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Add 7 core .NET MAUI development skills to dotnet-maui plugin #456
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Add 7 core .NET MAUI development skills to dotnet-maui plugin
davidortinau 34fb294
Fix cross-skill references to non-existent skills
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Fix code correctness bugs and remaining cross-references
davidortinau 23ec969
Restore Clear() theme pattern with clarifying comment
davidortinau 96f99f7
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| Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
|---|---|---|
| @@ -1,6 +1,6 @@ | ||
| { | ||
| "name": "dotnet-maui", | ||
| "version": "0.1.0", | ||
| "description": "Skills for .NET MAUI development: environment setup, diagnostics, and troubleshooting.", | ||
| "description": "Skills for .NET MAUI development: environment setup, diagnostics, troubleshooting, navigation, data binding, dependency injection, layout, and theming.", | ||
| "skills": ["./skills/"] | ||
| } |
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| Original file line number | Diff line number | Diff line change |
|---|---|---|
| @@ -0,0 +1,219 @@ | ||
| --- | ||
| name: maui-app-lifecycle | ||
| description: >- | ||
| .NET MAUI app lifecycle guidance — the four app states, cross-platform Window | ||
| lifecycle events (Created, Activated, Deactivated, Stopped, Resumed, Destroying), | ||
| platform-specific lifecycle mapping, backgrounding and resume behaviour, and | ||
| state-preservation patterns. | ||
| USE FOR: "app lifecycle", "window lifecycle events", "save state on background", | ||
| "resume app", "OnStopped", "OnResumed", "backgrounding", "deactivated event", | ||
| "ConfigureLifecycleEvents", "platform lifecycle hooks". | ||
| DO NOT USE FOR: navigation events (use maui-shell-navigation), | ||
| dependency injection setup (use maui-dependency-injection), | ||
| platform API invocation (use conditional compilation and partial classes). | ||
| --- | ||
|
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| # .NET MAUI App Lifecycle | ||
|
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| Handle application state transitions correctly in .NET MAUI. This skill covers the cross-platform Window lifecycle events, their platform-native mappings, and patterns for preserving state across backgrounding and resume cycles. | ||
|
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| ## When to Use | ||
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| - Saving or restoring state when the app backgrounds or resumes | ||
| - Subscribing to Window lifecycle events (Created, Activated, Deactivated, Stopped, Resumed, Destroying) | ||
| - Hooking into platform-native lifecycle callbacks via `ConfigureLifecycleEvents` | ||
| - Deciding where to place initialization, teardown, or refresh logic | ||
| - Understanding the difference between Deactivated and Stopped | ||
|
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| ## When Not to Use | ||
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| - Page-level navigation events — use Shell navigation guidance instead | ||
| - Registering services at startup — use dependency injection guidance instead | ||
| - Calling platform-specific APIs outside lifecycle context — use platform invoke guidance instead | ||
|
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| ## Inputs | ||
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| - The target lifecycle transition (e.g., "save draft when backgrounded", "refresh data on resume") | ||
| - Which platforms the developer targets (Android, iOS, Mac Catalyst, Windows) | ||
| - Whether the app uses multiple windows (iPad, Mac Catalyst, desktop Windows) | ||
|
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| ## App States | ||
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| A .NET MAUI app moves through four states: | ||
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| | State | Description | | ||
| |---|---| | ||
| | **Not Running** | Process does not exist | | ||
| | **Running** | Foreground, receiving input | | ||
| | **Deactivated** | Visible but lost focus (dialog, split-screen, notification shade) | | ||
| | **Stopped** | Fully backgrounded, UI not visible | | ||
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| Typical flow: Not Running → Running → Deactivated → Stopped → Running (resumed) or Not Running (terminated). | ||
|
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| ## Window Lifecycle Events | ||
