montemagno for the Best Maui Content, Keep up the Great Content, Please do More MVVM examples, especially on Camera and IO related Examples

[@jfversluis]

Much appreciated thank you!

[@Tymonello]

Great tips!

[@pugthegreat9936]

I should use more the Live Visual Tree, never really used it much. Also, life without Hot Reload would be almost impossible. Cheers !

[@jfversluis]

Absolutely agree!

[@kharraz1713]

Thanks gerald If i want to developing desktop app learn another specific technology for desktop like WPF or just MAUI is enough?

[@maxmannstein]

Love your videos

[@jfversluis]

Appreciate it Max, thank you!

[@akshayjain4001]

Any of these coming to vs code? Precisely for mac?

[@jfversluis]

I don’t think that is planned right now but make sure your feedback is known!

[@marcelfischer5139]

Incredible help for a counter project like this. In my project this doesn't work so well.

[@jfversluis]

What doesn’t work for you?

[@keithsummers1889]

Thank you for staying with MAUI -- your audio is greatly improved over last year. You must have upgraded your audio hardware. Excellent move, because I can hear you much better than before.

[@jfversluis]

Glad to hear that!

[@wolframliermann2883]

Thanks for all the great stuff. Can you make a video on how to create a MAUI Windows app that is signed with a certificate from a key vault such as azure key vault and where the certificate was automatically updated before it expired?

[@sheiksulaiman9345]

Hi thanks for sharing information

[@jfversluis]

You’re very welcome!

[@GUIGOL_DEV]

Like the hot reload❤

[@jfversluis]

Hot reload is amazing!

[@michaelrogers6935]

This would be absolutely perfect if only it ran on VSC, since VS for Mac is no more. How hard would it be to port?

[@jfversluis]

I don’t think that will come anytime soon unfortunately. That’s the difference between Visual Studio being a full IDE and VS Code a code editor. But definitely make your voice heard. Who knows!

[@just-mannn]

Do you plan to integrate OpenGL as it was in Xamarin? And do you plan to add Designer as it was in WinForms and WPF?

[@jfversluis]

We don’t have plans for that currently

[@earthlingthings]

Say I have a service layer list static (or even Current Monkey) which I want to bind via mvvm view model. So I put an observableproperty in view model. Bind to that. Update the vm to the services list. Then I have to keep updating the vm ... Every time the service layer changes. Q: can I simply relay the service layer static curmonkey to my view via viewmodel? The xaml doesn't auto update. I'm finding. Even though it's observable property

[@earthlingthings]

Eg servicex has curmonkey static. Vmx has curmonkey [observable property] Vmx also has servicex {get;set;} tried binding {binding servicex.curmonkey} Didn't work. Tried binding {binding vm.curmonkey} works but won't refresh on change

[@earthlingthings]

Ie in vmx {get return servicex.curmonkey;}

[@earthlingthings]

Thx

[@Skulard]

a similar visual editor, like WPF has would be even nicer

[@jfversluis]

Unfortunately nothing is planned for that in the near future

[@queenstownswords]

Hey @jfversluis, is there any plans/chance to create an option to add a mobile project (MAUI) with Aspire?

[@jfversluis]

We’re working on that!

[@wadesmith9110]

Any plans for .NET MAUI to support HarmonyOS?

[@jfversluis]

Not currently

[@afouadr]

Also include XAML Styler - Visual Studio Extension

[@jfversluis]

That’s definitely a good extension and addition!

[@rikudouensof]

I already know it exist. Actually since Xamarin era. When it came, left and returned. Actually the one on UWP was way more interactive. To be fair UWP only targeted windows PC, Hololens, Xbox and windows phone

[@jfversluis]

Haha that’s awesome! You’ve been there for all the iterations! Yeah the cross-platform nature of MAUI definitely makes this tool hard

[@mauideveloper]

we are not getting UI related docs for MAUI :(

[@jfversluis]

I’m afraid I’m not sure what you mean

[@jewersp]

Do you mean documentation for the IDE with regards to MAUI?

[@mauideveloper]

@@jewersp there is no open source UI Plugins for MAUI.

[@mauideveloper]

@@jfversluis there is no open source UI Plugins for MAUI

[@jewersp]

@@mauideveloper You need to be more specific. No idea what you're talking about. Plugins for what, the IDE? Or for MAUI app? There are plenty of free UI controls out there, if that's what you mean. However, what does that have to do with docs?

[@jxndwl]

make project Snoop works for MAUI please.

[@jfversluis]

I’m sorry I don’t know what that is

[@simonmardine6414]

😮 if only it works on rider😂

[@jfversluis]

Up to them to implement similar features I suppose!

[@simonmardine6414]

@@jfversluis or i install visual studio on my mac 😉