Xamarin cross-platform application development : develop production-ready applications for iOS and android using xamarin

Develop productionready applications for iOS and Android using Xamarin About This Book Write native iOS and Android applications with Xamarin Add native functionality to your apps such as push notifications, camera, and GPS location Learn various strategies for cross-platform development Who This Book Is For This book is for C# developers who are interested in mobile application development. If you have experience with desktop or web applications, this book will serve as a great tool to give you a head start with cross-platform development. What You Will Learn Familiarize yourself with Apple's MVC design pattern Understand the Android activity lifecycle Share C# code across platforms Implement a web service with Azure Mobile Services Deploy and debug your application on mobile devices Call native Objective-C or Java libraries from C# Use Xamarin.Mobile for camera, contacts, and location Submit your app to the Apple App Store and Google Play In Detail Developing a mobile application for just one platform is becoming a thing of the past. Companies expect their apps to be supported on both iOS and Android, whilst leveraging the best native features of both. Xamarin's tools help solve this requirement by giving developers a single toolset to target both platforms. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" is a step-by-step guide for building professional applications for iOS and Android. The book walks you through building a chat application, complete with a backend web service and native features such as GPS location, camera, and push notifications. This book begins with iOS and Android application fundamentals, then moves on to sharing code, and eventually digs deeper into native functionality. By the end of the book, readers will have successfully built a cross-platform application ready for submitting to app stores. You will gain an in-depth knowledge about the concepts of building cross platform applications. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" also covers native iOS and Android APIs, unit testing, building a real web service with Windows Azure, push notifications, interacting with the camera and GPS, leveraging Java and Objective-C libraries, and finally app store submission. Towards the end of the book you will feel confident in developing your own Xamarin applications. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" will teach you everything you need to know to develop an end-to-end, cross-platform solution with Xamarin. Cover; Copyright; Credits; About the Author; About the Reviewers; www.PacktPub.com; Table of Contents; Preface; Chapter 1: Xamarin Setup; The Xamarin tools; Installing Xcode; Installing Xamarin; Setting up the Android emulator; Enrolling in the iOS Developer Program; Registering as a Google Play developer; Summary; Chapter 2: Hello Platforms!; Building your first iOS application; Understanding Apple's MVC pattern; Using Xcode and storyboards; Building your first Android application; Android activities; Xamarin's Android designer; Summary; Chapter 3: Code Sharing Between iOS and Android Learning the MVVM design patternComparing project organization strategies; Working with portable class libraries; Using preprocessor statements; Simplifying dependency injection; Implementing Inversion of Control; Summary; Chapter 4: XamChat a Cross-platform App; Describing our sample application concept; Developing our model layer; Writing a mock web service; Writing the ViewModel layer; Implementing our LoginViewModel class; Implementing our RegisterViewModel class; Implementing our FriendViewModel class; Implementing our MessageViewModel class; Writing unit tests Setting up a new project for unit testsWriting assertions; Summary; Chapter 5: XamChat for iOS; Understanding the basics of an iOS app; Using UINavigationController; Implementing the login screen; Using segues and UITableView; Adding a friends list screen; Adding a list of messages; Composing messages; Summary; Chapter 6: XamChat for Android; Introducing Android Manifest; Adding a login screen; Using ListView and BaseAdapter; Implementing the friends list; Composing messages; Summary; Chapter 7: Deploying and Testing on Devices; iOS provisioning; Android device settings Understanding the linkerUnderstanding AOT compilation; Avoiding common memory pitfalls; Summary; Chapter 8: Web Services with Push Notifications; Learning Windows Azure; Setting up your Azure account; Exploring Azure Mobile Services; Creating tables and scripts; Adding a backend to XamChat; Updating the data types for Azure Mobile Services; Adding the Xamarin component; Using the Apple Push Notification service; Setting up proper provisioning; Setting up your provisioning profile; Setting up a certificate signing request; Making client-side changes for push notifications Implementing Google Cloud MessagingSummary; Chapter 9: Third-party Libraries; The Xamarin Component Store; Porting existing C# libraries; Objective-C bindings; Java bindings; Summary; Chapter 10: Contacts, Camera, and Location; Introducing Xamarin.Mobile; Accessing contacts; Retrieving contacts on Android; Looking up GPS location; Implementing GPS location on Android; Accessing the photo library and camera; Accessing photos on Android; Summary; Chapter 11: App Store Submission; Following the iOS App Store Review Guidelines; Submitting an app to the iOS App Store