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| `Microsoft.Maui.Controls.Window` exposes six cross-platform events: | ||
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| | Event | Fires when | | ||
| |---|---| | ||
| | `Created` | Native window allocated | | ||
| | `Activated` | Window receives input focus | | ||
| | `Deactivated` | Window loses focus (may still be visible) | | ||
| | `Stopped` | Window is no longer visible | | ||
| | `Resumed` | Window returns to foreground after Stopped | | ||
| | `Destroying` | Native window is being torn down | | ||
|
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| ### Subscribing via CreateWindow | ||
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| Override `CreateWindow` in your `App` class and attach event handlers: | ||
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| ```csharp | ||
| public partial class App : Application | ||
| { | ||
| protected override Window CreateWindow(IActivationState? activationState) | ||
| { | ||
| var window = base.CreateWindow(activationState); | ||
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| window.Created += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Created"); | ||
| window.Activated += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Activated"); | ||
| window.Deactivated += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Deactivated"); | ||
| window.Stopped += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Stopped"); | ||
| window.Resumed += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Resumed"); | ||
| window.Destroying += (s, e) => Debug.WriteLine("Destroying"); | ||
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| return window; | ||
| } | ||
| } | ||
| ``` | ||
|
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| ### Subscribing via a Custom Window Subclass | ||
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| Create a `Window` subclass and override the virtual methods: | ||
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| ```csharp | ||
| public class AppWindow : Window | ||
| { | ||
| public AppWindow(Page page) : base(page) { } | ||
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| protected override void OnActivated() { /* refresh UI */ } | ||
| protected override void OnStopped() { /* save state */ } | ||
| protected override void OnResumed() { /* restore state */ } | ||
| protected override void OnDestroying() { /* cleanup */ } | ||
| } | ||
| ``` | ||
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| Return it from `CreateWindow`: | ||
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| ```csharp | ||
| protected override Window CreateWindow(IActivationState? activationState) | ||
| => new AppWindow(new AppShell()); | ||
| ``` | ||
|
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| ## Workflow: Save and Restore State on Background | ||
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| 1. **Identify transient state** — draft text, scroll position, form inputs, timer values. | ||
| 2. **Save in `OnStopped`** — use `Preferences` for small values or file serialization for larger state. | ||
| 3. **Restore in `OnResumed`** — read back saved values and apply to your view model. | ||
| 4. **Also save in `OnDestroying`** on Android — the back button can skip `Stopped` entirely. | ||
| 5. **Keep handlers fast** — complete within 1–2 seconds to avoid ANR on Android or watchdog kills on iOS. | ||
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| ```csharp | ||
| protected override void OnStopped() | ||
| { | ||
| base.OnStopped(); | ||
| Preferences.Set("draft_text", _viewModel.DraftText); | ||
| Preferences.Set("scroll_y", _viewModel.ScrollY); | ||
| } | ||
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| protected override void OnResumed() | ||
| { | ||
| base.OnResumed(); | ||
| _viewModel.DraftText = Preferences.Get("draft_text", string.Empty); | ||
| _viewModel.ScrollY = Preferences.Get("scroll_y", 0.0); | ||
| } | ||
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| protected override void OnDestroying() | ||
| { | ||
| base.OnDestroying(); | ||
| // Android back-button can skip Stopped | ||
| Preferences.Set("draft_text", _viewModel.DraftText); | ||
| } | ||
| ``` | ||
|
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| ## Platform Lifecycle Mapping | ||
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| ### Android | ||
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| | Window Event | Android Callback | | ||
