Coding, Running, and Growing: Reflecting on 2024 Achievements
In 2024, I spent a lot of time diving deep into .NET MAUI, iOS development, and personal growth in software development. Here on my blog, I shared practical tips, insights, and reflections. Here’s a detailed recap of the key topics I explored:
.NET MAUI Development (iOS & MacCatalyst)
Disabling the iOS 18 Tab Transition Animation
iOS 18 introduced a new tab transition animation that, while visually appealing, caused some issues in legacy applications. In this post, I explained how to disable this feature using .NET MAUI to ensure seamless compatibility and maintain the desired user experience for existing apps. Read more
Handling Lifecycle Events on iOS and MacCatalyst
Applications running on iOS and MacCatalyst have unique lifecycle behaviors. I explored how to handle these lifecycle events effectively in .NET MAUI projects, offering practical examples and discussing best practices for ensuring app stability across these platforms. Read more
Customizing Entry Borders in .NET MAUI
Customizing UI components is a common requirement, and I shared a detailed guide on modifying the border colors of Entry controls in .NET MAUI. This approach enables developers to align the UI with their application’s theme while maintaining a consistent design language. Read more
Implementing Global Menus in MacCatalyst Apps
MacCatalyst apps often require intuitive navigation for a desktop-like experience. In this post, I demonstrated how to create and manage global menus using .NET MAUI, helping developers enhance usability for Mac users. Read more
Educational Pursuits
Swift, SwiftUI, and iOS 17 Development
This year, I deepened my understanding of Swift and SwiftUI by completing an online course focused on iOS 17 development. This course helped me gain hands-on experience in building modern iPhone apps from scratch, setting the stage for future projects. Read more
Unit Testing for C# Developers
Understanding the importance of robust software testing, I took a deep dive into unit testing for C# applications. I shared insights from my learning journey, including how to write meaningful tests and integrate them into the development lifecycle effectively. Read more
Platform Transition
Migrating from WordPress to Jekyll
In 2024, I made a significant change by moving my blog from WordPress to Jekyll. I documented the entire process, including why I chose Jekyll, the challenges I faced, and how I overcame them. The migration has streamlined my workflow and improved site performance. Read more
Cross Repository Redirects with Jekyll
In late December 2024, I shared a guide on how to implement cross-repository redirects using GitHub Pages, simplifying the management of multiple project websites. This post walks through step-by-step instructions on how to set up custom redirects for seamless user navigation between repositories. Read more
Book Review
The MVVM Pattern in .NET MAUI
The MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern is a cornerstone of modern .NET development. In this review, I shared my take on a book dedicated to implementing MVVM in .NET MAUI, highlighting its practical examples and how it has influenced my development practices. Read more
App Development Highlights
Fishing Knots + Updated for .NET 9
This year, I updated Fishing Knots +, my popular app for learning fishing knots, to .NET 9. This update brought improved performance, new features, and compatibility with the latest platforms, ensuring users have the best experience possible. The app is available here on the App Store for iOS.
TimeTraverseHub for macOS
I launched TimeTraverseHub in public beta, a macOS app designed to help users to revisit their Instagram memories and share them to the Fediverse (Mastdodon and Pixelfed). Join TestFlight
TwistReader
I also developed TwistReader, my personal take of a privacy focused, group based feed reader. Like TimeTraverseHub, TwistReader is also available on TestFlight, and I’m excited to continue improving it based on user input. Join TestFlight
Reworking My Indie Dev Website
In 2024, I completely reworked my indie developer website using Jekyll. This redesign brought a fresh look and improved performance, while also allowing me to create dedicated landing pages for all three of my apps: Fishing Knots+, TimeTraverseHub, and TwistReader. These pages provide detailed descriptions, feature highlights, and easy ways for users to explore and download the apps.
Running and Personal Health
Reaching New Milestones in Running
This year, I continued pushing myself to new limits both physically and mentally. I took part in 8 races totally. Three of them were half marathons, and I managed to stay under two hours in two of them. In most of the other races, I was close to reach my target race time or reached them.
My Year in Sports in 2024 (according to Strava):
Looking Back
2024 was a year of growth, both technically and personally. Through my blog, I aimed to offer valuable resources for developers while continuing to expand my own skills. Each topic I covered was an opportunity to share practical solutions, lessons learned, and ideas for the ever-changing world of software development.
Looking Ahead to 2025
As I reflect on 2024’s achievements, I’m already looking ahead to what 2025 will bring. Here are a few areas I plan to focus on:
- Expanding My Apps: I’ll continue refining Fishing Knots +, TimeTraverseHub, and TwistReader, adding requested features and launching stable releases.
- Mastering SwiftUI: I started the 100 Days of SwiftUI course in 2024 and am determined to complete it in the new year. This learning journey will lay the foundation for my next major project: developing my first SwiftUI app designed specifically for runners. I’m excited to combine my passion for fitness with my growing expertise in SwiftUI.
- Exploring New Technologies: With advancements like .NET 9 and updates to iOS, I aim to stay on the cutting edge by learning and sharing new development techniques.
- Fitness Goals: I plan to push my running to new limits: I plan to finally run a half marathon under 01:50h. I will also try to take part in all races of the ZKB ZüriLaufCup, a local Cup here in Switzerland’s canton Zurich. You will be able to follow my progress on Strava and my other social media profiles.
- Engaging Blog Content: Expect more deep dives into .NET MAUI, Swift, SwiftUI, and other technologies, as well as other tutorials and lessons from my indie dev journey.
- Web Development with Jekyll: I will continue to deepen my expertise in Jekyll website development, continuously refining and enhancing the performance and design of all my GitHub Pages sites (and maybe write some blog posts on it)
2025 promises to be a year full of growth, challenges, and exciting milestones, and I’m eager to share every step of the journey with you. For now, I wish you all an incredible year ahead, and I hope my blog continues to be a part of your story in the coming year.
Until the next post, happy coding, everyone!
The raw construct of this blog post was generated based on my prompts using OpenAI’s ChatGPT. While I have reviewed and refined the content, the use of AI tools may have influenced the final output. The title image of this post is also created with AI (DALL-E 3 through ChatGPT). This blog post is part of my private experiment of using AI tools in different areas.