In Detail

Before the release of monotouch, development on iOS was purely in Objective C. There was nothing wrong with that except for one thing its very unpleasant to write code in! The release of Xamarin changed all of that, and with it brought cross-platform development to the mobile world.

Xamarin Mobile Application Development for iOS is not just your normal everyday book on iOS app development. Everything is written for a point and not for effect, and therefore you will learn everything you need to know quickly and efficiently without getting bogged down in needless information. The code has been taken from fully tested apps, so you can just drop it into your code and it will work out of the box.

In this clear and informative guide, you will be taken on a whirlwind tour of iOS application development with Xamarin, from setting up a development environment on your PC or Mac to testing and distribution through the Apple Store with plenty of practical examples along the way.

The book begins by discussing the installation of the IDE (for both PC and Mac) as well as how to set up your PC so it can be used to develop for iOS. From there, successive chapters cover the user interface, views, view controllers, customisation of controls, animation, events and event handling, getting the most from your app using threading, creating your own settings system, the internal database system and LINQ, sending texts, making calls, taking photos, videos, and audio recordings as well as using the mapping system. The book culminates by showing you how to test your app using testflight and finally how to release your app on the Apple Store. It is an all-encompassing book that leaves nothing out.

Approach

This book is a standard tutorial aimed at teaching you everything you need to know about iOS app development using Xamarin.

Who this book is for

This book is written for those who are new to iOS app development as well as more experienced developers who just need a quick reference book. It is assumed that you are already comfortable using C#. Those teaching iOS to new students will also find this book invaluable as a form of reference material.

In Detail

Developing a mobile application for just one platform is becoming a thing of the past. Companies expect their apps to be supported on both iOS and Android, whilst leveraging the best native features of both. Xamarins tools help solve this requirement by giving developers a single toolset to target both platforms.

"Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" is a step-by-step guide for building professional applications for iOS and Android. The book walks you through building a chat application, complete with a backend web service and native features such as GPS location, camera, and push notifications.

This book begins with iOS and Android application fundamentals, then moves on to sharing code, and eventually digs deeper into native functionality. By the end of the book, readers will have successfully built a cross-platform application ready for submitting to app stores. You will gain an in-depth knowledge about the concepts of building cross platform applications.

"Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" also covers native iOS and Android APIs, unit testing, building a real web service with Windows Azure, push notifications, interacting with the camera and GPS, leveraging Java and Objective-C libraries, and finally app store submission. Towards the end of the book you will feel confident in developing your own Xamarin applications.

"Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" will teach you everything you need to know to develop an end-to-end, cross-platform solution with Xamarin.

Approach

"Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" is an end-to-end walk-through tutorial on developing applications for both iOS and Android. It offers clear and detailed explanations of each stage in the process, making it easier for you to master the creation of stable, production-ready, cross-platform apps.

Who this book is for

This book is for C# developers who are interested in mobile application development. If you have experience with desktop or web applications, this book will serve as a great tool to give you a head start with cross-platform development.

