FiddlerCore with MAUI support for mac

[Chetan]

HI team.

we are using Fiddler core and wanted to have a small UI for it. wanted to check if Fiddler Core works with MAUI for mac and if there is some documentation. currently we are able to run it is net 6 but not in MAUI

also if there is any other technology that can be used apart from MAUI then it would also help

 

Thanks

Chetan

Adobe

[Nick Iliev]

Hello Chetan Shamdasani,

 

 

Thank you for reaching out to the Fiddler technical support team!

The MAUI is a cross-platform framework that allows you to build Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows applications using a single codebase. However, the important thing to notice is that the MAUI for macOS does not create a native application. Instead, behind the scenes, it uses Mac Catalyst, a technology that converts iOS applications to macOS Desktop applications. The limitation is that the converted applications are not actual native macOS applications, and they have some limitations (mainly in accessing some native APIs).

The above-said FiddlerCore does not yet support Mac Catalyst applications and, therefore, is incompatible with MAUI applications. In order to use FiddlerCore, you'll need to use an environment that is compatible with .net standard libraries. One possible approach could be creating an Electron application with any front-end library (for example, Kendo UI) that suits your business and development requirements. As a side note, we are providing professional services, which include application creation, so please let us know if you are interested in learning more about this option.

 

Regards,
Nick Iliev
Progress Telerik

[Chetan]

Thanks Nick for the response.

is there a way we can call the app from MAUI or it would be helpful to get any small sample of integration of UI with fiddler if available

[Nick Iliev]

If using NET MAUI is a must, then you could create a separate NET7 application (that uses FIddlerCore and implements your custom logic). Then you should be able to run the new NET7 application as a process from the MAUI application.


While we do not have a demo application that demonstrates a real UI entangled with the FiddlerCore library, you can successfully use the Fiddler Core demos repository and reuse the basic logic in the file called Program.cs where the core functionalities of the FiddlerCore library are covered. A UI demo will differ depending on the UI framework used. You could apply different design patterns based on the desired outcome and the application's complexity. 

As FiddlerCore is a NET library with no UI, you can use whatever design pattern or abstraction the framework provides or the business needs require. With the linked FiddlerCore demo, the application uses a simple Console output, but still, the provided logic can be reused in any UI application. For example:

- The method AttachEventListener demonstrates primary usage of the FiddlerCore listeners from which you can add ow logic for modifying HTTP requests & responses, visualizing executed requests and received responses, or even more complex scenarios like applying specific rules based on different criteria, mocking server behavior, etc. You can use data-binding to "connect" these event listeners with your UI framework.

- The method EnsureRootCertificate demonstrates a possible way to handle specific operations with the certificate managers on different operating systems. You can connect these actions (or others like the custom macOS logic we've discussed with your team in another ticket) through UI buttons or bind them to specific application events.

- The method StartupFiddlerCore demonstrates a combination of all FiddlerCore prerequisites so that the proxy can successfully run as such. Again depending on the business requirements, that method could be attached to an application event (like the app startup) or bounded to a UI element like a button.

As a side note, the Fiddler Everywhere application is an example of an Electron application that uses FiddlerCore and other similar libraries behind the scenes.