dotnet/maui
Maui
This framework is a cross-platform software development kit designed for building native mobile and desktop applications from a single shared codebase. It provides a unified programming interface that allows developers to construct user interfaces using declarative markup, which are then rendered as native components on each target operating system.
The framework distinguishes itself through a multi-targeting build system that consolidates platform-specific resources and native control mapping into a unified project structure. It includes a data-driven binding engine that synchronizes application state with visual elements, alongside a hot-reload workflow that enables developers to visualize source code and interface changes in real time without requiring a full project recompilation.
Beyond core interface construction, the framework offers a comprehensive suite of tools for managing application lifecycles, local data storage, and secure access to device hardware and system sensors. It supports hybrid development by allowing web components to be embedded within a native application shell, and provides a unified canvas for cross-platform graphics rendering.
The framework utilizes ahead-of-time compilation to generate machine-specific instructions for improved execution performance. It is distributed as a complete SDK that includes native component libraries and utilities for packaging and submitting applications to official app stores.
Features
- Cross-Platform Desktop Development - Enables building native mobile and desktop applications from a single shared codebase.
- Cross-Platform Development - Provides a unified programming interface for building native mobile and desktop applications from a single shared codebase.
- Multi-Platform Application Suites - Provides a comprehensive SDK for unified access to native device hardware, system APIs, and application lifecycle management.
- Cross-Platform Abstraction Layers - Provides unified interfaces for consistent access to hardware sensors and system services across different platforms.
- Declarative UI Frameworks - Constructs user interfaces using declarative markup with integrated data binding and state management.
- Cross-Platform Development Frameworks - Facilitates the construction of native interfaces that render consistent layouts and controls across different operating systems.
- Cross-Platform Build Systems - Automates the compilation and packaging of software into native binaries for multiple target operating systems from a single project.
- Hot-Reloading Systems - Monitors source code changes and injects incremental updates into the active process to enable real-time interface visualization.
- Device & Hardware SDKs - Provides consistent interfaces for accessing device sensors, secure storage, and system features across mobile and desktop platforms.
- Component Data Binding - Synchronizes application state with visual elements using a data-driven binding engine.
- Data Binding Engines - Synchronizes application state with user interface elements automatically to maintain consistency between data models and visual components.
- Native UI Component Libraries - Ships a collection of platform-abstracted controls that render as native interface elements.
- Native UI Component Mappers - Maps shared interface definitions to corresponding native UI components provided by the underlying host operating system.
- Client Side Frameworks - Framework for building native mobile and desktop apps with C#.
- Core Frameworks - Framework for building native cross-platform mobile and desktop apps.
- Ahead-of-Time Kernel Compilation - Compiles source code directly into machine-specific instructions to enhance application startup performance and execution speed.
- Markup Parsers - Parses declarative markup definitions to instantiate native view objects at runtime for cross-platform user interfaces.
- Data-Driven Application Platforms - Connects business logic to visual components using data binding patterns to maintain clean separation between application state and user interface.
- Local Data Engines - Provides local database engines for storing user preferences and structured information to support offline application functionality.
- Store Deployment - Supports packaging and distributing applications to mobile and desktop environments, including preparation for official app store submission.
- Native API Bridges - Enables invocation of specific operating system features and native libraries directly from shared code.
- Application Lifecycle Managers - Coordinates application state transitions and platform-specific lifecycle events to ensure consistent behavior across mobile and desktop environments.
- Native Shell Embeddings - Allows embedding web components within a native application shell to combine web technologies with direct access to native platform capabilities.
- Live Coding Environments - Supports modifying source code and interface definitions during runtime to visualize changes immediately without full recompilation.
- Cross-Platform Graphics Tooling - Provides a unified canvas interface for drawing and manipulating graphical objects across multiple operating systems.
- Remote Service Clients - Provides client-side libraries for interacting with remote web services and parsing structured data from external cloud providers.
- Layout Controllers - Offers a collection of native-backed controls and layout engines for building application interfaces.
