Businesses worldwide are looking to develop applications cross platforms to have better market reach. Today, there are several options for cross-platform application development like i.e delivery management software and yet all of them are not that compatible with each platform, as each platform works on a different environment and a completely different language. Cross-platforms technologies can help achieve different platforms. It is difficult to get native features and specifically the performance of applications, similar to native applications. The earliest popular web-based cross-platforms were Phone Gap/ Cordova, which allowed developers to build applications using HTML/CSS/JavaScript.
What is Xamarin?
Xamarin framework helps you build applications across platforms with features just like native applications with a single language C#, class library and runtime that works across all major platforms like iOS, Android, Windows, etc. It combines the power of native applications with features of its own by using C#. By using C# almost all the codes related to data structures and API can be delivered and with Xamarin, you can provide 100% coding to the user interface.
Image source:
https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/get-started/what-is-xamarin?view=vs-2019
Xamarin allows developers to write codes using C# and then compiled for each platform. Xamarin applications provide native performance with look and feel resembling the native applications. Based on the .NET framework. C# is a mature language with strong safety-typing that prevents code from unexpected behavior. As C# is one of the .NET framework languages, it can be used with several useful .NET features such as Lambdas, LINQ, and Asynchronous programming (async/await). Microsoft integrated Xamarin in its IDE, Visual Studio and made it open source. It supports MVC and MVVM patterns.
Xamarin Android:
Xamarin allows developers to build applications based on a shared code that can be reused in iOS or Windows with a reusability ratio of about 80%, with use C#, developers can retain the features of native Android apps with rich features and user interface. The component store in Xamarin allows developers to add quality components to apps directly from IDE – charts, UI controls, web service, cloud services, graphs, and beautiful themes can be added. Integrated with Xamarin
Studio and Visual studio, adding components to apps is easy.
Image Source: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/get-started/what-is-xamarin?view=vs-2019
With a XAML-based framework, developers can use Xamarin forms to develop interface designs for various platforms. With a huge collection of controls and layouts, embedded in native controls on runtime, Xamarin forms becomes a rich source for developers. Developers can use portable class libraries to store their codes that can be shared with multiple devices using OS. With these portable class libraries, developers can define app logic across platforms. Xamarin also provides the mobile device test cloud and automation framework for testing purposes, reducing the need for a separate testing or automating facility.
Xamarin iOS:
Xamarin.iOS helps us to build native iOS applications using the same UI controls which you use to build in X-Code and Objective-C. It provides you with the flexibility and elegance of a modern language C# and the power of .Net Base class Library. Now using C# you can make native mobile applications just like Objective-C or Swift by hiring iOS developers. There are some basic requirements though like Visual Studio installation and Mac OS with X-code installed. Xamarin studio can also be used to build OS applications for Mac. Xamarin for windows helps us to build OS applications to be written and tested within Visual Studio, with a networked Mac providing the build and deployment service.
Image Source: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/xamarin/get-started/what-is-xamarin?view=vs-2019
Developers can use Nuget, a popular package manager that allows developers to download libraries for visual studio and Xamarin studio environment, then there is Model-view-ViewModel) MVVM-cross, which is an open-source plugin or a library that can be used to enhance code responsibility across all major platforms. MVVM separates the logic placed in a View object into two separate objects, one called View and the other is called ViewModel.
The View provides the User Interface and the ViewModel are the core classes for providing all common logic for all the platforms. It enables data binding between view models. In MvvmCross App navigating between different screens is implemented in the ViewModel so that the navigation logic can be reuse fully. The ICommand property can help to navigate between different ViewModels.Once developers design the layout and embed the controls to it using the XAML-based framework, each control during the runtime is mapped with specific native UI elements like UTTextViewm for iOS platforms.
Benefits of Xamarin:
- Seamless Cross-Platform applications.
- Applications with Native features of cross-platforms.
- Dedicated component store.
- Libraries and controls to design user interface for each platform.
- Higher code sharing facility.
- Use of C# as a single language.
- Xamarin.Forms that are based on XAML Framework for design rich UIs.
- MVVM-cross fro navigation and binding data.
- Platform-specific IDE for application development.
- Application testing and automation facilities.
Wrapping it Up:
To be able to develop a connected network of workforce and efficiency improvement in an enterprise is a huge challenge and the Xamarin framework can do wonders in such a scenario. A robust Field service app can help enterprises automate their field operations eliminating paper-based processes, allowing the workforce to view & execute work order information, share updates, attach documents, secure data access and much more in real-time. Thus, these apps can help achieve 100% visibility of field operations by setting up real-time communication between the field workforce and the operations team.
Hence, we can assume that Xamarin is not just limited to application development and has wider applications in the field of enterprise automation and apps development. This makes Xamarin, the perfect choice for your next apps development!
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