Over 40 hands-on recipes to quickly and efficiently create business grade Titanium Enterprise apps Overview In Detail The demand for Mobile in the Enterprise has never been greater. While meeting this demand is becoming increasingly business critical, the complexities of development are amplified by the explosion in the number and variety of devices and platforms. Appcelerator's Titanium Mobile Platform stands out for its rapid development speed, large number of APIs, and focus on providing a native experience. This ability to rapidly provide business value in a cross-platform way makes Titanium a compelling platform for the creation of Enterprise applications. Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook is your complete guide to creating business applications. From building a unique user experience to securing your application, this book covers every aspect of business application development. Beginning with a discussion of design patterns, the practical recipes in this cookbook progress through different topics required for Enterprise cross-platform mobile development. Each recipe is a self-contained lesson that can be used in creating apps for your organization. With Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook learn how to work with data on the device, create charts and graphs, and interact with various web services. Later recipes discussing application security and native module development help provide additional resources to accelerate your next Titanium mobile development project. What you will learn from this book Approach Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook is a high level and practical Cookbook, packed with easy to follow, task-based recipes to ensure you hit the ground running!. Who this book is written for This book is for the JavaScript developer looking to explore mobile or existing Enterprise developers looking to increase their app development velocity by harnessing the cross-platform power of Titanium mobile. The comprehensive recipes and tutorials assume you have a basic understanding of both JavaScript and the Titanium mobile SDK.

In Detail

Mobile apps have become extremely popular over the last few years and offer a great opportunity for developers. Android is now one of the most popular mobile systems in the world. The new Android Studio IDE has introduced a specialized development environment, welcomed by the emerging Android community, which is perfect for the development of apps.

"Android Studio Application Development" is a practical guide that will show you how to develop and build Android apps using this new, integrated development environment. Following a tutorial approach, this book will progress from the basics features up until the steps to build for release, using real world examples. This book is a must have for every Android app developer evangelist.

Our book explores the Android Studio development environment in-depth, taking you through the necessary steps to create an app, test it, and prepare it for release. First, you will learn how to use the code editor in order to increase your productivity, and to easily create the screens of your app. Then, this book will show you how to debug your app and examine its performance using the most important additional tools within Android Studio: Android SDK tools. We will also take a look at the existing Google Play Services and how they can be integrated into your app.

Finally, it is important for a developer to be able to search for any help they might need. This book provides a vast help section which covers online documentation, updates, and FAQs.

Approach

A practical guide, which will show you how to create Android applications using the new Google official IDE, Android Studio.

Who this book is for

If you are a developer who wants to learn the key features of Android Studio, and learn how to create their first app, this book is ideal for you! Developers interested in this book should be familiar with the object- oriented programming paradigm, and the Java programming language. It is also recommended that you understand the main characteristics of the Android mobile system.

In Detail Developing a mobile application for just one platform is becoming a thing of the past. Companies expect their apps to be supported on both iOS and Android, whilst leveraging the best native features of both. Xamarin's tools help solve this requirement by giving developers a single toolset to target both platforms. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" is a step-by-step guide for building professional applications for iOS and Android. The book walks you through building a chat application, complete with a backend web service and native features such as GPS location, camera, and push notifications. This book begins with iOS and Android application fundamentals, then moves on to sharing code, and eventually digs deeper into native functionality. By the end of the book, readers will have successfully built a cross-platform application ready for submitting to app stores. You will gain an in-depth knowledge about the concepts of building cross platform applications. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" also covers native iOS and Android APIs, unit testing, building a real web service with Windows Azure, push notifications, interacting with the camera and GPS, leveraging Java and Objective-C libraries, and finally app store submission. Towards the end of the book you will feel confident in developing your own Xamarin applications. "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" will teach you everything you need to know to develop an end-to-end, cross-platform solution with Xamarin.Approach "Xamarin Cross-platform Application Development" is an end-to-end walk-through tutorial on developing applications for both iOS and Android. It offers clear and detailed explanations of each stage in the process, making it easier for you to master the creation of stable, production-ready, cross-platform apps.Who this book is for This book is for C# developers who are interested in mobile application development. If you have experience with desktop or web applications, this book will serve as a great tool to give you a head start with cross-platform development

In Detail

The demand for Mobile in the Enterprise has never been greater. While meeting this demand is becoming increasingly business critical, the complexities of development are amplified by the explosion in the number and variety of devices and platforms. Appcelerator's Titanium Mobile Platform stands out for its rapid development speed, large number of APIs, and focus on providing a native experience. This ability to rapidly provide business value in a cross-platform way makes Titanium a compelling platform for the creation of Enterprise applications.

Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook is your complete guide to creating business applications. From building a unique user experience to securing your application, this book covers every aspect of business application development.

Beginning with a discussion of design patterns, the practical recipes in this cookbook progress through different topics required for Enterprise cross-platform mobile development. Each recipe is a self-contained lesson that can be used in creating apps for your organization. With Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook learn how to work with data on the device, create charts and graphs, and interact with various web services. Later recipes discussing application security and native module development help provide additional resources to accelerate your next Titanium mobile development project.

Approach

Appcelerator Titanium Business Application Development Cookbook is a high level and practical Cookbook, packed with easy to follow, task-based recipes to ensure you hit the ground running!

Who this book is for

This book is for the JavaScript developer looking to explore mobile or existing Enterprise developers looking to increase their app development velocity by harnessing the cross-platform power of Titanium mobile. The comprehensive recipes and tutorials assume you have a basic understanding of both JavaScript and the Titanium mobile SDK.

In Detail

Parse using iOS SDK is a new technology, and is the first of its kind in the field of mobile application development. It provides you the cloud where you can keep your data, host your code, and even your website without any hassle. It provides SDK so that you can access your data through your mobile and web applications.

This practical, hands- on guide will help you to instantly get started with Parse iOS. It is packed with step- by- step exercises, which will help you to take advantage of the real power of the Parse iOS cloud backend service, and provides you with an example- based approach to help you build applications using Parse iOS.

Starting with Parse iOS installation, we will move onto integration, and finally, this guide will end with the development of an application using Parse iOS. You will also learn about securing your application data by specifying ACL and Roles to your data objects. We will also learn about configuration in detail, and the implementation of cloud code to make your application lighter on the client side. You can take advantage of iCloud by hosting your website as well.

You will learn everything that you need to know to develop your application using Parse iOS as a backend.

Approach

A practical guide, featuring step-by-step instructions showing you how to use Parse iOS, and handle your data on cloud.

Who this book is for

If you are a developer who wants to build your applications instantly using Parse iOS as a back end application development, this book is ideal for you. This book will help you to understand Parse, featuring examples to help you get familiar with the concepts of Parse iOS.

Annotation Before the release of monotouch, development on iOS was purely in Objective C. There was nothing wrong with that except for one thing its very unpleasant to write code in! The release of Xamarin changed all of that, and with it brought cross-platform development to the mobile world. Xamarin Mobile Application Development for iOS is not just your normal everyday book on iOS app development. Everything is written for a point and not for effect, and therefore you will learn everything you need to know quickly and efficiently without getting bogged down in needless information. The code has been taken from fully tested apps, so you can just drop it into your code and it will work out of the box. In this clear and informative guide, you will be taken on a whirlwind tour of iOS application development with Xamarin, from setting up a development environment on your PC or Mac to testing and distribution through the Apple Store with plenty of practical examples along the way. The book begins by discussing the installation of the IDE (for both PC and Mac) as well as how to set up your PC so it can be used to develop for iOS. From there, successive chapters cover the user interface, views, view controllers, customisation of controls, animation, events and event handling, getting the most from your app using threading, creating your own settings system, the internal database system and LINQ, sending texts, making calls, taking photos, videos, and audio recordings as well as using the mapping system. The book culminates by showing you how to test your app using testflight and finally how to release your app on the Apple Store. It is an all-encompassing book that leaves nothing out Presented in easy to follow, step by step recipes, this guide is designed to lead you through the most important aspects of application design. Titanium developers who already have a basic knowledge of working with Appcelerator Titanium but want to further develop their knowledge for use with business applications