Create a fully operating application and deploy it to major mobile platforms using Xamarin.Forms About This Book Create standard user interfaces on Windows Mobile, Android, and iOS and then make those interfaces look good with ease Design a full-blown application in very little time with just about the entire code being shared Learn how to access platform-specific features and still have the same core code with this handy guide Who This Book Is For This book is intended for mobile software developers who are fed up with having three different code sets for the same application. If you want to put your code on all mobile platforms with minimum fuss, and just want to develop but haven't got the time to be digging too far into a particular platform, this is the book for you. Basic knowledge of C# is assumed. What You Will Learn Create a responsive UI, modified to suit the target platform Understand the basics of designing an application, and the considerations needed for target platforms Construct a complete app using a single codebase Develop attractive user interfaces Bind information to the code behind to generate a reactive application Design an effective portable class library (PCL) Include a Windows Mobile application within your standard Xamarin.Forms application Extend your applications using the Xamarin.Forms Labs library In Detail Xamarin is an IDE used for the development of native iOS, Android, and Windows, and cross-platform mobile applications in C#. For the mobile developer, that means learning three different languages to create the same application. Even if you use the Xamarin toolchain, you still need to work with three different user interface construction sets. Xamarin is essentially a container in which developers can write any application in C# and use the Xamarin compiler to package and deploy on Android, iOS, or Windows platforms. To top this, Xamarin.Forms plays the role of a single codebase for mobile applications. This book will show you, with fully-coded examples, how to use both the Xamarin toolchain and the Xamarin.Forms library to code once for the three platforms. It goes from the concept and design of a mobile messenger application to its execution. You will be introduced to Messenger—the messaging app—which includes key features such as push notifications, UI, maps, databases, and web services. Next, you will learn to plan the UI using Xamarin.Forms for cross-mobile platform development, and move on to creating custom buttons, extending the UI, and connecting to social sites such as Facebook and Twitter. You will also learn about the limitations of PCL libraries and how they make coding easier. This will be followed by the creation of a SQLite database and a database manager, and the SQLite database's reflection within the database manager. You will then be taken through the use of hardware features with ample coverage of iOS, Android, and Windows Mobile. Finally, the book will conclude by introducing common strategies that allow you to create applications that “just work” without having to reinvent the wheel each time. Style and approach A fun and informal approach to creating a mobile application using the most up-to-date cross-platform approach. Each coding chapter includes fully working code examples available for download from the Packt Publishing website.

Xamarin Mobile Application Development is a hands-on Xamarin.Forms primer and a cross-platform reference for building native Android, iOS, and Windows Phone apps using C# and .NET. This book explains how to use Xamarin.Forms, Xamarin.Android, and Xamarin.iOS to build business apps for your customers and consumer apps for Google Play and the iTunes App Store. Learn how to leverage Xamarin.Forms for cross-platform development using the most common UI pages, layouts, views, controls, and design patterns. Combine these with platform-specific UI to craft a visually stunning and highly interactive mobile user experience. Use Xamarin.Forms to data bind your UI to both data models and to view models for a Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM) implementation. Use this book to answer the important question: Is Xamarin.Forms right for my project? Platform-specific UI is a key concept in cross-platform development, and Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS are the foundation of the Xamarin platform. Xamarin Mobile Application Development will cover how to build an Android app using Xamarin.Android and an iOS app using Xamarin.iOS while sharing a core code library. SQLite is the database-of-choice for many Xamarin developers. This book will explain local data access techniques using SQLite.NET and ADO.NET. Build a mobile data access layer (DAL) using SQLite and weigh your options for web services and enterprise cloud data solutions. This book will show how organize your Xamarin code into a professional-grade application architecture. Explore solution-building techniques from starter-to-enterprise to help you decouple your functional layers, manage your platform-specific code, and share your cross-platform classes for code reuse, testability, and maintainability. Also included are 250+ screenshots on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone and 200+ C# code examples with downloadable C# and XAML versions available from Apress.com. This comprehensive recipe and reference book addresses one of the most important and vexing problems in the software industry today: How do we effectively design and develop cross-platform mobile applications?

