Xamarin – Testreveal

18 Best Apps Made Using Xamarin

Posted on September 16, 2020 by Super Admin Testreveal

Xamarin is a cross-platform implementation of the Common Language Specifications (also called Microsoft.Net) and Common Language Infrastructure (CLI). This platform gets its name from a Microsoft company based in California. Through Xamarin cross-platform platform, you can build and design mobile apps employing a single language. Along with iOS and Android apps, Xamarin can be used to churn out Windows Phone apps as well.

You name the domain and you have Xamarin apps that comes up with advantages and functionalities. Be in the field of healthcare, manufacturing, gaming, technology or hospitality, the list of multi-domain functionalities of Xamarin apps is endless and so are their capabilities.

For all those who are inquisitive to know about all such popular Xamarin apps that have been and will make their strong presence felt in 2021, here they are.

Cincinnati	Alaska Airlines	Microsoft Azure
Microsoft news	Outback	Taxfyle
UPS Mobile	Insightly	Storyo
Thermo Fisher Scientific	Captio	CA Mobile
BBC Goodfood	MRW App	FreshDirect
Novarum Reader	PictureX	Vanderlande

1. Cincinnati Children’s Caren

Cincinnati is a nonprofit academic medical center dedicated to children. It is one of the distinguished pediatric center for kids with top-quality treatment procedures and pieces of equipment. This app assists you in every visit to Cincinnati children.

Caren reminds you about the current status of your health and schedule appointments in advance. Besides, it can give solutions to your queries and provide services in emergency times.

App Features

Digital parking pass & spot reminder.
Perfect Wayfinder in your pockets.
Easy-to-use interface
Wide variety of resources.

Ratings: 4.8/5

Installs: 5,000+

Download: Android, iOS

2. Alaska Airlines

This app is a complete air travel partner that lets you solve all your dilemma regarding the flight information right from booking the tickets, check-in, select a seat, change a seat, order your favourite food etc.

You can even use this app to get your boarding pass and use it at the security checkpoints also. Users also have the option to integrate their calendar details so that all your travel information is lined up within the app.

App Features

Detailed information on reservations.
Timely push notifications.
Responsive feedback systems
24/7 technical support team

Ratings: 4.7/5

Installs: 1,000,000+

Download: Android, iOS

3. Microsoft Azure

Apps created by Microsoft is always a godsend for netizens. Microsoft azure is such an app molded by top-notch Xamarin tools. This app is an amazing solution to manage and monitor your services and give the best outcomes on Microsoft products.

You can control your resources on the go and resolve any issues instantly. It offers a graphical representation of critical metrics of the cloud and gets updates on its status.

App Features

Generate corrective actions on resources
Alerts on important health issues.
Always stay connected with your Cloud
Safe and end-to-end encrypted.

Ratings: 4.5/5

Installs: 500,000+

Download: Android, iOS

4. Microsoft news

People always desire credible and timely news stories. Microsoft news assures this feature at your fingertips. Users can know affairs that are happening now and those happened earlier with clear figures.

Microsoft news gives in-depth news reports & breaking news from the world’s best journalists. Users can sync their preferences and topics they are interested to read about.

The app curates news stories from reputed dailies like Washington Post, USA TODAY, CBS News, CNN, The New York Times, etc. Users can view blog posts, videos editorials, etc about the raging issues worldwide.

App Features

Get top news of all categories.
Dark mode for night reading.
Limitless & free download app.
Good user interface.

Ratings: 4.4/5

Installs: 1,000,000+

Download: Android, iOS

5. Outback

The app acts as a bridge between you and the restaurant. This app avoids queries or confusions on orders as you can directly order your favorite steaks from Outback Steakhouse.

You can pre-fill the order details along with the checkout address for making your orders easily at your doorsteps. Users can track each stage till delivery and real-time confirmation of the orders straight from the restaurant doubles the assurance of the right delivery.

App Features

Optimized mobile-friendly Interface.
Manage multiple addresses.
Reliable & no over promises.
Easiest and fastest way for food delivery.

Ratings: 4.2/5

Installs: 1,000,000+

Download: Android, iOS

Read Also: A Tutorial on Xamarin 2021

6. Taxfyle

Taxfyle is a devoted app made using Xamarin that helps you monitor your taxes on the go. You can now file taxes in real-time and connect in minutes. Users can file both their personal and business tax easily with Taxfyle at fingertips.

The app helps you calculate an upfront cost and assess the taxes, above all connect with the best tax professional to engage without any complications.

After the whole process, you can rate and review the person who helped you with easy tax services. Users can share their confidential information via Taxfyle as its systems are highly encrypted and secure.

App Features

24/7 tax advice via email.
Tracking through best accounting software
Get qualified for tax credits.
Easy data sharing & messaging.

Ratings: 4.1/5

Installs: 10,000+

Download: Android, iOS

7. UPS Mobile

One of the best apps is made using Xamarin with Five million plus installs. UPS mobile helps you track your deliveries from its shipment till reaching your hands. It is active on both Android and Ios platforms.

You can easily identify your packages and manage them by knowing their journey and exact locations. UPS has an in-app measurement tool where you can take package dimensions on the go.

App Features

Estimate shipping costs and time.
Get shipping labels.
Find the nearest UPS locations.
User-friendly app.

Ratings: 4.1/5

Installs: 5,000,000+

Download: Android, iOS

8. Insightly

This is a one-stop solution for various businesses operating in different verticals. It was created for businesses to monetize their strategies through updated information.

Powered by Xamarin, this business-centric mobile app which is compatible with iOS and Android devices shares pertinent information to its users.

App Features

Manage & monitor customer relationships
Add Voice memo with leads.
Effective team & project management.
Easy address book on the device.

Ratings: 4/5

Installs: 100,000+

Download: Android, iOS

9. Storyo

Storyo is a Xamarin-based app that helps you come up with interesting videos from photographs. You can also tag your video with details like time and place along with other contextual information that will mirror your story telling abilities.

This narrative interface featuring captivating videos is compatible with multiple platforms along with a feature that allows users across 170 countries to access your videos; in a jiffy!

App Features

Exciting slideshow creator
Users from 170+ Countries
Location & timeframe feature
Awesome filters and transitions

Ratings: 4/5

Installs: 100,000+

Download: Android, iOS

10. Thermo Fisher Scientific

If you are on the lookout for a techno-scientific mobile app that seamlessly blends life sciences with IoT (Internet of Things), then Thermo Fisher Scientific is the perfect bet.

Predominantly hand holding genetic scientists to come up with multiple copies of DNA in a short time span, this research and development (R&D) mobile app teams with PCR Essentials App.

This combination of xamarin apps facilitates the monitoring of progress from anywhere. Another star attraction of this app is that it cuts down the number of manual machine checks.

All thanks to Xamarin, a significant 75% reduction in development time was possible along with providing another user-friendly platform to conduct R&D activities through mobiles.

App Features

Real-time followups and schedules
Exact geolocation tracking
Autogeneration of service reports
Easy-to-use Interface

Ratings: 3.8/5

Installs: 1,000+

Download: Android, iOS

11. Captio

With this app, you can forget all the paper works regarding your expenses. Because this app transforms your smartphone into a customized tool that can help you calculate all your travel expenses.

This digital partner of your travel and expense provides information for business account management details, VAT details, credit card payments, supervises the accounts and even helps in business accounting.

App Features

Automatically generate expense reports.
A perfect tool for corporate management.
Automatic data extraction facility.
Reconcile multiple payments

Ratings: 3.6/5

Installs: 100,000+

Download: Android, iOS

12. CA Mobile

This app was created to provide a safe and native mobile experience for the customers of famous Portugal based bank, Credito Agricola.

The CA Mobile app lets you access your bank account anytime and anywhere from various devices. You can get details regarding your account summary, transactions, card details, recharges and other value-added services.

App Features

Biometric authentication facility
Purchase via virtual cards
Monitor CA agencies
Completely free membership.

