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This document outlines the philosophy of Uno Platform. It guides the development of past and future major architectural decisions.
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## Mission
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## Leverage existing tools
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**To empower developers to build pixel-perfect, single-codebase applications for Windows, WebAssembly, iOS, macOS, Android, and Linux.**
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We stand on the shoulders of giants, Microsoft's tooling is a treat to work with:
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Uno Platform is committed to providing tools for developers to efficiently create high-quality, native-feeling applications across all modern platforms from a unified codebase.
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-[Edit and Continue](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/debugger/edit-and-continue)
-[XAML Hot Reload](https://learn.microsoft.com/visualstudio/debugger/xaml-hot-reload?view=vs-2019)
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## Vision
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The promise of the Uno Platform is to enable building your app with those tools and then deploying it to WebAssembly, iOS, Android, macOS, and Linux.
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Uno Platform strives to be the leading cross-platform UI framework enabling .NET developers to reuse their skills and code, thereby shrinking development time and cost while maximizing reach. Our vision is to make true cross-platform UI/UX parity possible—whether deploying to mobile, web, or desktop—with full support for the latest device capabilities, modern tooling including AI, and next-generation development experiences.
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## Create pixel-perfect, rich, and responsive UIs
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---
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## Core Philosophy & Principles
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### 1. Leverage Existing Tools and Skills
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Uno Platform is built on the foundation of well-established Microsoft technologies—including XAML and C#—so developers can apply the skills they already know instead of learning entirely new paradigms. And because Uno Platform supports development from any operating system, teams can build and ship cross-platform applications using the tools and workflows that fit their environment best.
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**Key Benefits:**
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- Maximize productivity with cross-OS tooling like C# and XAML Hot Reload, Hot Design for real-time visual editing, AI-powered assistance through Docs MCP and App MCP, and streamlined CLI tools such as uno-check and project templates.
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- Build apps using proven Microsoft technologies and deploy to multiple platforms: WebAssembly, iOS, Android, macOS, Windows, and Linux
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- Reduce learning curve for .NET developers transitioning to cross-platform development
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- Day-0 support for the latest .NET and Visual Studio ecosystems
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### 2. AI-Powered Agentic Development
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As of 2024-2026, Uno Platform has embraced AI-powered development workflows to dramatically increase developer productivity while maintaining full developer control.
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**Innovation Highlights:**
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-**Hot Design:** The only visual designer that enables real-time, on-app visual editing and AI-assisted UI creation.
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-**AI Agents in Development:** Uno Platform Studio 2.0 (an AI-powered development tool suite) introduces AI assistants like the Hot Design Agent, an AI-powered design assistant that can understand your code, context, and even control the running app to suggest and implement UI changes in real time
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-**Human-in-the-Loop:** Developers preview and approve changes, ensuring quality while benefiting from AI assistance
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-**MCP Servers:** AI interacts with documentation, APIs, app states, and UI elements live via Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers, providing context-aware assistance
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-**App Live Testing:** AI agents can interact with running apps, trigger UI events, and automate testing/debugging with human approval
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This approach represents a fundamental shift in how developers work—enabling faster iterations, better design fidelity, and reduced time-to-market without sacrificing code quality or control.
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### 3. Pixel-Perfect, Rich, and Responsive UIs
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We believe developers shouldn't have to choose between productivity and great design. Uno Platform prioritizes both.
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**Our Commitment:**
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- Support sophisticated animations, templating, and visual effects
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- Achieve responsive, pixel-perfect interfaces that adapt across devices
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- Enable designers and developers to work together seamlessly with tools like Figma integration (one-click export from Figma to C# or XAML)
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- Provide visual designers with hot reload capabilities on running apps for instant feedback
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Developers shouldn't sacrifice application looks for personal productivity. You can have both. Strong support for animations, templating, and custom visual effects is a must. When phones come in all sizes and manufacturers are [gouging holes out of the screen area](https://www.cnet.com/pictures/phones-with-notches/), your application's layout better be responsive and pixel-perfect or today's users, be it in corporate or private setting will not use it.
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### 4. Separation of Concerns
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## Let views do views
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Uno Platform advocates a clear separation between model, view, and presentation logic, promoting MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) principles.
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Separation of model, view, and presentation keeps your code loosely coupled and easy to maintain. Features like data binding and attached properties let you write clean, elegant MVVM-style code.
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**Architecture Benefits:**
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## Native inter-compatibility (leave an escape hatch)
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- Clean, maintainable code using features like data binding and attached properties
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- Support for both classic MVVM and modern state management approaches (MVUX)
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- Scalable application architecture that grows with your team and project
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- Testable code with clear boundaries between business logic and UI
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100% code reuse is the ideal, but it must also be easy to access functionality specific to a single platform in case it is a must. Also, a platform must make it easy to incorporate native third-party libraries. Uno Platform is architected to make this possible.
