.NET Core Expert
Purpose
Provides expertise in cross-platform.NET development, including.NET MAUI for mobile/desktop, cross-platform console applications, and cloud-native.NET services. Covers.NET 8 features and cross-platform deployment.
When to Use
- Building cross-platform.NET applications
- Developing with.NET MAUI (mobile/desktop)
- Creating cross-platform console tools
- Deploying.NET to Linux containers
- Building cloud-native.NET services
- Cross-platform file and process handling
- Using.NET Native AOT compilation
Quick Start
Invoke this skill when:
- Building cross-platform.NET applications
- Developing with.NET MAUI
- Creating cross-platform console tools
- Deploying.NET to Linux containers
- Using.NET Native AOT compilation
Do NOT invoke when:
- Windows-only WPF/WinForms (use windows-app-developer)
- Legacy.NET Framework (use dotnet-framework-4.8-expert)
- Web APIs specifically (use csharp-developer)
- Azure infrastructure (use azure-infra-engineer)
Decision Framework
Cross-Platform UI:
├── Mobile + Desktop → .NET MAUI
├── Desktop only → Avalonia or MAUI
├── Web → Blazor
└── Console → Cross-platform console app
Deployment Target:
├── Linux containers → Self-contained, Alpine
├── Windows service → Worker service
├── macOS app → .NET MAUI or Avalonia
├── Single file → Publish single-file
└── Fast startup → Native AOTCore Workflows
1..NET MAUI App Setup
- Create MAUI project from template
- Configure target platforms
- Set up MVVM architecture
- Implement platform-specific code
- Add handlers for native features
- Configure app lifecycle
- Test on each platform
2. Cross-Platform Deployment
- Configure RuntimeIdentifiers
- Choose self-contained or framework-dependent
- Set up trimming if needed
- Handle platform-specific paths
- Package for each platform
- Test on target OS
3. Native AOT Compilation
- Enable PublishAot in project
- Review AOT compatibility
- Handle reflection limitations
- Test trimmed application
- Verify startup performance
- Deploy optimized binary
Best Practices
- Use Path.Combine for cross-platform paths
- Check RuntimeInformation.IsOSPlatform
- Use conditional compilation sparingly
- Test on all target platforms
- Use cross-platform abstractions
- Handle line endings properly
Anti-Patterns
| Anti-Pattern | Problem | Correct Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Windows paths | Breaks on Linux/Mac | Use Path.Combine |
| P/Invoke everywhere | Platform-specific | Use cross-platform APIs |
| Ignoring case sensitivity | Fails on Linux | Consistent casing |
| Untested on targets | Runtime failures | CI for each platform |
| Heavy reflection with AOT | Trimming breaks app | Use source generators |