Ratings: 3.3/5

Installs: 100,000+

Download: Android

13. BBC Goodfood

This is the latest version of the BBC Goodfood app offering an extensive recipe database for its users. New dishes and recipes are added all time and users can try it without any trouble. Users can create their collections and rate their favorite recipes.

The newest feature is that you can share the new recipes with your family and friends anywhere anytime. BBC Good food offers a free trial period where users can fully use the app and decide its future use.

App Features

24/7 customer email support
Various subscription packages
Browse & search for trending recipes.
Filter junk/promotion folders.

Ratings: 2.9/5

Installs: 500,000+

Download: Android, iOS

14. MRW App

This app helps you track your company shipments and know their status anytime and anywhere. Being a pioneer to e-commerce and logistics it’s been a necessity to have a mobile app that works across cross-platforms.

Using this app you can locate the other offices of MRW and also get in touch with us through various communication channels like customer service, website or through the social media.

App Features

Track & know the status of your products.
Locate nearest MRW offices
Active on multiple devices.
In-app chat functionality

Rating: 2.5/5

Installs: 10,000+

Download : Android

15. FreshDirect

Featuring a huge catalog of more than 15,000 products, FreshDirect is a Xamarin offering that allows you to source your groceries from the comfort of your homes.

With a Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) that helps marketers track their inventory through an identification code, FreshDirect is the product of multiple technologies.

Along with Xamarin Test Cloud, this online grocery app makes use of the concepts of Visual Studio and HockeyApp that makes it compatible with iOS and Android platforms.

App Features

Track & know the status of your products.
Locate nearest MRW offices
Active on multiple devices.
In-app chat functionality.

Ratings: 2.2/5

Installs: 100.000+

Download: Android, iOS

Read Also: What Makes Xamarin Unique in 2021

16. Novarum Reader

Novarum DX is a test platform for both diagnostics and pharmaceutical market. Avoiding the traditional method of lateral flow test, the company wanted users to be provided with the option of analyzing results via a smartphone camera.

For this, the Novorum reader app was created which was the first ever diagnostic software that worked without hardware. According to your need, the app can be customized in case of reading and the reporting system.

App Features

Highly customizable interface
Perform easy testing by scanning codes.
Immediate pass/fail result.
Connect & transfer reports.

Visit Website

17. PictureX

This is a free, fun-to-use, easy app made with Xamarin that lets you collect and arrange all your favourite photos with friends’ or family in the same folder.

The company aims at providing their customers the option of exchanging pictures with other users. Permission to access the photo, share and download it is only given by the user.

App Features

Elegant and intuitive design.
Secure and encrypted accounts.
User-friendly platform.
Easily arrange & access photos.

Visit Website

18. Vanderlande

This app lets the employees trace the parcels automatically using the scan bar or the QR codes. By integrating the Xamarin platform, the app was found to showcase a better user interface and it also becomes easier for employees who don’t know English.

This, in turn, helps in improving their operational activities and expanding logistics with greater services.

App Features

Real-time Tracking of consignments
Multi-language support
Effective logistics management.
Excellent UI/UX.

Visit Website

Read Also: Pros & Cons of Xamarin App Development in 2021

The Last Word

With multidisciplinary options that Xamarin apps have to offer, you can welcome 2021 with a high level of confidence and preparedness.

Making the most of Xamarin’s cross-platform app development technology, you will be poised to expand your customer base with the inclusion of various mobile platforms.

How Good is Xamarin for Android App Development?

Posted on July 12, 2018 by Super Admin Testreveal

Xamarin is a cross-platform development software that makes the creation of mobile applications a breeze. Given the growing patronage of mobile-only strategies by big and small enterprises, it was long before that desktops were replaced by mobiles through innovative and convenient mobile apps. A host of Xamarin app development services can be availed by you after signing up with a xamarin mobile app development company.

All set to enable mobile app developers to come up with user-friendly Android apps, let us look at the positives of xamarin application development.

1. The Dire Need for Cross-Platform Mobile App Development

In the past, mobile app development focused on churning out apps that were compatible with the three popular platforms including Windows, iOS and Android. However, this situation posed a problem to enterprises looking to develop their indigenous mobile apps.

Business fell short of addressing issues concerning budgeting and operations through their native mobile apps. It was not the “one app fits all” case. Since their native apps had to look into various specifications that came with different platforms, it was not easy to develop an omnipotent mobile app.

As a ray of hope, emerged the concept of cross-platform mobile app development supported by Xamarin. That means, a Xamarin app can work seamlessly across various platforms, allowing developers to churn out cost-effective apps whose code can be reused to come up with Android apps.

2. Enjoy The Real Experience of a Native App

With Xamarin as your chosen mobile app development software, you will be in a favorable position to offer similar functionalities to apps developed on various platforms. For instance, an Android app presents a unique user experience when compared to an iOS app, although both of them meet the same objective. Through Xamarin, you can conveniently build apps with a single code that effectively blends with different platforms. Through this cross-platform software, you can enable the end users to enjoy the real experience of a native app.

3. Financial Viability

It is indeed a futile attempt to write multiple codes for native apps so that they can work on various platforms. This is not only a time-consuming exercise but also puts a big hole in the pockets of a mobile app development company. However, with Xamarin, you can bring down the cost of building Android apps that will work their best on other platforms and brands as well.

That means, Xamarin helps you to reuse the same code that will deliver the same results across multiple functions and platforms. Guaranteeing you a performance-centric Android app, Xamarin helps companies keep their mobile developments costs to the bare minimum.

4. The Inclusion of The Advantages of C#

Xamarin, the cross-platform mobile app development software employs C# as its coding language. C#, identified as a modern and simple object-oriented programming language comes a host of benefits including: flexibility and ease of learning. It is also an all-in-one utility with which you can build Android apps which are pure and type-safe. When you use Xamarin to build Android apps, you will be at the receiving end of all the benefits of Microsoft’s C#.

5. A Provision to Tap Into the Expanding Knowledge Pool

Given the ever-increasing patronage of C#, you as a mobile app development company need not sweat over identifying niche coding talent. You can make the most of C# which has, since its introduction gained recognition as an easy to learn language.

C# developers who exhibit a certain level of learnability will be able to put their skills and knowledge to the best use. They will be able to come up with some extraordinary Android apps that will attract the attention of several end users.

So, if you are looking to develop a cost-effective Android app, you can simply rely on Xamarin.

6. Enjoy Native API Access

Having picked up Xamarin as your mobile app development software, you will be in a position to come up with an Android app that will enable developers to access the native APIs in iOS and other platforms.

When you have a complete access to the APIs, you will be able to save a great deal of effort and time, so that you can launch your Android app quickly into the market. This feature lends a helping hand to all those who are looking to build various apps so that they can support multiple brands launched on different platforms.

7. The Best Advantage of “Write Once, Run Everywhere”

In today’s times, you will find everyone looking for apps that work on a single code which is compatible on multiple platforms. Enterprises are constantly on the lookout for Android apps which promise a single codebase coupled with a superior user interface and native performance.

Xamarin Forms is a platform that enables you to live the dream of “Write Once, Run Everywhere”. With Xamarin Forms, you will be able to share all the apps across multiple operating systems including Android, iOS and UWP (Phone 10 and Windows 10).

Key Takeaways

The markets are flooded with umpteen choices of software to build mobile apps for various brands and purposes. However, the key here is to make the right choice so that you come up with an Android app that is high on end-user experience, cost-efficiency and productivity. In view of these two prime requirements, Xamarin can become your top choice that virtually shortens the learning curve.

Sign up with a xamarin mobile app development company so that you can derive the best of xamarin app development services that will come to you as part of the numerous benefits of xamarin application development. This way, your Android app powered by Xamarin will be able to speak for itself, demonstrating superior user-interface coupled with a classic user experience that every mobile end user looks forward to.

A Tutorial On Xamarin

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Super Admin Testreveal

The Emergence of cross platform ecosystem in mobile app development

Until recently, mobile app development specialists had to follow a stringent slot of either iOS, Android or Windows. Due to differing ecosystem, language constraints and style, the process of software development on each platform was entirely different. It was therefore extremely challenging for developers to build separate mobile apps for these platforms.

