Numerous developers use .NET as the main platform they work on because you can build anything with it. Companies also invest heavily in .NET frameworks. While the .NET framework has been fun to work with across the different platforms, there is the need to take it a step further. Hence, the need for the .NET 5. With this, Microsoft brings together the functionalities of the .NET platform, .NET core and Mono/Xamarin. These come together in one base class library and toolchain.

This introduction is to mitigate the disparity caused by the different operating systems that there are; iOS, android, macOS and Windows. Now, with just the .NET MAUI, there will be no more issues of device differences.

What is .NET MAUI?

.NET MAUI is an evolution that allows for further cross-device capability for the Xamarin.Forms toolkit that several companies have used in powering their business over the past 6 years. With this evolution, multi-platform applications can be built easily, especially to be more compatible with the Microsoft Surface Duo.

This new framework makes the work easier for .NET developers. A single stack will support all the various operating systems – Android, iOS, macOS and Windows – when deployed.

Understanding that there are sometimes differing features for the various platforms, the cross-platform API allows for the seamless customization of user experience per platform. This allows developers to share more code than they have ever done.

The Unique Features

The development of the .NET MAUI started in a bid to improve the productivity of developers. It drastically simplifies project structure. Developers get to focus on just one project that can target multiple platforms at the same time.

The .NET MAUI grants you further access to underlying operating system APIs that makes platform-specific integrations easier. Everything is in one place with the .NET MAUI.

Final Take

There are many more features to note about this development. Some of these are the MVVM (Model-view-viewmodel), XAML, MVU, etc.

As expected, Microsoft has put everything in place to ensure that transitioning from the Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI is easy for developers, with try-convert support and migration guides. Previews of the development will surface this year, while the mass rollout begins in November, 2021.