Leverage Xamarin.Forms to build iOS and Android apps using a single, cross-platform approach. This book is the XAML companion to the C# guide Xamarin Mobile Application Development. You'll begin with an overview of Xamarin.Forms, then move on to an in-depth XAML (eXtensible Application Markup Language) primer covering syntax, namespaces, markup extensions, constructors, and the XAML standard. XAML gives us both the power of decoupled UI development and the direct use of Xamarin.Forms elements. This book explores the core of the Xamarin.Forms mobile app UI: using layouts and FlexLayouts to position controls and views to design and build screens, formatting your UI using resource dictionaries, styles, themes and CSS, then coding user interactions with behaviors, commands, and triggers. You'll see how to use XAML to build sophisticated, robust cross-platform mobile apps and help your user get around your app using Xamarin.Forms navigation patterns. Building Xamarin.Forms Mobile Apps Using XAML explains how to bind UI to data models using data binding and using the MVVM pattern, and how to customize UI elements for each platform using industry-standard menus, effects, custom renderers, and native view declaration. What You Will Learn Create world-class mobile apps for iOS and Android using C# and XAMLBuild a XAML UI decoupled from the C# code behind Design UI layouts such as FrameLayout, controls, lists, and navigation patterns Style your app using resource dictionaries, styles, themes, and CSS Customize controls to have platform-specific features using effects, custom renderers, and native views Who This Book Is For XAML and C# developers, architects, and technical managers as well as many Android and iOS developers

This second Preview Edition ebook, now with 16 chapters, is about writing applications for Xamarin.Forms, the new mobile development platform for iOS, Android, and Windows phones unveiled by Xamarin in May 2014. Xamarin.Forms lets you write shared user-interface code in C# and XAML that maps to native controls on these three platforms.

Explore Xamarin.Forms to develop dynamic applications Key FeaturesExplore SQLite through Xamarin to store locations for various location-based applicationsMake a real-time serverless chat service by using Azure SignalR serviceBuild Augmented Reality application with the power of UrhoSharp together with ARKit and ARCore Book Description Xamarin.Forms is a lightweight cross-platform development toolkit for building applications with a rich user interface. In this book you'll start by building projects that explain the Xamarin.Forms ecosystem to get up and running with building cross-platform applications. We'll increase in difficulty throughout the projects, making you learn the nitty-gritty of Xamarin.Forms offerings. You'll gain insights into the architecture, how to arrange your app's design, where to begin developing, what pitfalls exist, and how to avoid them. The book contains seven real-world projects, to get you hands-on with building rich UIs and providing a truly cross-platform experience. It will also guide you on how to set up a machine for Xamarin app development. You'll build a simple to-do application that gets you going, then dive deep into building advanced apps such as messaging platform, games, and machine learning, to build a UI for an augmented reality project. By the end of the book, you'll be confident in building cross-platforms and fitting Xamarin.Forms toolkits in your app development. You'll be able to take the practice you get from this book to build applications that comply with your requirements. What you will learnSet up a machine for Xamarin developmentGet to know about MVVM and data bindings in Xamarin.FormsUnderstand how to use custom renderers to gain platform-specific accessDiscover Geolocation services through Xamarin EssentialsCreate an abstraction of ARKit and ARCore to expose as a single API for the game Learn how to train a model for imageclassification with Azure Cognitive ServicesWho this book is for This book is for mobile application developers who want to start building native mobile apps using the powerful Xamarin.Forms and C#. Working knowledge of C#, .NET, and Visual Studio is required.