However, Xamarin came to transform the process and altered the course of the situation through enabling unique facility known as cross platform development. Xamarin allows developers to build application for iOS and Android with C# and .NET libraries. To establish the performance and feel of native apps, Xamarin mobile development enables developers to leverage full range of native APIs and UI controls available from the OS and hardware of the respective devices.

What is Xamarin?

Xamarin offers unique ability to iOS and Android developers to work their way towards writing mobile applications in C# and then run them on any desired mobile platform or OS.

Earlier, native languages like Objective-C, Swift and Java were the only limited choices for creating iOS and Android applications. In a past few years, Xamarin has bred novel ecosystem of platforms for cross platform mobile application development. It offers single language (C#) and runtime that seamlessly functions across iOS, Android and Windows and compiles native apps.

Why to choose Xamarin?

Each platform has its own discipline of features and methods of writing native applications where native code interoperates and interacts smoothly with underlying Java base. Some platforms support apps written in HTML and JavaScript whereas some allow C/C++ code. In such traditional setting, there should be separate codebases for each device or your app run via web browser, which imposes major concerns of maintenance and cost.

In Xamarin mobile development, developers eliminate typical issues as faced in native app development. For instance, web browser apps do not run natively as its UI is not familiar to device ecosystem and its performance is also compromised due to the absence of native code.

Xamarin’s cross platform capability is superior because:

It consists of native features: UI, API access and performance
Native UI of each device makes your app user-friendly
You can perform the same coding results as achieved using Objective-C, Java and Swift
Due to access to device’s individual APIs, you can experience native performance
Enjoy shared codebase across all devices
Cross platform apps offer same-day support for each new OS releases

Xamarin products

Xamarin offers:

iOS
Xamarin Android
forms

Specialities of Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android

Developers can leverage the power of UI toolkits Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android in order to create an app using each platform’s APIs .NET framework. While developing apps with these two products, you can relish customizations for UI for each platform.

In both UI toolkits, you will have the benefit of separate UI approach. Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android comes with shared code base in C# which is shared across platforms with separate UI for each.

Xamarin mobile development with Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android seems suitable for:

Apps where native-like behaviour and interactions are expected
Development of apps with platform-specific native APIs
Mobile apps with UI customization scope

Specialities of Xamarin.forms

The best part about using Xamarin.forms is that while building an app with this UI kit, developers will need to write code only once. At the moment of runtime, this written code is translated to platform’s native environment.

Another speciality of Xamarin.forms is that you can enjoy the benefit of the maximum code sharing which is as much as 90% with this UI kit.

Hence, Xamarin.Forms is suitable when:

You don’t require platform-specific functionality for apps
Code sharing is more crucial than custom UI

Xamarin components

With the launch of Xamarin 2.0 in March 2013, the Component Store was introduced to help developers save time and accelerate Xamarin application development process and enjoy potential features. The store contains the stunning catalog of UI controls, charts, themes, cloud services and other great features that you can integrate in your app in matter of a few clicks.

To speed up the process of adding Xamarin components to your app, the Store is integrated into both Xamarin Studio and Visual Studio. To get detailed insight into how exactly you can create, bundle, test and submit your components to the Xamarin Store, refer to the full Xamarin Component Store Guide.

Here is the quick overview to Xamarin components and submission.

Submission Overview

After component creation and packaging and testing, you will need to submit your components and Xamarin plugins to Xamarin component store. Before you proceed, it is believed that you have some experience with yaml and building a component. If you are not aware of how to produce a component, start going through its insightful Xamarin Component Store guide.

Once you have finished building a component and are happy with it, you can submit your creation to Xamarin Store where it will be reviewed and approved.

You will need to set up your own Xamarin Account in case you don’t have one. To proceed for creating the Xamarin account, visit Xamarin Home page and click “Sign In” at the top right corner. Follow the instructions there after clicking on “Create a new account”.

If you are not willing to keep it open source, you can place the specific charge for the use of any of Xamarin components submit by you on the Store. To officially set up the charge for each component and Xamarin plug-ins you create, you will need to provide your account details. The sales will be credited to your account provided that 30% of the revenue is deducted as commission towards Xamarin Store.

To understand the process of updating the existing component – which is different from creating a new one – you should study the guide on Xamarin store website.

Approval Process

After you have submitted the new or updated component, you wait for Xamarin Store to review it on the basis of Component Review Guidelines. If they discover any issues or errors, you will be contacted with the details of needed fixes and improvements.

If there is not issue found in your component or Xamarin plug-ins, it will receive the final approval and be made available officially on the component store where people can explore and download when required.

Major Xamarin components

Some of the most powerful Xamarin components you may find on its online library for Xamarin application development are:

SNMP library: Solid easy to use, open source SNMP library for iOS and Android
AchartEngine: Charting library for Android applications
ActionTray: A dockable customizable slide-out, tray view controller for iOS and Android
Advance Colour Picker: An open-source colour picker component for Xamarin.iOS
Alliance Calendar: Beautiful Android calendar control with elegant features
BubbleTree: Represent tree structures in mobile apps. Search an element in bug tree structure in an easy and intuitive way.
Built.io: Mobile and web back-end and app development platform by raw engineering
Card.io for Android and iOS: Credit card scanning for mobile apps for both platforms
Dolby Audio Component: Leverage the power of Dolby audio in your Android and Games
Download Manager: Handles the downloading of files from the internet using either HTTP or FTP protocols
Eggs-To-Go: Cross-platform mobile library for implementing Easter Egg gestures
Google App indexing for iOS: Get your app found in Google Search
Google Cardboard: It enables VR on your smartphone for experiencing virtual reality in simple, fun and affordable way

Features of Xamarin

Xamarin’s unique quality is that it combines most quintessential power of native platforms with its own set of comprehensive features to enable Xamarin application development. Some of its great features include:

1. Leverage the full potential with the underlying SDKs

For iOS and Android developers, Xamarin binds the whole underlying platform’s SDK to establish native experience in its full capacity. In both the platforms, these bindings work effectively and are strongly-typed. They are easy to use and navigate and offer robust compile-time type checking during the development process, which translates into minimum runtime errors and high-quality mobile apps.

2. Integration of Objective-C, Java, C, and C++ libraries

Xamarin application development allows you to directly take advantage of existing iOS and Android libraries written in Objective-C, Java or C/C++. This facility gives you the freedom and power to integrate a wide variety of 3^rd party code already created in this library. Also, using declarative syntax, developers can easily bind native Objective-C and Java libraries.

3. Sophisticated Language Constructs

Xamarin applications are all written in C# which is much more sophisticated and improved language than its previous predecessors Objective-C and Java. Its potential improvements are Dynamic language features, Functional Constructs (Lambdas), LINQ, Parallel programming features, modern Generics, etc.

4. Massively feature-rich Base Class Library (BCL)

Xamarin applications benefit greatly from .NET BCL, which is a massive collections classes that contain comprehensive and much powerful features such as Database, XML, Serialization, IO, Networking support, String and much more. Moreover, by compiling existing C# code in an application, you can gain access to enormous number of libraries that allow you to perform more actions that BCL basically offers.

5. Modern (IDE)

The inimitable quality of Xamarin is that it uses Visual Studio on Mac OS X and on Windows. The Visual Studio for both platforms have modern IDEs with features such as a sophisticated Project and Solution management system, code auto completion, integrated source control, a comprehensive project template library, and more.

6. Mobile Cross Platform Support

To facilitate frictionless Xamarin application development for leading mobile platforms (iOS, Android and Windows), Xamarin offers sophisticated cross-platform support. Xamarin. Mobile library has a unified API to avail common resources across these platforms. You can write Applications with up to 90% of shared code. Xamarin’s cross-platform support saves substantial amount of cost and time needed to market products for three popular platforms.

These are some of Xamarin’s incredibly powerful and compelling features that contributing to enhancing the Xamarin application development. It is due to this powerful feature set that application developers can now fill the void experienced during the development process. They can finally capitalize on the strength of modern language and comprehensive platform to develop cross-platform mobile applications.

