MAUI - Basic Custom Control

Basic Custom Control

Introduction

Creating custom controls in .NET MAUI using ContentView is a powerful way to build reusable UI components for your applications. The ContentView class serves as an excellent base for custom controls as it provides a simple container that can hold a single child element (though this child can itself be a layout containing multiple elements).

Why Use ContentView for Custom Controls?

1. Reusability: Package complex UI elements into self-contained components

2. Maintainability: Isolate control-specific logic in one place

3. Customizability: Expose bindable properties for flexible styling

4. Consistency: Ensure uniform appearance across your application

Basic Structure of a ContentView Control

A typical custom control in MAUI involves:

• A XAML file for the visual structure

• A code-behind file for the logic

• Bindable properties for customization

• Optionally, a style in your Resources dictionary

Here's a simple example of how to get started with a custom control in MAUI using ContentView as the base class. This approach gives you the foundation to create anything from simple styled containers to complex interactive components.

Content View XAML

First we need to design the content of our control

Content View XAML.cs

In the code behind we need to create the Bindable Properties

How to use the control on a page

Just import the namespace where you put the control and finally place it as a custom control on the xaml page

Conclusion

As you can see our new basic control is working normally with an Icon, Text and a Command, obviously you can enhance it by Binding to a ViewModel as MVVM pattern.