A Complete Guide - .NET MAUI Using DependencyService and IPlatformService

Prerequisites

1. .NET MAUI Installed: Ensure you have the latest version of .NET MAUI installed in your Visual Studio.
2. Basic Knowledge: Familiarity with C#, XAML, and .NET MAUI is helpful.

Step 1: Create a New .NET MAUI Project

1. Open Visual Studio.
2. Create a New Project:
   • Go to File > New > Project.
   • Select MAUI App (.NET 6+/.NET Standard 2.0).
   • Click Next.
3. Configure the Project:
   • Enter your project name, e.g., MauiDependencyServiceExample.
   • Choose a location and click Create.
4. Solution Structure:
   • Your solution will contain platform-specific projects (e.g., MauiDependencyServiceExample.Android, MauiDependencyServiceExample.iOS, etc.).

Step 2: Define the Interface IPlatformService

Create an interface that will define the platform-specific functionality you want to expose. In this example, we'll create a simple service to show a platform-specific message.

1. Add a New Interface:
   • Right-click on the MauiDependencyServiceExample (Shared) project.
   • Go to Add > New Item.
   • Select Interface and name it IPlatformService.cs.
2. Define the Method:

   using System.Threading.Tasks; namespace MauiDependencyServiceExample
   { public interface IPlatformService { Task ShowPlatformMessage(string message); }
   }
   

Step 3: Implement IPlatformService for Android

1. Add a New Class:
   • Navigate to the MauiDependencyServiceExample.Android project.
   • Right-click the project and select Add > New Item.
   • Choose Class and name it PlatformServiceAndroid.cs.
2. Implement the Interface:

   using Android.App;
   using Android.Widget;
   using MauiDependencyServiceExample;
   using System.Threading.Tasks; [assembly: Xamarin.Forms.Dependency(typeof(PlatformServiceAndroid))]
   namespace MauiDependencyServiceExample.Droid
   { public class PlatformServiceAndroid : IPlatformService { public Task ShowPlatformMessage(string message) { RunOnUiThread(() => { Toast.MakeText(Application.Context, message, ToastLength.Short).Show(); }); return Task.CompletedTask; } private void RunOnUiThread(Action action) { Application.SynchronizationContext.Post(_ => action?.Invoke(), null); } }
   }
   

Step 4: Implement IPlatformService for iOS

1. Add a New Class:
   • Navigate to the MauiDependencyServiceExample.iOS project.
   • Right-click the project and select Add > New Item.
   • Choose Class and name it PlatformServiceiOS.cs.
2. Implement the Interface:

   using MauiDependencyServiceExample;
   using UIKit;
   using System.Threading.Tasks; [assembly: Xamarin.Forms.Dependency(typeof(PlatformServiceiOS))]
   namespace MauiDependencyServiceExample.iOS
   { public class PlatformServiceiOS : IPlatformService { public Task ShowPlatformMessage(string message) { UIKit.UIThread.RunBackground(() => { UIKit.UIThread.RunOnMain(() => { var alertController = UIAlertController.Create(null, message, UIAlertControllerStyle.Alert); alertController.AddAction(UIAlertAction.Create("OK", UIAlertActionStyle.Default, null)); UIApplication.SharedApplication.KeyWindow.RootViewController.PresentViewController(alertController, true, null); }); }); return Task.CompletedTask; } }
   }
   

Step 5: Use DependencyService in the Shared Code

Now, let's use DependencyService to invoke the platform-specific method from the shared code.

1. Modify MainPage.xaml:

   <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
   <ContentPage xmlns=" xmlns:x=" x:Class="MauiDependencyServiceExample.MainPage" Title="Maui DependencyService Example"> <StackLayout Padding="20"> <Label Text="Welcome to Maui!" HorizontalTextAlignment="Center" FontSize="24" Margin="0,0,0,20"/> <Button Text="Show Platform Message" Clicked="OnShowPlatformMessageClicked" HorizontalOptions="CenterAndExpand" BackgroundColor="#007AFF" TextColor="White"/> </StackLayout>
   </ContentPage>
   

2. Modify MainPage.xaml.cs:

   using MauiDependencyServiceExample;
   using Microsoft.Maui.Controls;
   using System.Threading.Tasks; namespace MauiDependencyServiceExample
   { public partial class MainPage : ContentPage { public MainPage() { InitializeComponent(); } private async void OnShowPlatformMessageClicked(object sender, System.EventArgs e) { // Resolve the platform-specific service var platformService = DependencyService.Get<IPlatformService>(); // Invoke the platform-specific method await platformService.ShowPlatformMessage("Hello from .NET MAUI!"); } }
   }
   

Step 6: Run the Application

1. Select a Platform: Choose the platform you want to run the app on (e.g., Android, iOS).
2. Deploy the App:
   • Android: Connect an Android device or use an emulator.
   • iOS: Use a Mac with Xcode or an iPhone/iPad.
3. Run the App: Click the green play button in Visual Studio.

Expected Output:

• Android: A toast message saying "Hello from .NET MAUI!" will appear.
• iOS: An alert dialog with the message "Hello from .NET MAUI!" will be displayed.

Summary

You have successfully created a .NET MAUI application that uses DependencyService to invoke platform-specific functionality through an interface (IPlatformService). This approach allows you to write shared code while accessing native capabilities on each platform.

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