Learn how to build stunning, maintainable, cross-platform mobile application user interfaces using C# 7 with the power of both the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms frameworks. Key Features Build effective native and cross-platform user interfaces using the Xamarin frameworks for iOS and Android, as well as Xamarin.Forms. Maximize the testability, flexibility, and overall quality of your Xamarin mobile apps. Step-by-Steps guide that is packed with real-world scenarios and solutions, to build professional grade mobile apps and games for the iOS and Android platforms, using C# 7. Book Description This book will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills that are required to develop real-world Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms applications. You’ll learn how to create native Android app that will interact with the device camera and photo gallery, and then create a native iOS sliding tiles game. You will learn how to implement complex UI layouts and creating customizable control elements based on the platform, using XAML and C# 7 code to interact with control elements within your XAML ContentPages. You’ll learn how to add location-based features by to your apps by creating a LocationService class and using the Xam.Plugin.Geolocator cross-platform library, that will be used to obtain the current device location. Next, you’ll learn how to work with and implement animations and visual effects within your UI using the PlatformEffects API, using C# code. At the end of this book, you’ll learn how to integrate Microsoft Azure App Services and use the Twitter APIs within your app. You will work with the Razor Templating Engine to build a book library HTML5 solution that will use a SQLite.net library to store, update, retrieve, and delete information within a local SQLite database. Finally, you will learn how to write unit tests using the NUnit and UITest frameworks. What you will learn Build native and cross-platform apps for both iOS and Android using the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms platform using C# 7. Implement and customize different user-interface layouts and Animations within your application and use the PlatFormEffects API to change appearance of control elements. Understand the MVVM architectural pattern and how to implement this with your apps. Build a NavigationService class to enable. navigation between your ViewModels as well as Implementing Data-Binding to control elements within your XAML pages and ViewModels. Work with the Razor Templating Engine to create Models and Razor Pages that communicate with an SQLite database. Build a LocationService class to incorporate location-based features within your cross-platform apps to display the user’s current location by creating a custom cross-platform map control and handle location tracking updates. Work with the Microsoft Azure App Services Platform and Implement Social networking features within your app using the Twitter API. Unit Testing your Xamarin.Forms apps using the NUnit and UITest Frameworks Who this book is for This book is intended for readers who have experience using at least the C# 6.0 programming language and interested in learning how to create stunning native, and cross-platform user interfaces for the iOS and Android platforms using the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms frameworks using C# 7.

A mobile applications development masterclass for .NET and C# developers Key FeaturesUncover the new features and capabilities of the .NET 5 framework in this updated and improved second editionOptimize the time required to develop highly performant cross-platform applicationsUnderstand the architectural patterns and best practices for mobile application developmentBook Description Are you a .NET developer who wishes to develop mobile solutions without delving into the complexities of a mobile development platform? If so, this book is a perfect solution to help you build professional mobile apps without leaving the .NET ecosystem. Mobile Development with .NET will show you how to design, architect, and develop robust mobile applications for multiple platforms, including iOS, Android, and UWP using Xamarin, .NET Core, and Azure. With the help of real-world scenarios, you'll explore different phases of application development using Xamarin, from environment setup, design, and architecture to publishing. Throughout the book, you'll learn how to develop mobile apps using Xamarin and .NET Standard. You'll even be able to implement a web-based backend composed of microservices with .NET Core using various Azure services including, but not limited to, Azure Active Directory, Azure Functions. As you advance, you'll create data stores using popular database technologies such as Cosmos DB and data models such as the relational model and NoSQL. By the end of this mobile application development book, you'll be able to create cross-platform mobile applications that can be deployed as cloud-based PaaS and SaaS. What you will learnDiscover the latest features of .NET 5 that can be used in mobile application developmentExplore Xamarin.Forms Shell for building cross-platform mobile UIsUnderstand the technical design requirements of a consumer mobile appGet to grips with advanced mobile development concepts such as app data management, push notifications, and graph APIsManage app data with Entity Framework CoreUse Microsoft’s Project Rome for creating cross-device experiences with XamarinBecome well-versed with implementing machine learning in your mobile appsWho this book is for This book is for ASP.NET Core developers who want to get started with mobile development using Xamarin and other Microsoft technologies. Working knowledge of C# programming is necessary to get started.

Master the skills required to steer cross-platform applications from drawing board to app store(s) using Xamarin About This Book Develop your Xamarin development skills with this comprehensive guide on various patterns and features so you can create elegant and high-quality applications Create adaptive user interfaces on separate platforms without compromising the user experience and platform identity Implement application lifecycle management concepts to manage and finalize cross-platform projects and efficiently collaborate with others Who This Book Is For This book is ideal for those who want to take their entry–level Xamarin mobile development skills to the next level to become the go-to person within their organization. To fully understand the patterns and concepts described, you should possess a reasonable level of knowledge about the core elements of Xamarin and cross-platform application development with it. What You Will Learn Configure your environment for cross-platform projects with Xamarin Gain memory management skills to avoid memory leaks and premature code cycles while decreasing the memory print of your applications Employ asynchronous and parallel patterns to execute non-interactive and non-blocking processes Create and use SQLite databases for offline scenarios Integrate network resources with cross-platform applications Design and implement eye-catching and reusable UI components without compromising nativity in mobile applications Manage the application lifecycle of cross-platform development projects Distribute Xamarin applications through public or private channels In Detail The main goal of this book is to equip you with the required know-how to successfully analyze, develop, and manage Xamarin cross-platform projects using the most efficient, robust, and scalable implementation patterns. This book starts with general topics such as memory management, asynchronous programming, local storage, and networking, and later moves onto platform-specific features. During this transition, you will learn about key tools to leverage the patterns described, as well as advanced implementation strategies and features. The book also presents User Interface design and implementation concepts on Android and iOS platforms from a Xamarin and cross-platform perspective, with the goal to create a consistent but native UI experience. Finally, we show you the toolset for application lifecycle management to help you prepare the development pipeline to manage and see cross-platform projects through to public or private release. Style and approach This is a comprehensive guide on various Xamarin features and patterns. Each topic is explained and demonstrated with code samples, which are revised in each section in an iterative manner and analyzed with available diagnostic tools to demonstrate the benefits of different patterns.

