[Epic] vibe-coding .NET MAUI apps works out of the box

[jonathanpeppers]

Dream workflow

• I have a blank .NET MAUI template ready, with an IDE open.
• I drop a design (image) into Copilot Chat, and simply say "implement this design".
• The AI iterates: using hot reload, screenshots, logs, visual tree, and gives me something close to the target image.

Example

An example of what we are looking for (WPF example) is:

• https://github.com/jonathanpeppers/vibe-wpf
• https://youtu.be/SaJI6dkdwlE

Implementation

CLI is an initial starting point, as it requires little configuration and "agent mode" copilots can run commands to accomplish tasks. MCP servers are an addition, we will consider where needed.

• dotnet run works end-to-end for .NET MAUI
  • dotnet/sdk
    • [spec] better dotnet run extensibility for .NET MAUI sdk#51337 (spec)
    • Add Spectre.Console 0.52.0 source-build-reference-packages#1447 (Spectre.Console)
    • [source build] cloak the spectre-console/docs folder dotnet#3146 (Spectre.Console)
    • [dotnet-cli] prompt for target framework using Spectre.Console sdk#51509
    • [release/10.0.2xx] [dotnet-cli] prompt for target framework using Spectre.Console sdk#51859 (shipping in .NET 10.0.2xx SDK)
    • [dotnet-run] implement "device" selection logic sdk#51914
    • [dotnet-run] fix logging and Restore for device selection sdk#52113
    • [dotnet-run] Implement DeployToDevice target invocation sdk#52046
    • [release/10.0.3xx] backport mobile changes for dotnet run sdk#52608
  • dotnet/android
    • [xabt] implement $(Device) and ComputeAvailableDevices MSBuild target android#10576
    • [xabt] title case ComputeAvailableDevices android#10623
    • [xabt] Implement DeployToDevice target android#10631
    • [xabt] fix DeployToDevice target w/ Fast Deployment android#10641
    • [xabt] ComputeRunArguments target no longer needs to deploy android#10640
    • dotnet run console behavior android#10645
    • [Microsoft.Android.Run] Add simple console app for dotnet run android#10646
    • 'dotnet run' should display emulators that are not running, and be able to boot them android#10702
    • [Mono.Android] fix $DOTNET_STARTUP_HOOKS on CoreCLR android#10755
  • dotnet/macios
    • [msbuild/dotnet] Add support for listing the devices and simulators available to run on. macios#24279
• dotnet watch works end-to-end for .NET MAUI
  • dotnet-watch support for mobile sdk#52492
  • [dotnet-watch] avoid PlatformNotSupportedException on various platforms sdk#52351
  • [HotReloadAgent] fix possible NullReferenceException sdk#52367
  • [coreclr] fix string runtimeconfig.json values android#10669
  • [illink] set $(StartupHookSupport)=false *only* for Release mode android#10670
  • [HotReloadAgent] Handle unsupported platform for PosixSignalRegistration sdk#52466
  • dotnet run -e FOO=BAR passes @(RuntimeEnvironmentVariable) sdk#52664
  • [xabt] support @(RuntimeEnvironmentVariable) items android#10770
  • Windows app does not respond to Ctrl+C when launched from dotnet CLI sdk#52473
  • [hot reload] implement DeployHotReloadAgentConfiguration target android#10699
  • Fix support for StartupHooks macios#24492
  • [dotnet-watch] http transport for mobile sdk#52581
  • [mono] read $DOTNET_STARTUP_HOOKS runtime#123964
• dotnet test works end-to-end- for .NET MAUI
  • Add support for dotnet test android#9496
  • [dotnet] Unit test projects don't work macios#13319
  • [testing] dotnet test for maui #33117
  • [spec] Add dotnet test for devices spec sdk#52427
• dotnet maui CLI
  • dotnet-maui CLI specification #32757 (spec)
  • [cli] implement dotnet maui screenshot command #33551 (screenshot)
• MCP server tools
  • https://dev.azure.com/devdiv/DevDiv/_git/vscode-maui?version=GBnew/mcp&_a=history
• docs improvements
• samples improvements
  • Add .NET MAUI Controls Expert custom agent maui-samples#718
  • https://github.com/dotnet/maui-samples/commits/main/.github/workflows/instructions/dotnet-maui-9-to-dotnet-maui-10-upgrade.instructions.md