SkiaSharp is a popular 2D graphics library that helps developers create visuals that work across different platforms. Thanks to its partnership with Microsoft, it’s gaining more attention for building versatile applications. Originally developed by Skia in 2008 and later acquired by Google, SkiaSharp is now an open-source project used in many big projects like Chromium and LibreOffice. It’s especially handy for developers who want to draw graphics on desktop and mobile devices with just one codebase.

What Makes SkiaSharp Special?

SkiaSharp provides a common layer over various graphics APIs, making it easier to build graphics that run smoothly on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. This cross-platform capability is a big reason why developers choose it for their projects. It focuses on drawing and rendering, allowing for the creation of rich visual content without having to worry about the underlying platform differences.

While SkiaSharp can be used directly in C++ applications, most developers access it through higher-level languages like C#. This approach is especially useful for those building apps with frameworks like Microsoft’s MAUI or Uno. These frameworks help developers target multiple platforms from a single codebase, with SkiaSharp handling the graphics part behind the scenes.

Although the version of SkiaSharp available today is a bit behind the official Google build of Skia—about two years—ongoing updates and contributions are helping it catch up. The collaboration with Microsoft is expected to speed up development, bringing new features such as support for WebAssembly multitasking and improved performance.

Using SkiaSharp in .NET Projects

SkiaSharp offers cross-platform bindings for different versions of the .NET platform. This means developers can build visually appealing apps that work on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android without rewriting their graphics code for each platform. It’s a powerful tool for creating custom 2D graphics layers, which can be integrated with familiar .NET UI components.

Most developers won’t call SkiaSharp directly. Instead, they use frameworks that incorporate it, such as MAUI or Uno. These frameworks can render UI components like XAML elements with SkiaSharp, which handles the actual drawing. This setup simplifies building complex graphics and ensures consistency across devices.

SkiaSharp is especially useful when developers need to go beyond standard UI elements and build their own custom graphics layers. It provides the tools needed to draw shapes, images, and animations, making it a great choice for creating visually rich applications that run smoothly on any device.

In summary, SkiaSharp is an exciting and flexible graphics library that is gaining momentum. Its partnership with Microsoft is expected to accelerate its development and introduce new features. Whether working on desktop or mobile apps, SkiaSharp offers a unified way to handle graphics across multiple platforms, making it a valuable tool for modern developers.

Inspired by

• https://www.infoworld.com/article/4077324/using-the-skiasharp-graphics-library-in-net.html

Sources

• platform.uno
• skia.org
• github.com
• github.com
• github.com