Empower

Welcome to the November 2022 issue of Empower, the periodic newsletter of the IsDB-BISEW IT Scholarship Programme. This edition includes the following topics of note:

• Introducing .NET MAUI

• IT Scholarship Graduates at ERA InfoTech Ltd

Introducing .NET MAUI

What is .NET MAUI?

.NET Multi-platform App UI (.NET MAUI) is a cross-platform framework for creating native mobile and desktop apps with C# and XAML.

Using .NET MAUI, you can develop apps that can run on Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows from a single shared code-base.

.NET MAUI is open-source and is the evolution of Xamarin.Forms, extended from mobile to desktop scenarios, with UI controls rebuilt from the ground up for performance and extensibility. Using .NET MAUI, you can create multi-platform apps using a single project, but you can add platform-specific source code and resources if necessary. One of the key aims of .NET MAUI is to enable you to implement as much of your app logic and UI layout as possible in a single code-base.

Who .NET MAUI is for

.NET MAUI is for developers who want to:

• Write cross-platform apps in XAML and C#, from a single shared code-base in Visual Studio.
• Share UI layout and design across platforms.
• Share code, tests, and business logic across platforms.
• .NET MAUI apps can be written on PC or Mac, and compile into native app packages:

What .NET MAUI provides

.NET MAUI provides a collection of controls that can be used to display data, initiate actions, indicate activity, display collections, pick data, and more. In addition to a collection of controls, .NET MAUI also provides:

• An elaborate layout engine for designing pages.
• Multiple page types for creating rich navigation types, like drawers.
• Support for data-binding, for more elegant and maintainable development patterns.
• The ability to customize handlers to enhance the way in which UI elements are presented.
• Cross-platform APIs for accessing native device features. These APIs enable apps to access device features such as the GPS, the accelerometer, and battery and network states.
• Cross-platform graphics functionality, that provides a drawing canvas that supports drawing and painting shapes and images, compositing operations, and graphical object transforms.
• A single project system that uses multi-targeting to target Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
• .NET hot reload, so that you can modify both your XAML and your managed source code while the app is running, then observe the result of your modifications without rebuilding the app.

Cross-platform APIs for device features

.NET MAUI provides cross-platform APIs for native device features. Examples of functionality provided by .NET MAUI for accessing device features include:

• Access to sensors, such as the accelerometer, compass, and gyroscope on devices.
• Ability to check the device's network connectivity state, and detect changes.
• Provide information about the device the app is running on.
• Copy and paste text to the system clipboard, between apps.
• Pick single or multiple files from the device.
• Store data securely as key/value pairs.
• Utilize built-in text-to-speech engines to read text from the device.
• Initiate browser-based authentication flows that listen for a callback to a specific app registered URL.

Single project

.NET MAUI single project takes the platform-specific development experiences you typically encounter while developing apps and abstracts them into a single shared project that can target Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.

.NET MAUI single project provides a simplified and consistent cross-platform development experience, regardless of the platforms being targeted. .NET MAUI single project provides the following features:

• A single shared project that can target Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows.
• A simplified debug target selection for running your .NET MAUI apps.
• Shared resource files within the single project.
• A single app manifest that specifies the app title, id, and version.
• Access to platform-specific APIs and tools when required.
• A single cross-platform app entry point.

.NET MAUI single project is enabled using multi-targeting and the use of SDK-style projects.

Hot reload

.NET MAUI includes support for .NET hot reload, which enables you to modify your managed source code while the app is running, without the need to manually pause or hit a breakpoint. Then, your code edits can be applied to your running app without recompilation.

.NET MAUI also includes support for XAML hot reload, which enables you to save your XAML files and see the changes reflected in your running app without recompilation. In addition, your navigation state and data will be maintained, enabling you to quickly iterate on your UI without losing your place in the app.

IT Scholarship Graduates at ERA InfoTech Ltd

ERA-InfoTech Ltd is a Joint Venture IT company formed by Bank Asia Ltd, Ranks ITT Ltd of Bangladesh and Sash Tech SG Pte. Ltd, Singapore. It was established in 2002 and is headed by Md. Serajul Islam, the Chief Executive Officer of the company.

Mr. Islam informed us that ERA InfoTech specializes in software solutions for banks and other financial institutions in addition to providing ERP solutions, system critical software and mobile app development. He also mentioned that more than 25 IsDB-BISEW IT Scholarship Programme graduates have either worked or are working at ERA InfoTech. “IsDB-BISEW graduates have proven to be dependable software professionals in our organization. So far, we have recruited IsDB-BISEW graduates from three tracks, namely, Oracle, Java and Networking. As a long-time employer of IsDB-BISEW graduates, I am very familiar with the programme’s quality and features.”

Mr. Islam explained that ERA InfoTech follows a very methodical and structured process for recruiting fresh IT professionals at its organization. “A fresh graduate, whether coming with a computer science degree or graduating from the IsDB-BISEW IT Scholarship Programme, has to complete each and every step of our recruitment process before becoming a permanent employee in our organization.” The process begins with a brief interview. Those clearing the first interview go on to face a more thorough second interview session. Candidates who pass the second interview sit for a written test. Those who are successful in the test are accepted into an internship programme which lasts for three months. Only the successful interns are finally accepted as full-time employees at the end of the three-month period.

“Graduates of the IT Scholarship Programme are performing commendably in ERA InfoTech. One of our Team Leaders is a graduate of IsDB-BISEW.” Mr Islam also observed that IsDB-BISEW graduates with a commerce or science background are especially preferred at ERA InfoTech since the company mostly works in the financial sector. “I feel that the graduates of the IT Scholarship Programme are highly competent IT professionals and the scholarship programme gives a unique opportunity to graduates from non-IT backgrounds to switch to the field of information technology.”

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