Mastering Cross-Platform Development with Xamarin

Can Bilgin

Mar 2016 · Packt Publishing Ltd

About this ebook

Master the skills required to steer cross-platform applications from drawing board to app store(s) using XamarinAbout This BookDevelop your Xamarin development skills with this comprehensive guide on various patterns and features so you can create elegant and high-quality applicationsCreate adaptive user interfaces on separate platforms without compromising the user experience and platform identityImplement application lifecycle management concepts to manage and finalize cross-platform projects and efficiently collaborate with othersWho This Book Is For

This book is ideal for those who want to take their entry–level Xamarin mobile development skills to the next level to become the go-to person within their organization. To fully understand the patterns and concepts described, you should possess a reasonable level of knowledge about the core elements of Xamarin and cross-platform application development with it.

What You Will LearnConfigure your environment for cross-platform projects with XamarinGain memory management skills to avoid memory leaks and premature code cycles while decreasing the memory print of your applicationsEmploy asynchronous and parallel patterns to execute non-interactive and non-blocking processesCreate and use SQLite databases for offline scenariosIntegrate network resources with cross-platform applicationsDesign and implement eye-catching and reusable UI components without compromising nativity in mobile applicationsManage the application lifecycle of cross-platform development projectsDistribute Xamarin applications through public or private channelsIn Detail

The main goal of this book is to equip you with the required know-how to successfully analyze, develop, and manage Xamarin cross-platform projects using the most efficient, robust, and scalable implementation patterns.

This book starts with general topics such as memory management, asynchronous programming, local storage, and networking, and later moves onto platform-specific features. During this transition, you will learn about key tools to leverage the patterns described, as well as advanced implementation strategies and features. The book also presents User Interface design and implementation concepts on Android and iOS platforms from a Xamarin and cross-platform perspective, with the goal to create a consistent but native UI experience.

Finally, we show you the toolset for application lifecycle management to help you prepare the development pipeline to manage and see cross-platform projects through to public or private release.

Style and approach

This is a comprehensive guide on various Xamarin features and patterns. Each topic is explained and demonstrated with code samples, which are revised in each section in an iterative manner and analyzed with available diagnostic tools to demonstrate the benefits of different patterns.

About the author

Can Bilgin currently works for Authority Partners Inc. as a program architect. He has been working in the software industry, primarily with Microsoft technologies, for over a decade and has been recognized as a Microsoft Most Valuable Professional (MVP) for his technical contributions. In this period, he played key roles in projects for high profile clients using technologies such as BizTalk, SharePoint, Dynamics CRM, Xamarin, WCF, and other web technologies. His main passion lies in mobile and IoT development using the modern toolset available for developers. He tries to share his experience on his blog (http://canbilgin.wordpress.com), social media (@can_bilgin), and through speaking engagements at both local and international conferences and community events in the Balkans region.