What is Xamarin?

Xamarin is a Microsoft-owned cross-platform mobile development framework that allows developers to create native iOS, Android, and Windows applications using C# and .NET. It enables code sharing across platforms while providing access to native APIs and performance, making it a popular choice for enterprise mobile development.

Key Features

  • Code Sharing: Share up to 90% of code across platforms
  • Native Performance: Compiled to native code for optimal performance
  • Native API Access: Full access to platform-specific APIs
  • Visual Studio Integration: Seamless development experience
  • Cloud Integration: Built-in Azure and Microsoft services support
  • Testing Tools: Xamarin Test Cloud for automated testing

Xamarin.Forms Example

                    
// MainPage.xaml - Cross-platform UI
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?>
<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
             xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
             x:Class="MyApp.MainPage"
             Title="Welcome">
    <StackLayout Padding="20">
        <Label Text="Welcome to Xamarin.Forms!" 
               FontSize="Large" 
               HorizontalOptions="Center" />
        
        <Entry x:Name="nameEntry" 
               Placeholder="Enter your name" 
               Margin="0,20,0,0" />
        
        <Button Text="Say Hello" 
                Clicked="OnButtonClicked" 
                BackgroundColor="Blue" 
                TextColor="White" />
        
        <Label x:Name="resultLabel" 
               FontSize="Medium" 
               HorizontalOptions="Center" 
               Margin="0,20,0,0" />
    </StackLayout>
</ContentPage>

// MainPage.xaml.cs - Code-behind
using System;
using Xamarin.Forms;

namespace MyApp
{
    public partial class MainPage : ContentPage
    {
        public MainPage()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private async void OnButtonClicked(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            if (!string.IsNullOrWhiteSpace(nameEntry.Text))
            {
                resultLabel.Text = $"Hello, {nameEntry.Text}!";
                await DisplayAlert("Greeting", $"Hello, {nameEntry.Text}!", "OK");
            }
            else
            {
                await DisplayAlert("Error", "Please enter your name", "OK");
            }
        }
    }
}

Xamarin Development Approaches

  • Xamarin.Forms: Single UI codebase for all platforms
  • Xamarin.iOS: Native iOS development with C#
  • Xamarin.Android: Native Android development with C#
  • Xamarin.Mac: macOS application development

Xamarin vs Other Frameworks

  • vs React Native: Better performance, Microsoft ecosystem integration
  • vs Flutter: Mature ecosystem, enterprise support
  • vs Native: Code sharing, faster development cycle

Popular Xamarin Apps

  • Alaska Airlines
  • The World Bank
  • Honeywell
  • Olo
  • Storyo