How can I build a calorie calculator app with .NET 8?

Here’s how you can approach it step by step:

1.      Decide on the app type

·         Desktop (WinForms/WPF): easiest for beginners, runs only on Windows.

·         Web (ASP.NET Core): accessible from browser, good if you want to learn web development.

·         Mobile/Desktop (MAUI): works across android, IOS, Windows, Mac- best if you want cross-platform.

For learning, I recommend starting with .NET MAUI because you’ll learn modern UI and can reuse your skills for desktop and mobile.

2.      Basic Project Setup

·         Install the latest .NET 8 SDK and Visual Studio 2022/2025 with MAUI or ASP.NET workloads.

·         Create a new project:

                                                              i.            For desktop/mobile -> “.NET MAUI App” template.

                                                            ii.            For web-> “ASP.NET Core Web App (Model-View-Controller)” template.

3.      Create a simple form (UI) by learning from the link below:

Get started with .NET MAUI XAML - .NET MAUI | Microsoft Learn

4.      In code-behind (C#)

Create a function OnCalculateClicked

{

                Var drink= DrinlPicker.SelectedItem?.ToString();

                Int calories = drink switch

                {

                                “Coffee” => 5,

                                “Tea” =>2,

                                “Soda” =>150,

                                _ =>0

                };

                ResultLable.Text= $”Calories {calories}”;

}

5.      Expand Functionality

·         Store drink/calorie data in a JSON file or database.

·         Let users add their own drinks.

·         Show total calories for a day.

6.      Learn from official tutorials

·         Get started with .NET MAUI XAML - .NET MAUI | Microsoft Learn

·         Get started with ASP.NET Core MVC | Microsoft Learn

·         Write your first C# code - Training | Microsoft Learn