SmartShop Front End with .NET MAUI

SmartShop.MAUI is a cross-platform application built with .NET MAUI, following the MVVM architecture for maintainability and scalability. It provides modular services for API communication and clean ViewModels for robust data binding and testability.

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Table of Contents

• Features
• Architecture
• Configuration
• Getting Started
• Directory Structure
• Usage
• Contributing
• Troubleshooting
• License
• Contact

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Features

• MVVM Architecture: Ensures a clear separation of concerns for maintainable code.
• Modular Services: API endpoints are managed by easily extendable service classes.
• ViewModels: Designed for clean data binding, testability, and UI logic separation.
• Multi-Platform Support: Runs on Android, iOS, Windows, and macOS.
• Community Toolkit: Integrated for enhanced UI and utility features.
• Authentication Service: Handles user login with error reporting and validation.
• Asset Management: Supports deploying raw assets for use in the application.
• Font Customization: Register custom fonts for improved user interface.
• Dependency Injection: Uses DI for services and view models, simplifying testing and development.

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Architecture

The project is built using the Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) pattern, which separates UI, business logic, and data management:

• Models: Define data structures and API response/request types.
• Views: XAML pages for platform-specific user interfaces.
• ViewModels: Manage UI logic and interact with services.
• Services: Handle API calls, authentication, and reusable logic.

Dependency injection is used for modularity and testability. The main configuration and service registration is in MauiProgram.cs.

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Configuration

• API Base URL: Configured in SmartShop.MAUI/Helpers/AppConstants.cs as http://localhost:5218.
• Fonts: Custom fonts (OpenSans) are registered in SmartShop.MAUI/MauiProgram.cs.
• Dependency Injection: Services such as ApiService and AuthService are registered for use across the app.
• Assets: Raw assets can be added to SmartShop.MAUI/Resources/Raw and are automatically deployed with the app package.

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Getting Started

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/supunsarachitha/SmartShop-FrontEnd-MAUI.git

2. Open the solution:

   • Use Visual Studio 2022 or later with .NET MAUI workloads installed.

3. Restore dependencies:

   • Restore NuGet packages.

4. Build and run:

   • Build the solution and run the app on your preferred target platform (Android, iOS, Windows, or macOS).

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Directory Structure

• SmartShop.MAUI/Helpers: Application constants and utility classes.
• SmartShop.MAUI/Services: Modular API and authentication services.
• SmartShop.MAUI/ViewModels: MVVM ViewModels for data binding.
• SmartShop.MAUI/Models: Data models for requests and responses.
• SmartShop.MAUI/Platforms: Platform-specific implementations.
• SmartShop.MAUI/Resources/Raw: Raw assets for deployment.
• SmartShop.MAUI/Views: XAML pages for UI.

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Usage

• Login Functionality: Use the login page to authenticate with your backend API. The login logic validates input and handles errors gracefully.
• API Communication: All API requests are handled by the ApiService and AuthService classes, with configuration and error management.
• Extending Functionality: To add new pages or services, follow the existing MVVM structure for maintainability.

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Contributing

• Fork the repository, create a feature branch, and open a pull request with a clear description of your changes.
• Keep code style consistent and include unit tests where appropriate.
• Document any major changes in the PR description.
• For bugs and feature requests, please use GitHub Issues.

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Troubleshooting

• Ensure you are using Visual Studio 2022 or later with the latest .NET MAUI workloads.
• If API requests fail, verify that the backend is running and the ApiBaseUrl is correctly configured.
• For asset issues, make sure files are placed in the correct Resources/Raw directory with proper build actions.
• Consult the documentation and code comments for further guidance.

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License

This project is licensed under the Apache License 2.0.

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Contact

For questions, suggestions, or support, please open an issue on the GitHub repository or contact the maintainer via GitHub profile.