Xamarin Apps

👉 Overview

👀 What ?

Xamarin is a Microsoft-owned framework that allows developers to create cross-platform mobile applications using the C# language. Xamarin apps share code across all platforms, including iOS, Android, and Windows, resulting in less code to write and maintain.

🧐 Why ?

The importance of Xamarin lies in its ability to simplify the mobile application development process. Instead of writing separate codebases for each platform, developers can write once and run on multiple platforms, saving time and resources. Furthermore, because Xamarin uses C#, a statically typed language with powerful features, it enhances the quality and performance of the apps.

⛏️ How ?

To create a Xamarin app, you need Visual Studio, which includes the Xamarin framework. The process involves setting up your project, writing the shared code, writing platform-specific code (if necessary), testing the app using emulators or real devices, and finally deploying the app to the respective app stores.

⏳ When ?

Xamarin was first released in 2011 and gained popularity as a cost-effective solution for cross-platform app development. It was acquired by Microsoft in 2016, which further boosted its usage due to its integration with other Microsoft tools and services.

⚙️ Technical Explanations

Xamarin, a framework owned by Microsoft, allows developers to create mobile applications that are cross-platform using the C# language. The major advantage of Xamarin is that it enables sharing of code across all platforms like iOS, Android, and Windows, which results in lesser code to write and maintain.

This framework simplifies the app development process, allowing developers to write code once and run on multiple platforms. This efficiency saves time and resources. Xamarin uses C#, a statically typed language with powerful features, enhancing the quality and performance of the apps.

To create a Xamarin app, you need Visual Studio, which includes the Xamarin framework. The development process involves setting up your project, writing the shared code, writing platform-specific code (if necessary), testing the app using emulators or real devices, and finally deploying the app to the respective app stores.

Xamarin was first released in 2011 and was acquired by Microsoft in 2016. It has gained popularity as a cost-effective solution for cross-platform app development, and its usage increased due to its integration with other Microsoft tools and services.

From a technical standpoint, Xamarin works by providing access to the native APIs of different platforms, enabling the apps to maintain the native look and feel. It uses the Mono runtime for executing the .NET code, which then calls the native APIs. A UI toolkit included in Xamarin, known as Xamarin.Forms, enables developers to create a single, common user interface for all platforms. This is achieved through an abstraction layer that maps the UI code to the platform-specific interfaces. Xamarin also allows for platform-specific UI code when needed, providing developers with flexibility in their app design.

Let's create a simple Xamarin.Forms app that displays "Hello World".

1. Setting up the project: Open Visual Studio and create a new project. Choose the "Mobile App (Xamarin.Forms)" template. Name the project "HelloWorld".
2. Writing the shared code: Xamarin.Forms apps have a shared codebase in the project structure, typically found in the .NET Standard library project. Navigate to MainPage.xaml in the shared project. This XAML file is where we will define our user interface.

<ContentPage xmlns="<http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms>"
             xmlns:x="<http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml>"
             x:Class="HelloWorld.MainPage">

    <StackLayout>
        <Label Text="Hello World"
            VerticalOptions="CenterAndExpand"
            HorizontalOptions="CenterAndExpand" />
    </StackLayout>

</ContentPage>

This code defines a single-page application with a label that displays the text "Hello World". The StackLayout is a layout view that positions its children in a single line which can be oriented vertically or horizontally.

1. Testing the app: You can test your app using an emulator or a real device. For an emulator, ensure you have one set up for the platform you wish to test on (Android or iOS). In Visual Studio, select the emulator in the run dropdown and then click the run button.
2. Deploying the app: To deploy the app, you would need to follow the specific guidelines set by each platform. For Android, you would create an APK (Android Package) file. For iOS, you would create an IPA (iOS App Store Package) file. These files are then uploaded to their respective app stores for distribution.

Remember, Xamarin.Forms allows for shared UI code, but it also allows for platform-specific UI code when needed, providing developers with flexibility in their app design. You could, for example, use Xamarin.iOS or Xamarin.Android libraries to write platform-specific code.