Xamarin is Dying! From Xamarin to MAUI, What Has Changed (and what not)?

Will Xamarin be replaced by .NET MAUI?

Microsoft is switching out Xamarin with a more recent and sophisticated cross-platform framework called .NET MAUI. It offers better productivity, enhanced performance, and a simpler developer experience compared to Xamarin. Additionally, it is constructed on top of .NET 6, which offers enhanced features and performance on all platforms.

Microsoft announced that Xamarin support will end on May 1, 2024 . This implies that Microsoft will stop offering bug fixes, security updates and new features for Xamarin after this date. Your apps might not function on the most recent iterations of iOS and Android if you are still using Xamarin and intend to do so after May 1, 2024. Additionally, this implies that you won't be able to submit your apps to the app stores for iOS and Android.

Microsoft created the .NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) framework to enable the development of cross-platform apps from a single codebase. It enables developers to produce native Windows, macOS, iOS, and Android mobile and desktop applications. Since .NET MAUI is a component of the .NET 6 ecosystem, it gains access to the most recent .NET versions' features and enhancements.

Key Features of .NET MAUI

1. Single Project Structure: By combining several platform projects (iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows) into a single project, MAUI streamlines project organization. As a result, managing shared resources is made simpler and less complex.
2. Hot Reload: By enabling instant feedback, developers can see changes to their code in real-time, which accelerates the development process.
3. Model-View-Update (MVU) Architecture: MAUI is compatible with the MVU pattern, which makes it easier to create user interfaces and encourages a distinct division of responsibilities.
4. Platform-specific Customization: Despite having a single codebase, developers are still free to add and remove platform-specific features as needed.
5. MAUI's seamless integration: with other .NET libraries and tools, including Entity Framework, ASP.NET Core, and the.NET CLI, is a result of its membership in the .NET ecosystem.

Relationship to Xamarin

Xamarin is the predecessor to .NET MAUI. It was an open-source framework that allowed developers to build Android, iOS, and Windows apps using .NET and C#.

Evolution from Xamarin to .NET MAUI

1. Unified Codebase: While Xamarin.Forms allowed shared UI code, it required separate projects for each platform. .NET MAUI streamlines this by providing a single project for all platforms.
2. Improved Performance: .NET MAUI is built on top of .NET 6, offering better performance and new features that weren't available in Xamarin.
3. Simplified API: .NET MAUI offers a more modern and simplified API, reducing the learning curve for new developers and improving productivity for experienced ones.
4. Support and Updates: As the successor to Xamarin, .NET MAUI will receive ongoing support, updates, and new features from Microsoft, whereas Xamarin will see reduced investment over time.

Migration from Xamarin to .NET MAUI

To make sure that your current Xamarin-based apps are updated to take advantage of the new features and enhancements in .NET MAUI, you must migrate your applications from Xamarin to .NET MAUI in a few steps. This is a high-level summary of the process of migration:

Step 1. Set Up Your Space

Transition to .NET 6/7: Make sure that .NET 6 or later is installed in your development environment. Updating Visual Studio to the most recent version that supports .NET MAUI is part of this.

Step 2. Examine Your Xamarin Project Analysis

Determine Dependencies: Enumerate every NuGet package and library that your Xamarin project requires. Verify whether they work with .NET MAUI and .NET 6.

Review platform-specific code and custom renderers: During migration, focus on platform-specific implementations and custom renderers.

Step 3. Establish an MAUI.NET project

Start a New MAUI Project: Make a new .NET MAUI project to get acquainted with the new project format and structure.

Step 4. Migrate Code

• Transfer Shared Code: Begin by transferring your shared code to the new .NET MAUI project (View Models, Services, etc.).
• Revise the User Interface: Move your code-behind and XAML files. In order to conform to the .NET MAUI structure, update namespaces and modify any platform-specific code.
• Transform Custom Rendering: Update your custom renderers to .NET MAUI Handlers. Handlers are the new way to customize controls in .NET MAUI, replacing the Renderer pattern in Xamarin.Forms.

Step 5. Platform-specific Adjustments

• Modify Platform-specific Code: Transfer and modify your platform-specific code (such as Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS implementations) to the new .NET MAUI single project structure.
• Refresh Dependency Services: Swap out Xamarin Uses the dependency injection feature of .NET MAUI to integrate Forms Dependency Service.

Step 6. Test and Validate

• Execute Unit Tests: Verify that each test passes. As the project structure and APIs change, make the necessary adjustments to the tests.
• Manual Testing: Make sure the application behaves as expected by thoroughly testing it on all target platforms.

Step 7. Optimize and Refactor

• Leverage New Features: Make use of the latest features available in .NET MAUI, including streamlined APIs, additional controls, and performance enhancements.
• Refactor Code: Make code cleaner and more consistent with .NET MAUI patterns and best practices.

Step 8. Update CI/CD Pipelines

• Update your pipelines for continuous integration and deployment to take into account the new .NET MAUI project structure. Modify Build and Deployment Scripts.

Step 9: Additional Considerations

• Community and Documentation: Make use of the resources provided by the .NET MAUI community and documentation. Microsoft offers comprehensive migration guides as well as support forums.
• Third-party Libraries: If you use third-party libraries, see if there are any versions that are compatible with .NET MAUI, or look for alternatives if they aren't supported yet.

Xamarin vs. .NET MAUI

To summarise, .NET MAUI represents the subsequent iteration of Microsoft's cross-platform app development framework, incorporating the strengths of Xamarin while providing improved functionalities, streamlined project organization, and smooth interaction with the wider .NET network.

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