Xamarin App Development Tools

Xamarin is one of unstoppable buzzwords among developers who avidly gravitate towards cross-platform frameworks to build cross-platform applications across major platforms (Android, Windows, iOS, OS X) with native UI, experience and performance. Hence, if you are looking for highly productive tools to ease your Xamarin development process, this section will walk you through all the essential development tools used for creating Xamarin apps.

1) Visual Studio

Visual Studio is Microsoft’s advanced and widely used sophisticated IDE. Known best for its features for mobile, desktop and web application creation, it supports mobile development of:

.NET (Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
Mac desktop apps
.NET Core applications
NET Core Web application
Cross-platform Unity games

Some if its significant features include debugger, rich editor, integrated source control and native platform integration with iOS, Mac and Android. The latest Visual Studio for Mac incorporates a range of features including cloud, web development and potential improvements in cross-platform mobile development.

2) Xcode

Dedicated to Apple’s various OS platforms, Xcode IDE facilitates the entire Apple development ecosystem. It creates immensely productive environment for developers to build apps for Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch OS and Apple TV. Even though you can use Xamarin to develop iOS apps on Visual Studio running in a Window system, you can’t deny the role of Mac computer because you will also require an access to Mac system to perform the remote actions of compilation and debugging.

3) NuGet

NuGet is another essential tool that enables mechanism for modern developers to create, share and consume reusable code. NuGet is a main repository of over 100,000 code packages produced by .NET developers. You can also host packages in the private cloud or network or on your local storage system. This way, code bundles will be accessible to developers who have permission to the host, maintaining in place the limited, user-specific availability.

4) Xamarin Inspector

When it is time to run and test apps for bugs, Xamarin Workbooks and Inspector offers an interactive C# console. The Xamarin Inspector integrates with the app debugger of your IDE so that users can capitalize on its tools to diagnose, inspect and debug the app elements smoothly.

5) Prism:

Prism is a framework used to build testable XAML applications in WPF, Windows 10 and Xamarin Forms. Basically Prism offers implementation of design patterns for writing well-structured and maintainable XAML apps. It includes MVVM, commands, dependency injection, EventAggregator, etc. Prism provides shared code base in a Portable Class Library which targets these core platforms while enabling integration of these design patterns with the target platform.

6) MFractor

In order to make Xamarin application development easier and more simplified, MFractor offers XAML IntelliSense, 100+ XAML inspections and re-factorings, image tooling and more. It also contains an enhanced XAML editor that boosts your Xamarin. Forms development by increasing the speed of discovering code issues and ultimately fixing them in a few clicks.

MFractor also helps you with missing essentials such as:

Image importing wizard
Localization assistance
Handy mobile navigation short-cuts
Code snippet support
Configuration engine
Project-specific customization options

7) MVVM Frameworks

MVVM, which is also known as Model-View-View-Model, is a reliable technique tailored for XAML-based environments in order to architect an application. It does so by separating UI from the underlying code used to integrate business logic. You can use MVVM frameworks in your Xamarin Forms while opting for Xamarin application development. Some of them are:

MvvmCross:https://github.com/MvvmCross/MvvmCross
Mvvm Light:http://www.mvvmlight.net/
Fresh MVVM:https://github.com/rid00z/FreshMvvm

8) ReSharper

If you are looking for an accurate on-the-fly code quality analysis in different languages, ReSharper is a Visual Studio extension you may consider. Designed for .NET developers, ReSharper supports .NET MVC, C#, ASP.NET, VB.NET, XAML, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and XML. Based on its analytical capability, developers can determine whether or not their code needs further improvement.

You can be warned of any problem in your code
You can take advantage of hundreds of quick fixes to automatically resolve the issue
Leverage variety of quick fix options to pick and choose the best from

It is also equipped with many code editing helpers such as:

Extended IntelliSense
Instant code transformations
Auto-importing namespaces
Code rearrangement
Documentation display

9) Sketch

Sketch is a vector-based, powerful design tool for Mac and its focus is mainly on screen design. Developers and designers can leverage Sketch for creating website structures, icons, and UI for both desktop and mobile devices. Sketch is handy and powerful to both beginners and established professionals who wish to specialize in one domain – which is design.

Thick with lots of pros, Sketch is tailored to address the needs of digital artists who expect to build spectacular applications. Due to its alluring feature set, Sketch as a design tool has become a widely popular choice among dedicated design companies and start-ups today.

10) Balsamiq

Balsamiq is another design aid that helps designers get faster, better and smarter in their design building experience. For once, it uses computer to reproduce the experience of sketching on a whiteboard and making wireframes faster. This ultimately helps creative designers generate more ideas and think of the best solutions possible. Here in Balsamiq, one can just drag and drop to elements for resizing, make fast changes and bring clarity to their work.

11) Adobe XD

Providing all-in-one UX/UI solutions for website and mobile apps designs, Adobe XD enables faster concept-to-prototype journey. Adobe XD offers the following major benefits:

Helps designers achieve maximum precision, performance and task efficiency
Best complements the effortlessness of UX/UI designers
Its intuitive tools are built to suit exact needs of designers
It is equipped with speed boosting features such as Repeat Grid and flexible artboards
Developers can create fully interactive prototypes in shortest of time
Switch from static layouts to interactive prototypes in a single click
Edit your design, view prototype updates automatically without syncing
One can review and share prototypes with transitions on iOS and Android devices

12) Visual studio Unit Testing Framework

The Visual Studio Unit Testing Framework is Microsoft’s unit testing tools suite that comes integrated into Visual Studio versions. Developers and QA testers familiar with Visual Studio can easily apply their experience in testing apps with the unit tests created in the framework and execute the same in Visual Studio. It is defined in Microsoft.VisualStudio.QualityTools.UnitTestFramework.dll.

13) xUnit.net

Written by the creator of NUnit v2, xUnit.net is the latest technology in testing tools. It is an open-source and community-focused unit testing tool working in the .NET framework. It supports unit testing for multiple languages including C#, F#, VB.NET, and other languages of .NET family. xUnit.net complies with the code of conduct of .NET foundation and works well with ReSharper, CodeRush, TestDriven.NET, and Xamarin.

Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android

Apps built using Xamarin cross-platform development framework are unique for individual device platforms (Android and iOS) as Xamarin understands features for each platform quite well. Here is what Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin. Android offers to cross-platform mobile application developers:

100% API access for each platform

It enables developers to create an app using independent APIs that belong to each underlying device platform. Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS offer 100% API access with all the merits of .NET APIs, which implies that you have sheer power to do anything you wish in Android or iOS with Xamarin in C#.

This is an added advantage of building apps using Xamarin cross-platform technology, which means it is easy to deliver exceptional native experience for mobile applications built with Xamarin.

Smart separate UI approach

Developers can leverage the approach of having separate UI design toolkits known as Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android. This indicates that you can capitalize on the power of shared code base in C# with Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android, resulting in a controlled structure where common business logic is conveniently shared across multiple platforms with separate UIs. Thus the two products help Xamarin developers tailor-build UI designs for each platform involved.

Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS unleashes the complete potential of Android SDK to .NET developers in order to craft perfectly native Android apps in C# in Visual Studio.

Suitability

While developing cross-platform mobile application using Xamarin technology, if you are confused as to where Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android are most suitable, here is where both the tools come handy:

Building apps with native-like behaviour and interactions
Developing apps with platform-specific native APIs
Mobile apps with custom UI development

Windows

As long as Windows applications go, the Windows is already built in C# and supports C# for development along with native APIs.

Xamarin.Forms

Xamarin.forms is another UI toolkit that allows cross-platform developers to write code only once and then share application UI across all platforms. At the time of running the mobile application, the written code blends into platform’s native structure.

Xamarin.Forms also sets free a complete UI toolkit for .NET developers to build fully native Android, iOS, and Windows apps in Visual Studio.

Another pro of using Xamarin.forms is that developers can relish the luxury of sharing maximum code (which is up to 90%) with this UI kit.

With Xamarin.forms, all it takes is the strength of single team of Xamarin developers to build apps for multiple platforms.