| |---|---| | ||
| | Created | `OnCreate` | | ||
| | Activated | `OnResume` | | ||
| | Deactivated | `OnPause` | | ||
| | Stopped | `OnStop` | | ||
| | Resumed | `OnRestart` → `OnStart` → `OnResume` | | ||
| | Destroying | `OnDestroy` | | ||
|
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| ### iOS / Mac Catalyst | ||
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| | Window Event | UIKit Callback | | ||
| |---|---| | ||
| | Created | `WillFinishLaunching` / `SceneWillConnect` | | ||
| | Activated | `DidBecomeActive` | | ||
| | Deactivated | `WillResignActive` | | ||
| | Stopped | `DidEnterBackground` | | ||
| | Resumed | `WillEnterForeground` | | ||
| | Destroying | `WillTerminate` | | ||
|
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| ### Windows (WinUI) | ||
|
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| | Window Event | WinUI Callback | | ||
| |---|---| | ||
| | Created | `OnLaunched` | | ||
| | Activated | `Activated` (foreground) | | ||
| | Deactivated | `Activated` (background) | | ||
| | Stopped | `VisibilityChanged` (false) | | ||
| | Resumed | `VisibilityChanged` (true) | | ||
| | Destroying | `Closed` | | ||
|
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| ## Hooking Native Lifecycle Directly | ||
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| Use `ConfigureLifecycleEvents` in `MauiProgram.cs` when you need platform-specific callbacks beyond what Window events provide: | ||
|
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| ```csharp | ||
| builder.ConfigureLifecycleEvents(events => | ||
| { | ||
| #if ANDROID | ||
| events.AddAndroid(android => android | ||
| .OnCreate((activity, bundle) => Debug.WriteLine("Android OnCreate")) | ||
| .OnResume(activity => Debug.WriteLine("Android OnResume")) | ||
| .OnPause(activity => Debug.WriteLine("Android OnPause")) | ||
| .OnStop(activity => Debug.WriteLine("Android OnStop")) | ||
| .OnDestroy(activity => Debug.WriteLine("Android OnDestroy"))); | ||
| #elif IOS || MACCATALYST | ||
| events.AddiOS(ios => ios | ||
| .DidBecomeActive(app => Debug.WriteLine("iOS DidBecomeActive")) | ||
| .WillResignActive(app => Debug.WriteLine("iOS WillResignActive")) | ||
| .DidEnterBackground(app => Debug.WriteLine("iOS DidEnterBackground")) | ||
| .WillEnterForeground(app => Debug.WriteLine("iOS WillEnterForeground"))); | ||
| #elif WINDOWS | ||
| events.AddWindows(windows => windows | ||
| .OnLaunched((app, args) => Debug.WriteLine("Windows OnLaunched")) | ||
| .OnActivated((window, args) => Debug.WriteLine("Windows Activated")) | ||
| .OnClosed((window, args) => Debug.WriteLine("Windows Closed"))); | ||
| #endif | ||
| }); | ||
| ``` | ||
|
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| ## Common Pitfalls | ||
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| 1. **Resumed does not fire on first launch.** The initial sequence is `Created` → `Activated`. Use `OnActivated` for logic that must run on every foreground entry, not `OnResumed`. | ||
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| 2. **Deactivated ≠ Stopped.** A dialog, split-screen, or notification pull-down triggers `Deactivated` without `Stopped`. Do not perform heavy saves in `OnDeactivated` — the app may never actually background. | ||
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| 3. **Android back button skips Stopped.** On Android, pressing back may call `Destroying` directly without `Stopped`. Place critical save logic in both `OnStopped` and `OnDestroying`. | ||
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| 4. **Multi-window apps fire events independently.** On iPad, Mac Catalyst, and desktop Windows each `Window` instance fires its own lifecycle events. Do not assume a single global lifecycle. | ||
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| 5. **Long-running handlers cause kills.** Android enforces a ~5 second ANR timeout; iOS has limited background execution time. Keep lifecycle handlers synchronous and fast — use `Preferences` for quick saves, not database writes. | ||
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| 6. **Do not use legacy Xamarin.Forms lifecycle methods.** `Application.OnStart()`, `Application.OnSleep()`, and `Application.OnResume()` exist for backward compatibility but bypass Window-level events. In .NET MAUI, prefer `Window` lifecycle events (`OnActivated`, `OnStopped`, `OnResumed`, etc.) for correct multi-window behavior. | ||
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