94: Anatomy of an App
In this episode, Jon and Allan discuss the process of building a mobile app, starting with the analogy of building a lightsaber at Disney. They explore the anatomy of a mobile app, including the use of MVVM architecture and the importance of gluing logic together. They also delve into navigation and the use of Shell in Xamarin.Forms. The conversation then shifts to the benefits of using dependency injection in app development and the considerations for cross-platform development. In this episode, Allan and Jon discuss various aspects of app development, including dependency injection, core services, and cross-platform services. They emphasize the importance of creating a base set of services and thinking outside the box when faced with UI design challenges. They also highlight the significance of solving business problems first and introduce Prism as a comprehensive app architecture framework.
Takeaways
Building a mobile app involves various components, including the user interface, logic, and navigation.
MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture is a popular approach for separating the presentation logic from the user interface.
Shell in Xamarin.Forms provides a convenient way to handle navigation in mobile apps.
Dependency injection (DI) can simplify the management of dependencies and improve testability in app development.
Cross-platform development allows for code sharing and reduces development time and effort. Use dependency injection and service injection to manage dependencies and improve code maintainability.
Create a base set of services that are core to every page in your app to simplify dependency injection.
Think outside the box and consider alternative approaches when faced with UI design challenges.
Solve business problems first and focus on reusability only when patterns emerge.
People
Hosts: Jon Dick, Allan Ritchie
Audio Engineer: Jim Heath
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Building a Lightsaber
03:11 Anatomy of a Mobile App
08:15 Gluing Logic with MVVM
17:36 Navigation and Shell
23:42 Using Dependency Injection
30:34 Cross-Platform Considerations
33:24 Dependency Injection and Service Injection
34:35 Core Services and Cross-Platform Services
36:25 Creating a Base Set of Services
37:11 Anatomy of a Maui App
38:19 The UI as the Top Bun
39:17 The Importance of Connectivity
41:14 Thinking Outside the Box in App Development
44:48 Navigating UI Design Challenges
48:09 Custom Controls and Creative Solutions
54:29 Solving Business Problems First
58:38 Prism: A Comprehensive App Architecture Framework
