MVVMExpress

Install

dotnet add package Plugin.Maui.MVVMExpress.Core
dotnet add package Plugin.Maui.MVVMExpress

Package IDs: Plugin.Maui.MVVMExpress.CorePlugin.Maui.MVVMExpress

Overview

MVVMExpress is the application shell for production MAUI apps on Android, iOS, Mac Catalyst, and Windows (single-window). CommunityToolkit.Mvvm covers properties and commands, Prism.Maui covers page navigation (not Shell), and ReactiveUI covers observable pipelines. A field or enterprise app often needs all three plus bindable async state, lifecycle-aware cancellation, and typed navigation — without taking three overlapping frameworks. Core targets net10.0 and does not reference MAUI. 1.0.0 is the SemVer lock: UseAuth<TChallenge>() wraps GuardedNavigator, pages are constructed on IMainThread, UseNavigationPage is the first-class login → replace-root → push host (Shell is optional), SectionHostViewModel switches tabs in place, and SnapshotCollection loads a list once. Capability work (captive portal, HTTP cache, offline sync, form XAML, flags, deep links) stays in focused MauiEssentials plugins on Android and iOS; MVVMExpress composes them through adapters.

Capabilities

• ObservableModel, ViewModel lifecycle, and ViewModelCancellationToken cancelled on dispose.
• Sync and async commands with UI-thread marshal, weak CanExecuteChanged, no-throw ICommand.Execute, timeout, retry, debounce, and throttle.
• Host / Navigation / Dialogs on Android, iOS, Mac Catalyst, and Windows (single-window). Sibling adapters stay Android + iOS.
• UseNavigationPage + ResetAsync / ReplaceRootAsync (replaces window.Page with a NavigationPage). UseShell is optional.
• Navigators hop to IMainThread before new Page() or Shell.GoToAsync. Off-thread factories throw.
• SectionHostViewModel in-place tabs, SnapshotCollection load-once lists, SearchQuery.CommittedText.
• FormViewModel.Bind, dirty confirm, SubmitAsync, MustMatch, undo/redo.
• UseAuth<TChallenge>() / AddAuth<TChallenge>() wraps GuardedNavigator. Register IAuthState (SecureSession in production).
• MauiNotifier toast via Window.AddOverlay — never wraps Page.Content.
• [Notify], command attributes, ModuleInitializer routes, [PersistState], and [RequiresAuth].
• CoalescingDispatcher for inbox / hub handlers. IMainThread is the only marshal API in ViewModels.
• Testing package: LeakProbe (including Button + pop page), ScaleProfile, FakeDialogs, FakeNavigator, ScopedNavigator.
• Adapters for NetworkMonitor, ApiCache, OfflineSync, SecureSession, FormValidation, FeatureFlags, and DeepLinks.

Documentation

• Documentation

  ViewModels, commands, DI, messaging, NavigationPage or Shell, chat host, forms, generators, operation pipeline, and the shipped roadmap.

• Getting started

  Install 1.0.0, first screen, UseNavigationPage vs UseShell, Playground clone, FakeNavigator / LeakProbe, forms, generators, and adapters.

• Comparison

  Surfaces, syntax map ([Notify] vs [ObservableProperty], INavigator vs INavigationService), trade-offs, and when to choose each.

• Playground sample

  Cloneable 15-minute path in the product repo — command, navigation, dialog, form, auth, and list. Not a separate SampleApp repository.

Package family

Compose with

• Plugin.Maui.NetworkMonitorValidated internet versus captive portal for IConnectivityProbe.
• Plugin.Maui.HttpForgeSource-generated typed REST client from ViewModels — compose with ApiResilience / ApiCache.
• Plugin.Maui.ApiCacheHTTP GET CacheFirst / SWR behind ICache.
• Plugin.Maui.OfflineSyncLocal writes and queued sync — not a database inside MVVMExpress.
• Plugin.Maui.SecureSessionTokens and 401 refresh for IAuthState / GuardedNavigator.
• Plugin.Maui.FormValidationXAML Validation.For next to IValidator.
• Plugin.Maui.FeatureFlagsIFeatureSwitch adapter for rollouts.
• Plugin.Maui.DeepLinksApp Links / Universal Links into INavigator route + query.
• Plugin.Maui.PermissionFlowIPermissionGate adapter for permission UX.
• Plugin.Maui.DiagnosticsANR / crash breadcrumbs next to EnableDiagnostics in Debug.
• Plugin.Maui.LeakAnalyserRuntime visual-tree leak detection after pop — complementary to LeakProbe unit tests.
• Plugin.Maui.KeyboardManagerKeyboard pan / safe area / dismiss for chat composers.