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### 5. Native Inter-compatibility
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While promoting maximum code reuse as the ideal approach, Uno recognizes the need for platform-specific functionality.
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**Flexibility Features:**
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- Support "escape hatches" for platform-specific code when needed
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- Easy integration of native third-party libraries and APIs
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- Ability to call platform-specific APIs directly from shared code
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- Hybrid UI scenarios combining web and native elements
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### 6. Performance as a Feature
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Performance is not an afterthought; it's a primary consideration. We prioritize optimization based on real-world profiling and ongoing enhancements to ensure apps are fast and responsive.
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**Performance Focus:**
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- Optimized Skia rendering engine for smoother performance
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- Hardware-accelerated UI features (e.g., hardware-accelerated shadows)
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- Optimized image loading (e.g., offloading decoding to WebWorkers for WebAssembly)
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- Continuous profiling and performance improvements in every release
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- Prevention of poor user experiences and negative reviews through proactive performance work
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---
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## Comprehensive Cross-Platform Support
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Uno Platform enables building applications for all major platforms from a **single codebase**:
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-**Windows** (Win32, UWP, WinUI 3)
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-**WebAssembly** (Browser-based, no plugins required)
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-**iOS** (iPhone and iPad)
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-**Android** (Phones and tablets)
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-**macOS** (Native Mac applications)
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-**Linux** (GTK-based applications)
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-**Embedded devices** (IoT and specialized hardware)
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This comprehensive support dramatically lowers maintenance costs and reduces time-to-market for updates and new features.
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---
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## Enterprise-Grade Tooling & Ecosystem
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### Development Tools
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-**Visual Studio Integration:** Full support for Visual Studio 2026 (and previous versions)
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-**Always on the latest .NET:** Day-0 support for new .NET releases, with preview‑specific builds available for teams who want to stay on the bleeding edge.
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-**Hot Reload & Real-Time UI Design:** Visual designer lets you tweak XAML and C# on a running app with instant changes
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-**Status Indicators:** Enhanced developer experience with environment health monitoring, restore progress, and SDK validation
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### Rich Component Ecosystem
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- Seamless integration with **WinUI controls**
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-**Windows Community Toolkit**
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-**Uno Toolkit** for additional controls and extensions
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-**.NET MAUI controls** compatibility
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- Hundreds of UI components available out of the box
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- Extensive open-source and 3rd party libraries support
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### Collaboration Features
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-**Figma Integration** for rapid prototyping and design handoff
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-**Modern Solution Formats:** Support for the human-readable `.slnx` solution format for easier team collaboration and code reviews
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-**Source Control Friendly:** Designed with team development and version control in mind
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---
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## Open Source and Commercial Flexibility
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Uno Platform balances open-source principles with commercial sustainability:
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-**Open-Source Foundation:** Free and open-source under the Apache 2.0 license
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-**Commercial Tools:** Optional AI-powered workflows and visual designers available
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-**Community Edition:** Full access to core platform features
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-**Professional Edition:** Advanced features for enterprise teams
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-**Educational Support:** Discounts for educational institutions and open-source contributors
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---
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## Why Uno Platform?
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### For Organizations
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-**Cost Efficiency:** Single codebase significantly reduces development and maintenance costs compared to platform-specific implementations
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-**Faster Time-to-Market:** Deploy to all platforms simultaneously rather than building separately
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-**Future-Proof:** Active development, regular updates, and commitment to latest technologies
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-**Risk Mitigation:** Open-source foundation ensures you're never locked in
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### For Developers
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-**Leverage Existing Skills:** Use your C# and XAML knowledge immediately
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-**Career Growth:** Cross-platform expertise is highly valued in the market
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-**Modern Tooling:** AI-assisted development, hot reload, visual designers
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-**Community Support:** Active community, extensive documentation, and commercial support options
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### For Teams
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-**Unified Codebase:** Frontend and backend teams can work in the same language and ecosystem
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-**Design-Developer Collaboration:** Figma integration and visual tools bridge the gap
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-**Scalable Architecture:** From prototypes to enterprise applications
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-**Quality Assurance:** Single codebase means testing once deploys everywhere
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---
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## Looking Forward
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Uno Platform continues to evolve with the industry, embracing:
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-**AI Integration:** Making AI-powered development accessible and productive
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-**Modern .NET:** Supporting the latest .NET releases on day-0
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-**Performance:** Continuous optimization for better user experiences
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-**Developer Experience:** Tools that make developers more productive and happier
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-**Platform Expansion:** Supporting emerging platforms and form factors
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Our philosophy is simple: **empower developers with the best tools, leverage proven technologies, and never compromise on quality, performance, or developer experience.**
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## Performance is a feature
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## Learn More
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The slow antelope gets eaten, and the slow app gets 1-star ratings. We've done a lot of optimization on the basis of profiling in real-world use cases, and we'll continue to do so.
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