Xamarin.Forms is equipped with:

UI building blocks (pages, layouts, and controls)
Complete set of UI controls defined in XAML
Data binding
Custom renderers
Navigation
Animation API
Dependency Service
Messaging Centre

Advantages of Xamarin.Forms

Native app feel
Shared Business Logic
Shared UI
More efficiency & less development time

Suitability

During cross-platform mobile app development, Xamarin.Forms seems suitable in situations like:

Building apps where platform-specific functionality is not compulsory
Cross-platform projects where code sharing is more emphasized than custom UI

Steps to Create a Mobile App Using Xamarin

Xamarin is one of unstoppable buzzwords among developers who avidly gravitate towards cross-platform frameworks to build cross-platform applications across major platforms (Android, Windows, iOS, OS X) with native UI, experience and performance. Hence, if you are looking for highly productive tools to ease your Xamarin development process, this post will walk you through all the essential development tools used for creating Xamarin apps.

Visual Studio

Visual Studio is Microsoft’s advanced and widely used sophisticated IDE. Known best for its features for mobile, desktop and web application creation, it supports mobile development of:

.NET (Android, iOS, tvOS, watchOS)
Mac desktop apps
.NET Core applications
NET Core Web application
Cross-platform Unity games

XCode

Dedicated to Apple’s various OS platforms, XCode IDE facilitates the entire Apple development ecosystem. It creates immensely productive environment for developers to build apps for Mac, iPad, iPhone, Watch OS and Apple TV. Even though you can use Xamarin to develop iOS apps on Visual Studio running in a Window system, you can’t deny the role of Mac computer because you will also require an access to Mac system to perform the remote actions of compilation and debugging.

NuGet

Xamarin Inspector

Prism

MFractor

In order to make Xamarin application development easier and more simplified, MFractor offers XAML IntelliSense, 100+ XAML inspections and refactorings, image tooling and more. It also contains an enhanced XAML editor that boosts your Xamarin.Forms development by increasing the speed of discovering code issues and ultimately fixing them in a few clicks.

MFractor also helps you with missing essentials such as:

Image importing wizard
Localization assistance
Handy mobile navigation shortcuts
Code snippet support
Configuration engine
Project-specific customization options

MVVM Frameworks

MvvmCross : https://github.com/MvvmCross/MvvmCross
Mvvm Light : http://www.mvvmlight.net/
Fresh MVVM : https://github.com/rid00z/FreshMvvm

ReSharper

You can be warned of any problem in your code
You can take advantage of hundreds of quick fixes to automatically resolve the issue
Leverage variety of quick fix options to pick and choose the best from

It is also equipped with many code editing helpers such as:

Extended IntelliSense
Instant code transformations
Auto-importing namespaces
Code rearrangement
Documentation display

Sketch

Balsamiq

Adobe XD

Providing all-in-one UX/UI solutions for website and mobile apps designs, Adobe XD enables faster concept-to-prototype journey. Adobe XD offers the following major benefits:

Helps designers achieve maximum precision, performance and task efficiency
Best complements the effortlessness of UX/UI designers
Its intuitive tools are built to suit exact needs of designers
It is equipped with speed boosting features such as Repeat Grid and flexible artboards
Developers can create fully interactive prototypes in shortest of time
Switch from static layouts to interactive prototypes in a single click
Edit your design, view prototype updates automatically without syncing
One can review and share prototypes with transitions on iOS and Android devices

Visual studio Unit Testing Framework

xUnit.net

How Xamarin Benefits Cross-platform App Development

As Microsoft resolutely states, “Apps built using Xamarin look and feel native, because they are native indeed!” Let’s start with this one as we go to describe all the incredible benefits delivered by Xamarin for cross-platform app development.

All things Native

With Xamarin application development, you are confident that any app built using this platform will reflect native-like qualities, such as:

1) Native UI: Xamarin cross-platform IDE is built with high priority shown to app performance and UI quality. Hence, Xamarin-built apps have native UI controls and look and behaviour that end users truly expect.

2) Native API Access: Since Xamarin application development provides access to device-specific functionalities and platform-specific capabilities (ARKit and Android Multi-Window mode), developers can foster unique ability to emulate native app technologies used universally.

3) Native Performance: Apps built using Xamarin technology is enriched with platform-specific speed and are designed to generate organic native performance. This is because during runtime UI components are converted into device-specific elements, avoiding the code interpretation, eventually producing native experience.

4) Fast pace of development cycle : One of the main attractions of Xamarin for cross-platform app development is that its code can be reused and recycled. As up to 90% portion of code can be reused across different platforms, developers find it easy to economize on both time and vigour which they can invest later in other innovations. Thus the simplified code sharing significantly impacts the pace of development cycle.

5) Extract great value from C#: Having spent much of time in mobile application development, developers might be familiar enough to use programming languages from the C family. C# which is a much sophisticated, general-purpose language that offers type-friendly comfort for Windows platform. It has object-oriented coding and contains all the improvements and advancements of C++.

6) Shared app code: With Xamarin cross-platform app development, it is possible for developers to share app code across multiple mobile platforms and OS. Xamarin has unique edge since its major UI logics such as input validation, database interactions, web service calls, back-end API integrations are written in one language only which is C#. So you can use the same APIs for 75+% of app code across all mobile development platforms.

7) Outstanding flexibility: Xamarin gifts you outstanding flexibility when it comes to using the same APIs and UI controls as used for development of Android, iOS and Mac applications. You can develop apps easily across these platforms without changing much since Xamarin supports platform-specific programming languages viz Java, Objective-C, and Swift. Due to this allowance, users can have new features installed as soon as they are launched for the respective device.

8) Agility and economy: This particular benefit appeals to both enterprise-grade businesses and developers equally. The reason why Xamarin cross-platform mobile application development contributes to business growth is its Rapid Mobile App Development (RMAD) capability. All credit goes to Xamarin UI form libraries that enable simplified, swift and frictionless development. It provides developers with an added advantage of agility they need to expedite the process, and businesses, too, benefit from Xamarin’s low-cost development model.

9) Great hardware compatibility: Since Xamarin cross-platform development gives you full access to its powerful components and APIs, your app will conduct native interactions with the device OS. This ultimately lowers any compatibility issues you face earlier in the app development. Xamarin gives developers an opportunity to capitalize on and connect with applications’ common device functionalities for various platforms on a larger scale.

10) Enhanced accuracy: Xamarin contains quintessential type-safety feature which is beneficial to developers who want to spend minimum time correcting the errors they face while writing the applications. This rich feature in Xamarin application development allows you to avoid possible type-specific syntax errors and inaccuracies. Developers can simply avoid the involvement of boilerplate or verbose type annotations, thus augmenting convenience and speed, and eliminating occurrences of flaws.

11) Incredible customization: It is advantageous for any mobile app developers to be able to tweak and add custom feature to applications. Xamarin cross-platform app development tool enables facility for you to use and work on native libraries so that you can create applications with incredible customization.

From above discussion, it is crystal-clear that Xamarin is super-beneficial to both developers and businesses bodies. Not only Xamarin mobile applications offer competitive advantage to enterprise structures, but it also equip developers who wish to work on intuitive, sophisticated and time-tested cross-platform development tools.

Summary

Xamarin mobile application development is a considerable cross-platform solution that offers simplified coding and native user experience across multiple device platforms. The robust cross-platform tool helps developers build a single app, reuse code for common business logic and optimize the speed of app development cycle.

Due to rapid app development capability, hardware compatibility and API flexibility, Xamarin is a platform of choice for modern developers who seek real-time value while building, testing and deploying apps with just one tool. Finally, we can firmly say that a wide community of talented Xamarin professionals and the use of advanced C# definitely make Xamarin a comprehensive application development platform for both business enterprises and developers.

Exclusive Bonus: Download PDF Guide

9 Reasons To Choose Xamarin For Cross-platform Mobile App Development [Infographic]

Posted on April 18, 2018 by Super Admin Testreveal

As the global market share of mobile app is increasing frequently, use of cross-platform mobile app development has been essential for businesses. When compared with native mobile app development, cross-platform development turns out to be more cost efficient and time saving.

