Are you a proficient Xamarin App Development services provider looking for new updates or skill advancements? Good for you! We will provide you with the same. Later in this post, we will discuss the most promising markup extensions in .NET MAUI.

Even if you are a business owner using Xamarin for your App Development, you must read this post. It can help you understand what’s new in the field. Accordingly, you can make changes. But first, let us learn about XAML markup extensions.

What is an XAML markup extension?

Markup extension is an XAML technique that allows Xamarin app development companies or developers to acquire a value neither primitive nor specified to XAML. When it comes to using an attribute, markup extension relies on a known opening and closing brace sequence.

Here is an example, {x:Staticlocal:AppConstants.DefaultName}. There are several extensions like x: Reference and x: Static, and you can identify them with the prefix “x:” in the syntax.

If you are using markup extensions for .NET MAUI services, you can get your hands on ready-to-use XAML markup extensions. However, you can access them from the System.Xaml. Besides this, Xamarin mobile app development agencies use several ways to markup extensions. These are:

• Establish your markup extensions by subclassing from the Markup Extension class.
• Utilize markup extensions that a particular framework has defined already.

In simple words, markup extensions help you boost the flexibility of XAML in .NET MAUI. You must be wondering how. It enables Xamarin app development companies to set element attributes from various sources, as we already mentioned.

Note:* .NET MAUI, .NET Multiplatform App UI, is set to replace Xamarin. And Microsoft will stop further updates and support for the latter. So, .NET MAUI is in preview mode. That means the pre-release markup extensions and other information are subject to alteration. Also, all the professionals delivering Xamarin app development services should swift to .NET MAUI by November 2022.

Now, let us discover the best markup extensions for .NET MAUI.

• • • • XAML markup extensions to get the most of Xamarin app development services 
    • 1.  x:Null Markup Extension

    x:Null markup extension specifies null as a value for a XAML member. It is equivalent to a null reference to C# and C++. Top Xamarin app development companies use this syntax for the XAML attribute usage:

    The following is the use case of x:Null markup extension:

    • • • State an implicit style for labels using this command:
          
          
          
          
          
        • Remember, Xamarin app development services providers use implicit styles for all controls of similar types. But in the case of Labels, we should not use the same FontFamily. Therefore, we add the x:Null to add a specific Label.
          
          
          
          FontFamily="{x:Null}" />
          
      2.  x:Type Markup Extension

    x:Type extension provides the CRL Type object. It is an underlying type for a specified XAML type. Besides this, it offers the same function as the GetType operator in Microsoft Visual Basic or typeof() operator in C#. If you are a developer or an agency offering Xamarin mobile app development, you can use this extension as below.

    • • Object element syntax – In this, you need to specify the value of the TypeName property. It helps you initialize the extension appropriately.
      • Verbose attribute – Another way to use this extension is as a verbose attribute. However, it is not the typical use of x:Type:
        
      3.   x:Array Markup Extension

    x:Array markup extension offers support for an array of objects in XAML. Also, it works differently from other extensions because it does not have braces. Many companies dealing in cross-platform app development Xamarinservices prefer x:Array extension. If you are kick-starting your career, you must have this question: how can we identify this markup extension?

    Do not worry! It is very easy to recognize this XAML markup extension. It comes with its own start and end tags, such as ... .

    If you wish to use this, make sure you fulfill the below-mentioned properties:

    • • • Type – It helps recognize the element type in the array.
        • Items – It refers to a collection of elements that your array is made of.
      4.  x:Reference Markup Extension

    The x:Reference extension refers to the name of an element “x:Name.” That means it comes with a single property, the Name of the type string. It further helps establish the element’s name. As a result, we can call specific control using its name. Are you wondering how top Xamarin app development services providers use the x:Reference extension? The answer is data bindings. Here is an example to demonstrate the use of x:Reference.

    • • • Firstly, use x:Name, to add a name to the page. For this, you need to call it “page.” Follow this command:

          x:Class="MarkupExtensionsApp.MainPage"
x:Name="page"
xmlns:local="clr-namespace:MarkupExtensionsApp">

        • Now, it is the time to use x:Reference to get information from the x:Name.

      5.  OnIdiomMarkup Extension

    Onldiom extension enables Xamarin mobile app development companies to customize the appearance of UI. But it depends on the device idiom that a particular application is using. It gets support from the OnIdiomExtension class, which explains these properties.

    • • • Phone of type object – You can set a value to apply on phones.
        • Default of type object – You can set a default value that applies to the properties representing device idioms.
        • Tablet of type object – You can set a value to use on tablets.

    Besides this, other properties include Desktop, TV, Watch, Converter, and ConverterParameter. The following is an example of using the Onldiom markup extension.

    WidthRequest="{OnIdiom 100, Phone=200, Tablet=300, Desktop=400}"
HeightRequest="{OnIdiom 100, Phone=200, Tablet=300, Desktop=400}"
HorizontalOptions="Center" />

    The above example shows the three OnIdiom markup extensions that establish the WidthRequest, Color, and HeightRequest properties of the BoxView in various values. Additionally, the markup extensions offer default values for these properties. If you notice, the markup extension properties are separated using commas.

  • • 6.  OnPlatformMarkup Extension

With OnPlatform extension, Xamarin app development services providers can customize the UI appearance, as per the platform application runs. Both OnplatformandOnclasses offer similar functionality. However, the presentation is more concise.

The bottom line

These are the most suitable XAML markup extensions to use in .NET MAUI. With these, you can use them to enhance the functionality and flexibility of .NET MAUI. If you are a leading professional offering Xamarin app development services, stay a step ahead with these useful extensions. For more such blogs, keep in touch!

If you are searching for a reliable agency offering Xamarin mobile app development, contact SoftProdigy. We house a team of experts with years of experience in the field.

FAQs

1. What is the XAML Markup extension?

A markup extension refers to an XAML technique that developers use to obtain a value, which is neither a specific nor primitive XAML type.

2. What is .NET MAUI?

.NET MAUI stands for .NET multiplatform app UI. It is a cross-platform framework that helps developers in building high-performing native desktop and mobile apps. However, it is still in the preview phase.

3. Are .NET MAUI and Xamarin the same?

No, these are two different frameworks. But both are supported by Microsoft. We can say that .NET MAUI is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms. In November 2022, .NET MAUI will replace Xamarin completely because of improved performance and extensibility.

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