The starter app

demos/Avalloy.Starter in the repo is the seed for a new app: copy the folder, rename the namespace, and you have a window with a docking sidebar, a title bar, a command stack with keybindings, a settings overlay, persisted preferences and window geometry, light and dark themes that follow the OS, and a launch splash.

git clone https://github.com/avalloy-dev/avalloy
dotnet run --project avalloy/demos/Avalloy.Starter

What it wires

Commands. Each command is a class with a [Command] attribute and an ExecuteAsync. Dependencies come through the constructor because commands are resolved from DI per invocation. Gestures are bound in one dictionary, with Mod+ standing for Cmd on macOS and Ctrl elsewhere.

[Command("starter.sidebarPin", DisplayName = "Pin sidebar open", Icon = "Panel",
    Category = "Shell", AllowWhenTextInputFocused = true)]
public sealed class ToggleSidebarPinCommand(ShellViewModel shell) : IAlloyCommand
{
    public Task ExecuteAsync() { shell.SidebarPinned = !shell.SidebarPinned; return Task.CompletedTask; }
}

public static readonly IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<string>> DefaultKeymap =
    new Dictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<string>>
    {
        ["starter.sidebarPin"] = ["Mod+B"],
        ["starter.toggleTheme"] = ["Mod+T"],
        ["starter.settings"] = ["Mod+OemComma"],
        ["starter.quit"] = ["Mod+Q"],
        ["ShowLogViewer"] = ["Shift+F8"],
    };

protected override void ConfigureServices(IServiceCollection services)
{
    services.AddSingleton(_prefs!);
    services.AddSingleton<ShellViewModel>();
    services.AddSingleton<MainWindow>();

    Commands.Register<ToggleSidebarPinCommand>();
    Commands.Register<ToggleThemeCommand>();
    Commands.Register<OpenSettingsCommand>();
    Commands.Register<QuitCommand>();
    Commands.Register<ShowLogViewerCommand>();   // Avalloy's own log viewer window
}

protected override IReadOnlyDictionary<string, IReadOnlyList<string>> BuildKeymap() =>
    StarterCommands.DefaultKeymap;

The sidebar. Column 0 of the body grid is the reserved column. SidebarDockController drives its width between the rail and the persisted docked width with the dock morph, and owns the edge pull on the seam. The shell view model implements ISidebarHost, so the framework owns the mechanics and the app owns the state.

The splash. Two overrides opt in to the deferred launch: CreateSplashWindow returns an AlloySplashWindow, and PrepareLaunchAsync reports phases through it while the slow boot work runs. The main window is shown and painted underneath before the splash closes. Delete both overrides for the classic synchronous launch.

Preferences and geometry. StarterPreferences embeds AppearancePrefs, a WindowGeometryPrefs implementing IMaximizableWindowGeometry, and a shell section. Window size, position and maximized state restore on open and save on close through WindowGeometry.BindGeometry.

The other demo

demos/NativeThemeDemo is the smallest working app on Core plus Themes: one window, a theme picker over the two templates and a custom "Ocean" theme, and a gallery of the type ramp, surfaces and controls. It is the fastest way to see what a token change does.