In such a situation, Xamarin is incredibly the best platform or framework for developers to create mobile apps using a single code i.e. C# which can be shared in multiple platforms. With a powerful IDE, Xamarin helps developers to create a comprehensive environment for development, where if required the users can further integrate the app to Xamarin Studio or Microsoft Visual Studio. Other features of Xamarin like high compiled code, options to use the native UI across various platforms, Xamarin test suite, benefits of programming language C# also makes Xamarin an extensively preferred platform.

After checking out all the advantages of Xamarin, it becomes one of the best tool set that allows us to support multiple platforms with less or no amount of code change. Checkout this info graphic and learn about Xamarin a little more.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Xamarin in Mobile App Development

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Super Admin Testreveal

An impressively crafted mobile app means constant revenue to a business and customer engagement. However, mobile app development comes across multiple development platforms and devices, which is apparently challenging. Xamarin mobile application development offers a thinkable cross-platform solution that works across multiple operating systems and devices.

Ever since its launch, Xamarin is used as a robust cross-platform app development platform that helps build a single app for all device systems. Native apps often require duplicated codes for different platforms. However, Xamarin app development comes with both pros and cons. In this blog, we are going to explore both advantages and disadvantages of using Xamarin in mobile app development.

Advantages:

Fast app development cycle

The most phenomenal part about Xamarin app development platform is that it contains reusable code 90% of which can be recycled for the development of apps on various platforms. The coding is based on C# language and .Net libraries. Since developers can reuse great portion of original Xamarin codes for creating apps across different platforms, it becomes easy to reserve big slice of time and efforts for them to accelerate the pace of development cycle. Due to simplified code sharing across different OS, users have a shortened product development lifecycle.

Getting the best of C#

Being a general-purpose, type-friendly programming language for Windows platform, C# is a sophisticated resort when it comes to leveraging object-oriented coding. C# is a modern, more advanced and improved version of C++ which enables you to treat basic data as objects. Its type-safety feature means a lot to Xamarin mobile app development company as it allows them to circumvent possible type-specific errors and blunders. Developers would not have to involve boilerplate or verbose type annotations, which increases convenience while also avoiding flawed program.

RMAD for businesses

Xamarin mobile app development services hugely appeal to businesses that emphasize modern app development practices due to its RMAD (rapid mobile app development) capability. Xamarin’s cross-platform development has the added advantage over native apps of speeding up the process without compromising on cost. Agility and cost are two primary requirements for any business and Xamarin does it better. Xamarin UI development uses forms libraries to make the process rapid, simple and smooth. This proves that Xamarin is a business-friendly platform.

Native User experience and feel

Xamarin cross-platform app development tool (IDE) enables such C# coding that the result is a native look and feel of the mobile app. At the moment of app runtime, it converts UI components into platform-specific elements, resulting in native app-like experience. Users choose apps with native UI design and experience. Xamarin app development company enjoys the access to device-specific features and its ability to compete with native app technologies.

Shared app code

What makes Xamarin as a considerable choice for cross-platform app development is the luxury of sharing the app code across multiple mobile platforms and OS. This is why businesses prefer to hire Xamarin developer. The important UI logics like input validation, web service calls, database interactions, back-end API integrations are all coded with C#. This makes Xamarin a cross-platform app development tool with a unique edge.

API Integration flexibility

Xamarin mobile application development also stands out because of its utmost flexibility to use same APIs and UI controls as found in developing Android, iOS and Mac applications. It supports the development for respective platform-specific programming languages such as Java, Objective-C and Swift. Such binding capability allows users to install new features no sooner than they are introduced into device’s OS.

Riddance from Hardware Compatibility issues

Xamarin offers the use of a rage of plug-ins and supporting APIs for cross-platform app development, which means it is quite possible that you are going to enjoy native-level interaction with operating device hardware. This goes to indicate that you will have little hardware compatibility issues with Xamarin mobile app development services as such. While developing apps on Xamarin platform, any Xamarin app development company can bask in the fact that they are to build applications with commonly available device functionalities running seamlessly on assorted platforms. Moreover, Xamarin delivers freedom to link native libraries for crafting great apps with good-quality customizations.

Disadvantages

Inevitable software overheads

Despite the fact that Xamarin mobile application development saves time by creating a single app for all platforms, it also involves, on the other hand, code linkage and referencing between target OS environments of different devices in use and .Net frameworks. This implies that such efforts can add to time taken for initiation and downloads of the app.

Time-consuming nature of UI Development

Again, time gets crucial when it comes to UI development on Xamarin platform. Although Xamarin facilitates reusing maximum code across target device platforms, it is hard to create a portable version of core UI. This is why Xamarin app development experts are compelled to perform some portion of coding for independent platform, which demands time.

Issues of App file size

While being beneficial in many ways, Xamarin is also slightly accused of swallowing more time for additional job of adjusting app file size. This is mainly because the generous use of Xamarin’s core libraries and functionality burdens the app stores with unjustifiable app file size. The size margin in the store may range from 3MB to 15MB.

Conclusive Remarks

According to enterprises and developers, Xamarin combines the best of both: native user experience and cross-platform operations. Albeit certain cons, Xamarin mobile app Development Company can still provide you with all the benefit of cross-platform mobile app project like code reuse, a flourishing community of Xamarin professionals and advanced technology of C#. This all-in-one solution platform enables you to build, test and monitor and deploy apps using just one tool. You can opt for Professional Xamarin mobile app development services provider after ensuring that pros of Xamarin outweigh its cons.

What Makes Xamarin Development Unique?

Posted on February 2, 2018 by Super Admin Testreveal

Xamarin development is creating a storm in the industry ever since it was introduced with its unique features. The beginners in the platform may be wondering about why Xamarin has won hearts of many in this short time frame.

Yes, the technology can boast of creating amazing cross platform mobile apps for your venture in quick time. It would be a cost effective decision to have Xamarin mobile app for your business as it is optimized for Android & iOS platforms.

With easy collaboration & sharing features, minimal expense and time etc. Xamarin targets larger user base.

From using the same code for different platforms to reduced development cost, the advantages of using Xamarin for development are many. Here are a few among the top benefits of Xamarin development which has made it a unique choice:

1. Native user-interface

With UI elements that are platform specific, Xamarin assures a flawless user experience. The business oriented projects can find it really helpful as the pace of app development is a lot higher than you can expect.

The custom app UI can also be created with no risks for advanced performance as Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS can be used to assure remarkable outcome.

2. Reduced development time

Unlike the platform dependent native apps, the same code can be shared for apps for different platforms when using Xamarin.

This in turn reduces the overall development time. Also switching between the development settings is not needed during the code building phase as it easily works with Visual studio (Windows) and Xamarin (Mac).

Also the automatic debugging facility adds to the reduced development time.

3. Flexibility with C#

Another advantage of Xamarin development is the use of C# as the programming language. With its unique benefits, it is an ideal choice for cross-platform development.

The developer needs are well met with good assistance from Microsoft’s.NET framework. Its simplified syntax makes the developing phase easy for even beginners.

Moreover, the type-safety feature of the language eliminates the possibilities of type errors which improve the success rate of the program.

4. Fewer bugs

For Xamarin development, only a fewer lines of code are used and this also means that you will come across only a fewer bugs.

The minimal bugs also open an opportunity for ample testing time which eliminates the possible errors in the running period.

5. Learner Friendly

Unlike many other platforms for app development, the learning curve for Xamarin is beginner friendly.

When developing apps for iOS and Android, programmers will have to be thorough with both Java and Objective-C languages.

This is not the case when using Xamarin as they just need to be clear with the basics of C# to successfully develop apps for both these platforms.

The time you ultimately need to spend for getting familiarized with the overall process is comparatively very less.

6. Native performance

This unique package avoids the necessity of managing separate teams for different platforms. The Visual Studio lets to experience the benefits of Xamarin libraries and Xamarin Studio.

Influencing the already existing app code base is now common with Xamarin and transitioning to C# are offering them market traction.

