B2B App Migration: Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI
Led the critical migration of the company's B2B application from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI, ensuring continued functionality, significant performance improvements, and enhanced future compatibility with minimal downtime.
Tech Stack:
Context
The company's mission-critical B2B application, built on Xamarin.Forms, was approaching limitations in terms of future support, performance, and compatibility with evolving mobile ecosystems. A strategic decision was made to migrate to .NET MAUI, a more modern and officially supported cross-platform framework, to ensure the app's longevity and enhance its capabilities.
Project Objectives
- Upgrade the company's B2B application by migrating its codebase from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI.
- Ensure the app's future scalability, performance improvements, and long-term supportability on modern mobile platforms.
- Execute a seamless migration process with minimal disruption to business operations and without app downtime.
- Maintain all existing key functionalities while enhancing the overall performance and responsiveness of the application.
Implemented Solution
I spearheaded the complex migration of the B2B app from Xamarin.Forms to .NET MAUI. This involved a meticulous approach to code refactoring, UI adaptation, performance optimization, and rigorous testing, all while maintaining crucial functionalities and ensuring a smooth, undisrupted transition for end-users.
Key Steps
- Pre-Migration Assessment & Planning: Conducted a detailed analysis of the existing Xamarin.Forms codebase, identifying areas for refactoring, potential migration challenges, and planning the migration roadmap to minimize impact on ongoing development.
- Environment Setup & Configuration: Set up the .NET MAUI development environment, configuring project files and dependencies to align with the new framework's structure.
- Codebase Migration & Refactoring: Systematically migrated the Xamarin.Forms code to .NET MAUI, involving refactoring UI elements, platform-specific code, and shared logic to align with MAUI's architecture. This included adapting XAML, handlers, and renderers.
- Dependency Updates & Compatibility: Updated and ensured compatibility of all third-party libraries and NuGet packages with the .NET MAUI framework.
- Performance Optimization: Implemented performance enhancements during the migration, leveraging .NET MAUI's improved rendering engine and performance features to optimize app startup time, UI responsiveness, and resource consumption.
- Thorough Testing: Conducted extensive testing across various devices and platforms (iOS, Android) to ensure all functionalities remained intact, performance improvements were realized, and no regressions were introduced.
- UI/UX Adaptation: Ensured the user interface and user experience remained consistent or improved, adapting UI components where necessary to leverage MAUI's capabilities while maintaining the app's established look and feel.
- Deployment & Post-Migration Monitoring: Managed the deployment of the migrated app and closely monitored its performance and stability in the production environment, addressing any emergent issues promptly.
Skills Used
.NET MAUI, Xamarin.Forms, C#, Mobile Development, Cross-Platform Development, Mobile App Optimization, Troubleshooting, Code Refactoring, UI/UX Migration, Performance Tuning, Risk Management, Cross-functional Collaboration, Stakeholder Communication, Project Management.
Outcomes
- Enhanced Future Scalability & Support: Successfully positioned the B2B app for future scalability and long-term support, significantly reducing anticipated future upgrade and maintenance efforts.
- Significant Performance Improvement: Improved app performance and responsiveness by 25% with the adoption of the new .NET MAUI framework, leading to a smoother and more efficient user experience.
- Seamless Transition: Achieved a seamless migration with no critical downtime, ensuring continuous functionality for business operations.
- Maintained Core Functionality: All key functionalities of the B2B app were fully preserved and enhanced, leading to positive user feedback post-migration.