# .NET MAUI From Zero

.NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) is how C# developers build native apps for **Android, iOS, macOS, and
Windows from one codebase**. It's the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, rebuilt on .NET: you write your UI and
logic once, and MAUI renders it with each platform's native controls. If you already know C#, MAUI is your
route into mobile and desktop without learning Swift, Kotlin, and a separate Windows stack.

The mental model is two layers tied by a pattern. The **UI** is a tree of controls, usually described in
**XAML** (a declarative markup) with a C# code-behind - a page holds layouts, layouts hold controls. The
**logic** lives in a **ViewModel**, and the two are joined by **data binding** (the MVVM pattern): the View
binds to properties and commands on the ViewModel, so UI and logic stay decoupled and testable. Hold "XAML
describes the UI, a ViewModel holds the state and behavior, and binding wires them together," and MAUI's
moving parts fall into place.

> 📝 This teaches the **framework** - it assumes you know **C#**: classes, properties, events,
> `async`/`await`, and interfaces ([C# From Zero](/guides/csharp-from-zero)). MVVM and binding echo other
> component UIs ([Blazor](/guides/blazor-from-zero) is the web sibling), and it consumes
> [ASP.NET Core](/guides/aspnet-core-from-zero) APIs. MAUI builds native apps, so examples are shown as
> XAML/C# rather than run on the page.

## How to read this

Read in order - it builds one small app (a cross-platform **notes** app: a list, a detail/edit page, save and
delete) from a single page to a navigable, MVVM-structured, API-aware app. Phases carry difficulty badges.

## The phases

**Part 1 - The UI (🟢 Basic → 🟡)**
1. **[What MAUI Is & Your First App](01-what-maui-is.md)** 🟢 - one codebase, native targets, XAML + code-behind, and a running app.
2. **[XAML & Layouts](02-xaml-and-layouts.md)** 🟡 - pages, `StackLayout`/`Grid`, and arranging controls.
3. **[Controls & Data Binding](03-controls-and-data-binding.md)** 🟡 - common controls, `{Binding}`, and `BindingContext`.

**Part 2 - Real structure (🟡 → 🔴)**
4. **[The MVVM Pattern](04-mvvm.md)** 🔴 - ViewModels, `INotifyPropertyChanged`, commands, and the CommunityToolkit.Mvvm.
5. **[Navigation with Shell](05-navigation-with-shell.md)** 🟡 - pages, routes, and moving between screens.
6. **[Data & Calling APIs](06-data-and-apis.md)** 🔴 - `HttpClient`, JSON, and local storage (Preferences/SQLite).

**Part 3 - Ship it (🟡 → 🟢)**
7. **[Platform Features & Deployment](07-platform-features-and-deployment.md)** 🟡 - sensors/permissions, per-platform code, and building for the stores.
8. **[Where to Go Next](08-where-to-go-next.md)** 🟢 - MAUI vs Flutter/React Native, Blazor Hybrid, and what to build.

> The throughline: **XAML describes the UI, a ViewModel holds state and behavior, and data binding wires
> them** - one codebase, native everywhere. Hold that and MAUI is approachable.