The Xamarin apps even have easy access to platform-centric facilities such as Android Fragments and iBeacons that adds to the performance. Delivering device specific app experiences is the speciality of Xamarin app development.

7. API integration

Xamarin has the capability to bind same UI controls and APIs that build Android, iOS and Mac apps. The Portable Class Libraries (PCL) allows sharing codes between platforms.

Whenever novel features are launched in the gadget’s operating system, the Xamarin’s binding technology offers enough assistance to get along.

8. Code reusability

The most unique feature of Xamarin package is its flexibility for code reusability. This feature comes with a lot of benefits such as reduced development time and of course minimized development cost.

There is no need for expense to be spent on different OS developers as the whole development process for all platforms can be handled by a single team.

9. Comprehensive Hardware Support

With Xamarin package, users can expect a complete hardware support with no compatibility issues. This is aided well with particular APIs and plugins, to occupy with common gadgets functionality in multiple platforms.

The process is even smoother with links to native libraries. Thus the native-level functionality and better customization is a reality with minimal overhead.

10. Open Source Technology

After getting acquired by Microsoft, the licensing policies of Xamarin was altered a lot following which many of the significant areas became open source.

The MIT license of Visual Studio has made libraries, runtime, and command line tools freely available for the users. By erasing the head ache of the cost of license, Microsoft has contributed the best part to the platform’s growth. And Xamarin has turned out as a powerful tech stack with strong corporate support.

11. Simplified Maintenance

As the application is designed for cross platform, the updates and maintenance part was a lot easy. The updates or changes were to be done on the source file only and the iOS and Android apps would get updated automatically.

The role of making the application up to date was never challenging and in fact a lot of time and money were saved in this regard.

12. Xamarin Component Store

The concept of collaboration and sharing is executed well with the Xamarin component store. A good collection of free or paid components makes the job easy for the developers as they could add high-quality components.

With minimal lines of code, developers can access cross-platform libraries, UI controls or even third party web services from the store. They can easily add powerful security features and popular back-ends to give a resulting impact.

13. Smooth on-Boarding

For any applications, beginners will have a tough time with the on boarding part but this is not the case with Xamarin. Starters can make use of Xamarin University which is a committed e-learning portal that can handle the job well.

Even those with the least programming experience can get along the package by properly using this facility. This includes start levels to advanced level classes that cover complimentary self-guided learning, office lectures, guest lectures and live online classes.

14. Improved Pace

Working with Xamarin.Forms makes it easy for developers to handle the coding phase at a much faster pace. With this technology, developers just need to design a particular view a single time and then share it across multiple platforms.

The powerful skill set makes the development time much faster than any other package. These forms would give all the flexibility of working with UI toolkit.

15. Smarter Testing

The software quality teams will have an awesome experience when testing Xamarin products. The UI based test scripts let them to do the job with ease and the efficiency of Xamarin Test Cloud adds to it.

The testing covers over 20 iOS and hardware configurations and 24,000 Android gadget types. This gives the benefit of testing comprehensively for almost all scenarios.

These entire features assure more than a return of investment for a venture with Xamarin development. Moreover, an active community that comprises more than 700,000 plus developers are continuously working on improving the success of software.

Future Ready

Last but not the least; the Xamarin development is also unique for its readiness for future. There is no doubt that android, iOS and Windows are ruling the mobile industry.

It is challenging for app developers to make amazing apps that are compatible for all these platforms to increase their user base. And the most important reason why Xamarin is trending now is its flexibility to work with multiple platforms.

This significant feature hints that Xamarin can be adapted to work with any of the mobile platforms as a lot more platforms are expected to hit the industry in the near future.

The listed ones are just a few among the many benefits of Xamarin development. Its wide acceptance over the globe in a short time frame is a sign of the impact it has made in the industry.

Its affluent features and resultant paybacks have made it the most widely used mobile app development software. As per the records, over 1.4 million developers in 120 countries use Xamarin’s products. Considering its unique benefits, Microsoft has acquired it a year ago.

Many businesses are using this cross-platform app to improve their reach and popularity among customers who are using diverse mobile platforms. This innovative technology is opening a new world of hope for businesses to improve its reach and progress without spending much from their pocket.

Steps to Build Apps using Xamarin in Visual Studio

Posted on November 15, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Xamarin is a cross-platform technology that makes the development of simple form of native mobile apps for Android, iOS and Windows. Using a shared codebase, Xamarin allows the development team to build mobile apps with the help of skills they already possess, thereby, spending lesser time on writing code for each platform.

Xamarin provides its users a complete access to Android and iOS APIs with making any change in language and data structure. To ensure a smart and easy flowing visual studio mobile app development, it is important for an individual to follow certain steps as mentioned below:

1. Setup and install Visual Studio and Xamarin

The first step towards building an Android or Windows app using Visual Studio and Xamarin is to ensure that these two are properly setup and installed in the system. In case a person is working on developing an iOS app, then he/she needs to ensure a proper installation of a Mac with Xamarin and Xcode.

Once the setup and installation of the two is successful, the next step is to confirm and verify whether everything is setup for development procedure to start.

2. Create a solution

The next step is to create a Xamarin solution using native UI. This can be done by following a few simple steps as mentioned below:

Create a new blank app solution and name it as Weather App. One can easily find this template by searching for ‘Native Portable’ in search engine
On clicking Ok, one gets to see a number of individual projects such as WeatherApp (Portable), WeatherApp.Droid, WeatherApp.iOS, etc.
Add Newtonsoft.Json and NuGet package to the PCL project that can be used to process information obtained from weather data service
Once Newtonsoft.Json is installed successfully, one must find and install Microsoft.Net.Http package
Once the above steps are complete successfully, the system is ready to build a new solution.
On successful completion, one must ensure to confirm that there are no build errors in the development

3. Share the data service code on different platforms

The best aspect of developing any app using Xamarin is that the code is written in portable library class (PCL), which makes it easier to be shared on different platforms. In case of an Android, iOS and Windows apps, PCLs are automatically included in the package.

4. Design the look and feel of the app

Design of an app plays an important role in its success or failure. Therefore, one must be extra careful when designing these apps. To design the look and feel of the app, one needs to follow a few simple steps as mentioned below:

Go to the solution explorer, expand the WeatherApp.Droid>Resources>layout folder to open Main.axml and the file in the visual designer
Delete the default button present in the designer
Open the toolbox to drag a RelativeLayout control on the designer. This control will be used as a parent container for all other controls
Go to the Properties window to set the background property. This should be followed by the pulling of Text View control onto the Relative Layout control that can, the, be used to set various properties such as zipcode, number, etc.
Finally go to the properties window and sort the list as per one’s own choice

5. Replace shared code

Once the solution is ready, one can open its file in the code editor so as to replace the automatically geneayed UI code

6. Run the app

The app is now ready to use. One can opt to make it a start-up project in explorer or use it on the most suitable device.

7. Test the app

Checking an app developed for Android is easy as one needs to use Visual Studio Android Emulator. All one needs to do is select the app project, choose a device to copy and then click to start. The app is perfect to be used by all if it runs perfectly on Android device.

Testing an app for iOS is a bit different as it requires an iOS Mac to copy the content. One needs to set up and connect to Visual Studio followed by selecting the app project, switching the design plan to iPhone Simulator and then finally, choosing the version of device used and click Play. X`

On successful completion of the above mentioned steps, one gets ready with an app that has been developed on Xamarin. Since the platform is rich in its properties such as code sharing, efficiency and use of single technology stacks, the platform is getting preference among the developers. The apps developed for each platform are different and unque, including visual studio mobile app development. Therefore, it is better to use Xamarin Cross-Platform Development rather than taking a new sort of risk.

Xamarin Vs Native App development: Which is the Better Choice?

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Working with Xamarin and client target platform evokes mixed reactions. Both of them have their own pros and cons. The former is compiled into the native code and uses the common interface. Mobile App Development Company uses either of them; however, as mentioned above, there are some trade-offs that we’ll analyze here in detail.

