.NET MAUI Community Toolkit 2023 Highlights

The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit is an open-source library that serves as a companion to .NET MAUI, offering developers a rich set of controls, converters, and helpers designed to accelerate app development on the .NET MAUI platform. With a focus on community-driven innovation, it has become an indispensable tool for developers looking to enhance their .NET MAUI applications.

In 2023, the project evolved into a dynamic hub of activity, engaging over 40 contributors who have collectively pushed the project forward. The GitHub repository has been instrumental in shaping the toolkit into a more powerful and efficient resource for .NET MAUI developers.

The year that was marked consistent progress, with nine significant releases launched, each adding more value and capabilities to the toolkit. There were 260 commits made during the year, which enhanced and expanded the toolkit's functionalities. Additionally, 521 files were changed to ensure the highest quality standards.

The project has grown in influence, with over 4,190 repositories now depending on the CommunityToolkit.Maui. The number of downloads from NuGet signifies the widespread adoption and trust in the toolkit, with 679,767 downloads in 2023 alone.

Apart from bug fixes, several new features were added during 2023, including the Media Element control, which allows developers to seamlessly play video and audio content within their .NET MAUI applications. The Windows Maps integration brings the power of .NET MAUI maps directly to the Windows platform, enhancing location-based services in apps. SpeechToText and Speech Recognition capabilities were also added, allowing users to interact and command their applications through spoken language.

The FolderPicker and FileSaver take file management to the next level by allowing users to effortlessly navigate and select directories and save files with ease. Keyboard extensions were also introduced, giving developers greater control over the on-screen keyboard. The Badge API was added to display notification counts on app icons, keeping users engaged and informed.

The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit extends beyond the primary NuGet package, with documentation housed in the Docs repository and the versatile .NET MAUI Markup package for developers inclined towards a non-XAML approach. Both these pillars of the toolkit have been receiving consistent updates, highlighted by the 192 commits made to the Docs repository and the 104 commits made to the .NET MAUI Markup repository.

The project has achieved remarkable milestones, with over 1 million total downloads in 2023 alone, a testament to its reliability, robustness, and the trust it has garnered within the developer community. This feat accentuates the toolkit's role as an essential asset in the .NET MAUI ecosystem, continuously evolving to empower developers to build incredible cross-platform applications.

The .NET MAUI Community Toolkit is a testament to the power of community-driven innovation and the importance of collaboration in software development. With a focus on continuous improvement and expansion, the project will continue to be an indispensable tool for developers looking to enhance their .NET MAUI applications.