It’s true: you can build native apps for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone with C# and the .NET Framework—with help from MonoTouch and Mono for Android. This hands-on guide shows you how to reuse one codebase across all three platforms by combining the business logic layer of your C# app with separate, fully native UIs. It’s an ideal marriage of platform-specific development and the "write once, run everywhere" philosophy. By building a series of simple applications, you’ll experience the advantages of using .NET in mobile development and learn how to write complete apps that access the unique features of today’s three most important mobile platforms. Learn the building blocks for building applications on iOS, Android, and Windows Phone Discover how the Mono tools interact with iOS and Android Use several techniques and patterns for maximizing non-UI code reuse Determine how much functionality can go into the shared business logic layer Connect to external resources with .NET’s rich networking stack Read and write data using each platform’s filesystem and local database Create apps to explore the platforms’ location and mapping capabilities

Build stunning, maintainable, cross-platform mobile application user interfaces with the power of XamarinAbout This Book- Create, configure, and customize stunning platform-specific features as well as cross-platform UIs with the power of Xamarin Forms.- Maximize the testability, flexibility, and overall quality of your Xamarin apps.- Get the most out of Xamarin.Forms and create your own reusable templates with C# scripting in Xamarin.Who This Book Is ForIf you are a mobile developer with basic knowledge of Xamarin and C# coding, then this book is for you.What You Will Learn- Develop stunning native cross-platform apps using the Xamarin.Forms framework- Work with the different UI layouts to create customized layouts using the C# programming language and tweak it for a given platform- Customize the user interface using DataTemplates and CustomRenderers and the Platform Effects API to change the appearance of control elements- Build hybrid apps using the Razor Template Engine and create Razor Models that communicate with a SQLite database- Use location based features within your app to display the user's current location- Work with the Xamarin.Forms Map control to display Pin placeholders based on the stored latitude and longitude coordinates- Understand and use the MVVM pattern architecture to navigate between each of your ViewModels and implement Data Binding to display and update information- Work with the Microsoft Azure Platform to incorporate API Data Access using Microsoft Azure App Services and the RESTful API- Incorporate third-party features within your app using the Facebook SDK and the Open Graph API- Perform unit testing and profile your Xamarin.Forms applications- Deploy your apps to the Google Play Store and Apple App StoreIn DetailXamarin is the most powerful cross-platform mobile development framework. If you are interested in creating stunning user interfaces for the iOS and Android mobile platforms using the power of Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms, then this is your ticket.This book will provide you the practical skills required to develop real-world Xamarin applications. You will learn how to implement UI structures and layouts, create customized elements, and write C# scripts to customize layouts. You will create UI layouts from scratch so that you can tweak and customize a given UI layout to suit your needs by using Data Templates.Moving on, you will use third-party libraries - such as the Razor template engine that allows you to create your own HTML5 templates within the Xamarin environment - to build a book library Hybrid solution that uses the SQLite.Net library to store, update, retrieve, and delete information within a SQLite local database. You'll also implement key data-binding techniques that will make your user interfaces dynamic, and create personalized animations and visual effects within your user interfaces using Custom Renderers and the PlatformEffects API to customize and change the appearance of control elements.At the end of this book, you will test your application UI for robust and consistent behavior and then explore techniques to deploy to different platforms.Style and approachThis easy to follow guide will walk you through building a real world Xamarin.Forms mobile app from start to finish. Each chapter builds upon the app using a step-by-step methodology that applies new advanced functionalities, design patterns, and best practices.