Advantages over the native platform:

Sharing of code:

Using Xamarin, you can share the code between the iOS and Android platforms. Various attributes such as networking logic, parsing and navigation logic can be easily reused across the different apps on the platform. They help the developers to streamline the coding process and to identify the bugs easily. In fact, the consistency of the code makes the platform more efficient for the developers. All they have to do is to make corrections at a single place and to let the changes propagate through the app.

Usage of C#:

One of the most important advantages of the Xamarin platform is that it allows coding in C# language in all the applications. It is quite capable when compared to objective-C because of the type safety attribute. Some other capabilities include implicit typing, extension methods and other closure that make C# an amazing tool for development. Due to inbuilt error handling mechanism, the codes are clean clear and reliable. They are scalable as well as fully capable of handling large amount of data.

Net and C# libraries:

Using C# language provides complete freedom to the developers as they can use window libraries right from the old ones to relicensed versions. Xamarin Cross-Platform Development plays an important role in enhancing the capabilities of the applications. In fact, PCLS support is also available in C# language.

Disadvantages of Xamarin:

Compatibility issues:

Xamarin supports new APIs; however, in recent versions, it is incompatible with TV OS2 and “watch OS” in stable channels and cannot bind to Swift only libraries. In short, it is not possible to use the advanced features using the Xamarin platform.

Third party support:

iOS and Android provide third party applications that can be seamlessly used; however, they are not able to work with Xamarin interface. The workaround is way too complex as developers have to write the binding code from the scratch.

Platform specific .net libraries:

If you are using Xamarin, it is not possible to utilize PCL core library. In addition, the .NET library doesn’t offer a required interface to the developers. As a result, the capabilities of the applications on the platform get hampered. Even highly popular Google APIs face lots of issues when used with Xamarin; therefore, it is better to use the native platform in such cases.

Conclusion:

You should use Xamarin only when the app is equipped with lots of complex front end logic. Since coding is minimal, you do not have to spend a huge amount of money to create the application. If your team is highly experienced in C#, usage of latest offerings of Xamarin Development Company would go a long way in making the app efficient and robust. Even it can be used to support multiple windows devices without any technical glitches.

Pros and Cons of Xamarin App Development

Posted on October 11, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

A well-developed mobile app contributes to the revenue of a business by increasing customer engagement. However, multiple operation systems, development platforms and devices in the market make mobile app development company a confusing task. Therefore, mobile app development companies look forward to develop apps that work across different operation systems and devices uniformly, with the help of cross-platform app development platforms like Xamarin App Development.

Launched in 2011, Xamarin helps to build a robust mobile app that works across different platforms. However, using Xamarin to develop cross-platform apps has its own advantages and disadvantages.

Let’s have a look:

Pros

Development cycle speed-up

According to Xamarin cross-platform development experts, 90% of the Xamarin code can be recycled or reused in the development of other applications for different platforms. Xamarin mobile app development coding is based on C# and native .Net libraries. Maximum part of the code can be reused, which saves developers of their time and efforts and helps to speed-up the development cycle while developing applications for various platforms.

Near to Native App performance

Applications created on Xamarin platform can be considered very close to native application. Xamarin is consistently evolving to reach the level of native app creating technologies. The performance metrics which developers derive from the codes of Objective-C, Java, Swift etc. can be expected from Xamarin platform coding. This platform also offers tracking and testing of the performance of the app. Before publishing an app, developers can run automated UI tests through the Test Cloud paired with Test Recorder tool.

Client’s Native App experience

User experience reviews reveal that the applications created using Xamarin platform remain impeccable and absolutely flawless. For platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows, simple applications can be developed using Xamarin platform. At application run-time, Xamarin. Form tool converts the components of UI into the platform-specific user-interface elements. This is especially beneficial for business-oriented projects.

Hardware Compatibility

Applications can be created using Xamarin through many plug-ins and APIs which provide native-level support of device hardware and therefore, all hardware compatibility issues get eliminated. The developers can develop applications with common device functionalities which can run smoothly on various platforms. They can also do better app customization by linking with native libraries.

Cons

Large Operational Software overheads

Developing mobile applications using Xamarin involves linking of codes and referencing between target operating systems of various devices and .Net frameworks. In simple words, this linking and referencing increases startup and download timings of the application.

UI or User-Interface Development is time-consuming

Even though a major portion of Xamarin coding can be reused cross various platforms, the core user-interface creation is not portable. Therefore, developers are required to do some part of the coding for each platform which is very time-consuming.

Limited outside coding support

The code developed in Xamarin App Development cannot be reused or transferred for HTML5 or native applications for iOS or Android. The availability of Xamarin professionals is also quite limited. Those who develop the app for you using Xamarin should have knowledge of .NET along with mobile development, and platform-specific frameworks and, architecture that makes use of Objective-C and Java languages.

Unanticipated risk of cross- platforms

Many cross-platforms carry an unanticipated risk or a possibility of extra work. Xamarin’s framework libraries cause unreasonable app file size to be downloaded from Google Play or iOS App Store may be because of high usage of Xamarin App Development core library functionality in the app. The app size difference can range between 3MB to 15MB.

With Redbytes, you’ll find it easy to explore the potential of latest technology and have a well-developed mobile app of your own. We are one of the leading Xamarin Cross-Platform Development Companies. Feel free to call us or request a quote and learn how our services can prove beneficial for your business.

Reasons to Hire a Xamarin App Development Company

Posted on October 5, 2017 by Super Admin Testreveal

Building a hybrid mobile application to serve the cross-platform needs is the main focus on which many companies are diverting their time and money. Most of the professional mobile app development companies are making use of Xamarin, the perfect cross-platform to develop, test, and finally, deploy an application across Android and iOS devices. These companies amalgamate their coding experience on various platforms with Xamarin’s Native API Access to explore the software development kits (SDKs) and application programming interfaces (APIs) offered by Apple and Google.

There are a few important reasons why you should consider hiring a Xamarin App Development Company –

1) Cover huge client base – The Portable Class Libraries (PCL) in Xamarin allows software engineers to develop and share code on cross-platforms like Windows Phone, Xamarin Android, and Xamarin iOS. The applications developed using Xamarin platform can target huge client base who are working with Android, Windows, and iOS frameworks.

2) Gizmos and gadgets compatibility – Most of the people prefer to hire Xamarin App Development Company to develop applications using Xamarin cross-platform for its versatility and to use on multiple gadgets like cell phones, tablets, and wearable technologies. In addition to running on and supporting various platforms, Xamarin applications are popular for supporting different gizmos and gadgets.

3) Security of the Information – Xamarin applications collaborate with outside applications like Salesforce, SAP, Oracle, Azure etc., to offer high levels of information security. The access to the procedures and venture information will be secured over all platforms through Xamarin cross-platform development applications.

4) Native User -Interface UI across Android, Windows and iOS platforms –The Xamarin app development firm holds the in-depth expertise to design and develop the best mobile applications for multiple platforms while retaining the native traits of different platforms. With Xamarin’s Native UI, the company tries to offer performance and unaltered UX to their large user base.

5) Evolving with time and updates – In order to provide the best native experience, Xamarin keeps on evolving with time and so does the professional apps development companies by adopting the trending native API’s as soon they are released.

6) Testing before deploying – To provide an impeccable native application to the clients, Xamarin’s Test Cloud offers an extra layer of testing. Automatic Testing Assist allows developers to test the application from all angles through gestures like pinches, swipes etc.

7) Various operating system SDK integrations– Mobile App Development Companies, through Xamarin, offer the services of creating and developing applications for multiple platforms and devices under the roof of a single platform. Applications convey local like execution on various platforms. Developing multiple applications on different platforms through Xamarin utilities is one of technical function which demands the knowledge and team of an expert development company.

8) Component store– Xamarin Component Store consists of a huge group of paid and free segments like cross-platform libraries, UI or User-Interface controls, and third-party web administrations which are used by the developers as part of their coding. This sharing development environment of Xamarin is infused with Xamarin’s Visual Studio and Xamarin Studio.

As world is fast switching to technologically innovative and advanced means of digital marketing and this is why more than 70% of mobile app development companies in the world has started to seek out services of efficient and reliable Xamarin Development.