iOS Native embedding for .NET MAUI Chart

This article in the Syncfusion Knowledge Base explains iOS Native embedding for .NET MAUI Chart

To create a .NET MAUI Cartesian chart in a native embedded IOS application, you need to follow a series of steps. This article will guide you through the process.

Step 1: Create a new .NET iOS application

Create a new .NET iOS application in Visual Studio. Syncfusion .NET MAUI components are available in nuget.org. To add the SfCartesianChart to your project, open the NuGet package manager in Visual Studio and search for the Syncfusion.Maui.Charts, then install it.

Step 2: Enable .NET MAUI support

First, enable .NET MAUI support in the native app's project file. Enable support by adding <UseMaui>true</UseMaui> to the <PropertyGroup> node in the project file.

[XAML]

<PropertyGroup>
 . . .
   <Nullable>enable</Nullable>
   <UseMaui>true</UseMaui>
   <ImplicitUsings>true</ImplicitUsings>
 . . .
</PropertyGroup>

Step 3: Initialize .NET MAUI

The pattern for initializing .NET MAUI in a native app project is to create a MauiAppBuilder object and invoke the UseMauiEmbedding method. Additionally, configure it to set up SyncfusionCore components within the .NET MAUI app.

[C#]

public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication application, NSDictionary launchOptions)
{
    // create a new window instance based on the screen size.
    Window = new UIWindow(UIScreen.MainScreen.Bounds);
    MauiAppBuilder builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
    builder.UseMauiEmbedding<microsoft.maui.controls.application>();
    builder.ConfigureSyncfusionCore();
}

Then, create a MauiApp object by invoking the Build() method on the MauiAppBuilder object. In addition, a MauiContext object should be made from the MauiApp object. The MauiContext object will be used when converting .NET MAUI controls to native types.

[C#]

public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication application, NSDictionary launchOptions)
{
    // create a new window instance based on the screen size.
    Window = new UIWindow(UIScreen.MainScreen.Bounds);
    MauiAppBuilder builder = MauiApp.CreateBuilder();
    builder.UseMauiEmbedding<microsoft.maui.controls.application>();
    builder.ConfigureSyncfusionCore();
    // Register the Window.
    builder.Services.Add(new Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection.ServiceDescriptor(typeof(UIWindow), Window));
    MauiApp mauiApp = builder.Build();
    _mauiContext = new MauiContext(mauiApp.Services);
}

Step 4: Initialize cartesian chart

Now, let us define a simple data model representing a data point in the chart.

[C#]

public class Person
{
    public string Name { get; set; }
    public double Height { get; set; }
}

Next, create a view model class and initialize a list of Person objects as shown.

[C#]

public class ViewModel
{
    public List<person> Data { get; set; }
 
    public ViewModel()
    {
        Data = new List<person>()
        {
            new Person { Name = "David", Height = 170 },
            new Person { Name = "Michael", Height = 96 },
            new Person { Name = "Steve", Height = 65 },
            new Person { Name = "Joel", Height = 182 },
            new Person { Name = "Bob", Height = 134 }
        };
    }
}

ChartAxis is used to locate the data points inside the chart area. The XAxes and YAxes collection of the chart is used to initialize the axis for the chart.

[C#]

public class AppDelegate : UIApplicationDelegate
 {
     public override UIWindow? Window
     {
         get;
         set;
     }

     public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication application, NSDictionary launchOptions)
     {    
      ...
        SfCartesianChart chart = new SfCartesianChart();
 
        CategoryAxis primaryAxis = new CategoryAxis();
        chart.XAxes.Add(primaryAxis);
 
        NumericalAxis secondaryAxis = new NumericalAxis();
        chart.YAxes.Add(secondaryAxis);
     }
}

As we are going to visualize the comparison of heights in the data model, add ColumnSeries to Series property of chart, and then bind the Data property of the above ViewModel to the ColumnSeries.ItemsSource as follows.

[C#]

public class AppDelegate : UIApplicationDelegate
 {
     public override UIWindow? Window
     {
         get;
         set;
     }

     public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication application, NSDictionary launchOptions)
     {
      ...
        SfCartesianChart chart = new SfCartesianChart();
        chart.Background = Colors.White;
 
        CategoryAxis primaryAxis = new CategoryAxis();
        chart.XAxes.Add(primaryAxis);
 
        NumericalAxis secondaryAxis = new NumericalAxis();
        chart.YAxes.Add(secondaryAxis);
        
        ColumnSeries series = new ColumnSeries();
        series.Label = "Height";
        series.ShowDataLabels = true;
        series.ItemsSource = (new ViewModel()).Data;
        series.XBindingPath = "Name";
        series.YBindingPath = "Height";
 
        chart.Series.Add(series);
      ...
     }
}

Step 5: Converts the .NET MAUI control to an iOS View object

Converts the chart into a UIView compatible with the Maui platform. Creates a UIViewController, adds the Maui chart view to its subviews, and sets it as the root view controller of the main window. Makes the main window visible.

[C#]

public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication application, NSDictionary launchOptions)
{
 ...
            UIView mauiView = chart.ToPlatform(_mauiContext);
            mauiView.Frame = Window!.Frame;

            // create UIViewController 
            var vc = new UIViewController();
            vc.View!.AddSubview(mauiView);

            Window.RootViewController = vc;

            // make the window visible
            Window.MakeKeyAndVisible();        
}

Output