GHCP-maui-instructions.md

description	applyTo
.NET MAUI component and application patterns	**/*.xaml, **/*.cs

.NET MAUI

.NET MAUI Code Style and Structure

• Write idiomatic and efficient .NET MAUI and C# code.
• Follow .NET and .NET MAUI conventions.
• Prefer inline functions for smaller components but separate complex logic into code-behind or service classes.
• Async/await should be used where applicable to ensure non-blocking UI operations.

Naming Conventions

• Follow PascalCase for component names, method names, and public members.
• Use camelCase for private fields and local variables.
• Prefix interface names with "I" (e.g., IUserService).

.NET MAUI and .NET Specific Guidelines

• Utilize .NET MAUI's built-in features for component lifecycle (e.g. OnAppearing, OnDisappearing).
• Use data binding effectively with {Binding}.
• Structure .NET MAUI components and services following Separation of Concerns.
• Always use the latest version C#, currently C# 13 features like record types, pattern matching, and global usings.

Error Handling and Validation

• Implement proper error handling for .NET MAUI pages and API calls.
• Use logging for error tracking in the backend and consider capturing UI-level errors in MAUI with tools like MAUI Community Toolkit's Logger.
• Implement validation using FluentValidation or DataAnnotations in forms.

MAUI API and Performance Optimization

• Utilize MAUI's built-in features for component lifecycle (e.g. OnAppearing, OnDisappearing).
• Use asynchronous methods (async/await) for API calls or UI actions that could block the main thread.
• Optimize MAUI components by reducing unnecessary renders and using OnPropertyChanged() efficiently.
• Minimize the component render tree by avoiding re-renders unless necessary, using BatchBegin() and BatchCommit() where appropriate.

Caching Strategies

• Implement in-memory caching for frequently used data, especially for MAUI apps. Use IMemoryCache for lightweight caching solutions.
• Consider Distributed Cache strategies (like Redis or SQL Server Cache) for larger applications that need shared state across multiple users or clients.
• Cache API calls by storing responses to avoid redundant calls when data is unlikely to change, thus improving the user experience.

State Management Libraries

• Use dependency injection and the .NET MAUI Community Toolkit for state sharing across components.

API Design and Integration

• Use HttpClient or other appropriate services to communicate with external APIs or your own backend.
• Implement error handling for API calls using try-catch and provide proper user feedback in the UI.

Testing and Debugging

• Test components and services using xUnit, NUnit, or MSTest.
• Use Moq or NSubstitute for mocking dependencies during tests.

Security and Authentication

• Implement Authentication and Authorization in the MAUI app where necessary using OAuth or JWT tokens for API authentication.
• Use HTTPS for all web communication and ensure proper CORS policies are implemented.

API Documentation and Swagger

• Use Swagger/OpenAPI for API documentation for your backend API services.
• Ensure XML documentation for models and API methods for enhancing Swagger documentation.