What is Xamarin And how to install

Xamarin is a San Francisco, California based software company created in May 2011 by the engineers that created Mono, MonoTouch and Mono for Android which are cross-platform implementations of the Common Language Infrastructure (CLI) and Common Language Specifications (often called Microsoft .NET).

With a C# shared codebase, developers can use Xamarin tools to write native iOS, Android, and Windows apps with native user interfaces and share code across multiple platforms. Xamarin has over 1 million developers in more than 120 countries around the world as of May 2015, it is updated now i don't know the real amount .  

Xamarin is a framework to develop a cross platform mobile application using C#.

There are a number of frameworks that offer cross platform app development. They typically use HTML and JavaScript. Using these frameworks, apps are developed like a website for a mobile app using JS libraries, then the website is packed in a container which gives the feel of a native app. There are some disadvantages of this framework: first, you will not be able to access native UI elements. Second, the app runs slowly and does not give the feel of a native app.

Xamarin is different because it offers a single language C# and runtime that works on three mobile platforms (Android, iOS and Windows). From Xamarin we get a mobile app which looks and feels completely native. Here we write one C# code base which will have access to all features which are available for native SDK.

How Does Xamarin Work?

Xamarin gives the flexibility to write core logic using C# and gives the flexibility to design native user interface specifically for each platform. The amount of code re-use will depend on how much code is kept in core and how much moves into user-interface.

    C# source compiled into a native app in very different for each platform

• iOS - C# source code is compiled using Xamarin.iOS. It uses a special subset of the mono framework. This subset version of the mono framework has additional libraries. The framework itself allows access to iOS platform specific features. The Xamarin.iOS compiler compiles source code into an intermediate language that is known as ECMA CIL (common intermediate language). After compilation of Xamarin.iOS application code into CIL there is needs to compile it again into native machine code that can run on an iOS device. The process of converting CIL into native code is carried out by the SDK tool “Mtouch.” “Mtouch” returns an application bundle that can be deployed to either the iOS simulator or an actual iOS device, such as an iPhone or iPad. The iOS kernel will not allow programs to generate code at runtime. This restriction is placed by Apple iOS kernel. This restriction has great implications for software systems that run inside a virtual machine using just-in-time compilation. This type of compilation coverts code into intermediate language and at runtime this is converted into machine code. The converted machine code becomes compatible with devices on which it is running. To work around this restriction the “Mtouch” tool compiles the CIL ahead of time.

• Android - Code of C# is compiled to intermediate language with a package of MonoVM + JIT. If there are any unused classes of framework then in linking it is stripped out. The application runs interact with the java native types through JNI (Java Native Invoke)

• Windows - Code of C# is compiled to intermediate language which will be executed by the built in runtime. This compiled code does not require Xamarin tools.

 How to install Xamarin?

 we just need four steps to install  Xamarin

• Download the Xamarin installer
• Run the installer
• Configuration
• Activation

1. Download the Xamarin installe

         First, download Xamarin from here.

Fill the required information to download the Xamarin installer.

After download the Xamarin installer, run the installer.

2. Run the installer

3.Configuration

After installing Xamarin, we need to configure the Xamarin to tell them (Xamarin and VS IDE) the location of Java and Android SDK.

When we install the installer places the installed component in their default location and configure the development environment with these default path. But if we already have these components in our system, then we need to change the path.

To configure SDK locations in Xamarin, go to Xamarin studio, select tool->options-> SDK location

Configure Visual Studio

To configure the Visual Studio, go to Visual Studio.

Path is tool->options->Xamarin

4. Activation

It’s time to activate your account, go to Xamarin studio, click on login and create your free trail account, now you can login your account.

     Here we go ..................

     We are successfully  installed and configure xamarin in to pc

     Now your turn make your contribution to change the world

     Happy coding (:

     

Unforgettable Hackathon memories

An unforgettable  Hackathon Memories (Xamarin)

It was an cherished event, got lot of things from that event.I don't know how to express my satisfaction through lines any how that was an awesome night. In that day there where a huge amount of fun and knowledge packed in to that day. And i had met some persons who have give great support through Facebook that was an unforgettable moment, i never think about such a situation but it happened that was really great

The time we spent in Microsoft was really great it was really proud to walk through Microsoft as a pat of xamarin . The session that covered was really helpful to the hacknight. When i reached at the venue there is a long queue at the reception there i fount a guy standing beside the queue everybody registering their name, the receptionist asked that guy to register on the book he gently replayed that he is one of the coordinator for the event ,but me and my friend Vaikesh already understand him on the a glance. He was "KirtiSagar" that was a nice moment . while i enter to the hall there i found the my xamarin help team Nish, Pooran prasad, VidyaSagar, Anubhav.

The entire session was too good and it really help on night coding. The night coding was really awesome and really funny I got xamarin forms and azure from there. I was totally new to azure. I can say like this, that the azure part was dark in my mind but after the last session I got the idea and Anubahv gives me the light to azure it was really understandable and also have able to manipulate the data from azure after the last session

The great part of the event was fun which is wrapped with knowledge. VidyaSagar was really a great man I never found a programmer like him. He encourage us with his story that was really great and he give us a light to the world of game development. I was eagerly watching him because he speak everything stick with fun and his session was really awesome

                                                (VidyaSagar)

  

I got a lot of friends of different regions from the event that was really cool. I remember a men who don't have any basic knowledge about the programming, who speak confidently about xamarin and mobile app development that was an unforgettable thing happen in the hackahton, some of them are students having great idea, they implemented their idea on that night. It was not just a competition but it was a knowledge sharing event where every one helped each other. The night failed on us to give sleep but finally there born a beautiful app when sun rays came out.

The time we spend there was really unforgettable got some awesome experience and got some great friends .The most great thing is that some of the friend have still contact with each other. They calling me and me to on fb ,whatsapp . We are waiting for the next hackahton...