Microsoft has announced that .NET MAUI VS Code extension is out of preview, and that it includes long-awaited new features – including XAML IntelliSense and Hot Reload.

The .NET Multi-platform App UI (MAUI) is a framework for building native device applications spanning mobile, tablet, and desktop. It allows developers to create a single project that works on multiple targets. Any platform-specific assets are placed in sub-folders, and the developer can focus on writing shared UI and code. The .NET MAUI extension for VS Code was announced last year, indicating that it pairs with the C# Dev Kit to extend the range of projects you can create to include .NET MAUI apps.

XAML, Extensible Application Markup Language, is Microsoft's XML-based language used for initializing structured values and objects. In the preview version of the .NET MAUI extension developers got basic XAML syntax highlighting and completions. This has been improved by swapping to an updated version of the XAML Language Service in Visual Studio that has been packaged for use in VS Code. Maddy Montaquila, senior program manager for .NET MAUI, said in a blog post that

"the addition, which also works with Copilot, gives you intelligent autocomplete, helpful tooltips, and seamless code navigation while you create your UIs."

The other main improvement over the preview is the incorporation of Hot Reload, which lets you edit your code without restarting your app.

The feature means you can now Hot Reload edits to your C# and XAML files in Visual Studio Code. Hot Reload is enabled for XAML but the blog post says

"C# Hot Reload is still in an experimental state, but you can turn it on"

which sounds less finished.

The reception of the extension is likely to vary depending on what environment you're working in. There's still no support for Linux; and while VS Code is Microsoft's official successor to Visual Studio Mac now that has been discontinued, reviews from early testers have been mixed, many pointing out that the MAUI extension also needs the C# Dev Kit, only available with a Visual Studio license.

The .NET MAUI VS Code Extension is available now. 

• Mike James is the author of Deep C#: Dive Into Modern C#,  in which he provides a “deep dive” into various topics that are important or central to the language. By exploring the motivation behind these key concepts, which is so often ignored in the documentation, the intention is to be thought-provoking and to give developers confidence to exploit C#’s wide range of features.

More Information

MAUI VS Code Extension On Marketplace

MAUI On GitHub

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