qTe Docs — App Architecture

App Architecture

qTeApp MAUI MVVM architecture — ViewModels, Services, Views, and navigation

Architecture Overview

qTeApp is the cross-platform .NET MAUI application targeting Windows, Android, iOS, and macOS. It follows the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) pattern using CommunityToolkit.Mvvm for property change notification, command binding, and source generators.

Key Principle: qTeApp is ONLY the UI/UX layer. ALL workflows and logic are in the qTe shared library. qTeApp must call the exact same qTe library methods that qTeLite calls.

MVVM Pattern

qTeApp uses CommunityToolkit.Mvvm with source generators for minimal boilerplate:

Feature	Toolkit Attribute	Generated Code
Observable Properties	`[ObservableProperty]`	Public property with `PropertyChanged` notification
Commands	`[RelayCommand]`	ICommand implementation from method
Property Dependencies	`[NotifyPropertyChangedFor]`	Raises change for dependent properties
Base Class	`ObservableObject`	INotifyPropertyChanged infrastructure

// Example ViewModel pattern
public partial class EncodeViewModel : ObservableObject
{
    [ObservableProperty]
    [NotifyPropertyChangedFor(nameof(CanEncode))]
    private string title = "";

    [RelayCommand]
    private async Task EncodeAsync()
    {
        // Calls qTe shared library methods
        var embed = new SymphEmbed(resourcesPath, ...);
        var result = await embed.EmbedMultiThreaded(false, false, 0);
    }
}

ViewModels

ViewModel	Page	Responsibility
`HomeViewModel`	Home	Dashboard stats — file counts, storage usage
`EncodeViewModel`	Encode	Encode files/text → Symph. File picker, metadata entry, progress tracking
`DecodeViewModel`	Decode	Decode Symph → original data. List offsets, preview, save/export
`BatchEncodeViewModel`	Batch Encode	Parallel encoding of multiple files with SemaphoreSlim concurrency
`PublishViewModel`	Publish	Publish, Syndicate, PublishAndSyndicate, attach memes
`SyndicationViewModel`	Syndication	Feed display, dynamic filters (Category/Author/Tag), dedup, import/decode
`NetworkViewModel`	Network	Connect/disconnect AT Proto, sync, contact management
`ConversationsViewModel`	Conversations	Local + remote conversations, contact filters, message display
`MessagesViewModel`	Messages	Direct message thread with a contact
`CollectionsViewModel`	Collections	CRUD collections, search, detail view, GUID filtering
`ArchiveViewModel`	Archive	Export/import archives with merge mode selection
`MemesViewModel`	Memes	Meme list, process thumbnails, delete, dedup
`ProtectViewModel`	Protect	Scan .qTe files, rename to .qTp for protection
`SecurityViewModel`	Security	Security phrase, protected file scanning (.qTp)
`RecycleBinViewModel`	Recycle Bin	Restore, delete, empty bin operations
`MonitorViewModel`	Monitor	Global job tracking, timer refresh for encoding progress
`SettingsViewModel`	Settings	Rebuild metadata, soft reset, full reset, folder selection

Services

Services wrap qTe library singletons and provide MAUI-specific functionality:

Service	Purpose
`AtProtoStorageService`	Wraps AT Proto paths (UserBasePath, OffsetsPath, MetadataPath, etc.)
`QteService`	High-level encoding/decoding operations
`BlockchainService`	Blockchain sync and verification
`MemeStorageService`	Local meme file operations
`CollectionsService`	Collection CRUD against collections.json
`ContactsService`	Contact management wrapper
`MetadataService`	SymphMetadataStore wrapper
`DesktopModeService`	Detects desktop vs. mobile for view switching
`CrashLogService`	Error logging and crash reports

Views (Desktop & Mobile)

qTeApp provides dual XAML layouts: Desktop views with two-column master-detail layouts, and Mobile views with stacked single-column layouts. The DesktopModeService detects the platform and routes to the appropriate view.

Desktop Views

Views/Desktop/Desktop*.xaml

Two-column layouts
Side-by-side list + detail panels
Wider filter bars with Pickers
Optimized for mouse/keyboard

Mobile Views

Views/*.xaml

Single-column stacked layout
Bottom detail panels
Touch-friendly controls
Optimized for small screens

Navigation uses .NET MAUI Shell with route-based navigation. The AppShell.xaml defines tab structure and flyout menu items. Pages are registered as routes for both URI-based navigation and tab-based switching.

qTeLite Comparison

qTeLite is the WinForms desktop reference implementation. Every feature in qTeApp must match qTeLite's functionality by calling the same qTe library methods.

Aspect	qTeLite	qTeApp
UI Framework	WinForms	.NET MAUI
Language	VB.NET	C#
Pattern	Code-behind (UserControls)	MVVM (ViewModels)
Platform	Windows only	Windows, Android, iOS, macOS
Core Library	Same qTe shared library
Feature Parity	qTeApp must do everything qTeLite does