Is it recommended to use "StackLayout" in MAUI?

Question

I understand that in MAUI there are objects like VerticalStackLayout, which are better optimized, but when creating slightly more complex objects, I have found it better to continue using the classic StackLayout since it processes the properties "....AndExpand". However, I am unsure if this is the best practice in MAUI or if Microsoft plans to remove StackLayout in the future.

Answer 1

Hello,

For situations where ...AndExpand is needed, the best practice in Maui is not to use StackLayout but to use Grid for layout. For changes in Xamarin.Forms and Maui regarding StackLayout, you can refer to this document for more information.

• Layout behavior changes from Xamarin.Forms

1. If your layout is anything other than a StackLayout, remove all uses of AndExpand. Just as in Xamarin.Forms, in .NET MAUI the AndExpand layout options have no effect on any layout other than StackLayout.
2. Remove any AndExpand properties which are orthogonal to the stacking direction. For example, if you have a StackLayout with an Orientation of Vertical, and it has a child with a HorizontalAligment="CenterAndExpand" - that layout options has no effect and can be removed.
3. If you have any remaining AndExpand properties on a StackLayout, you should convert that StackLayout to a Grid. A Grid is designed to subdivide a space, and will provide the layout that AndExpand provided in Xamarin.Forms. The following example shows a Xamarin.Forms StackLayout that uses an AndExpand property:

<StackLayout>
    <Label Text="Hello world!"/>
    <Image VerticalOptions="FillAndExpand" Source="dotnetbot.png"/>
</StackLayout>

This can be converted to a Grid in .NET MAUI:

<Grid RowDefinitions="Auto, *">
    <Label Text="Hello world!"/>
    <Image Grid.Row="1" Source="dotnetbot.png"/>
</Grid>

When performing this conversion, anything that was marked AndExpand in the StackLayout should go in its own row or column with a size of * in the Grid.

Best Regards,

Alec Liu.

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