Are you eager to create a mobile application that leverages the power of .NET? Look no further than swift app development! Xamarin, a set of tools within Visual Studio, empowers developers like you to build mobile apps for Android, iOS, and Windows. With its versatile platform-specific capabilities and shared project features, Xamarin offers unparalleled flexibility.

Xamarin Platform: A Closer Look

In this tutorial, we'll delve into the world of Xamarin platform, specifically focusing on the Android operating system toolset, known as Xamarin.Android. Our goal is to guide you in creating a simple native Android app with basic user authentication.

Setting Up Visual Studio and Your Environment

To follow along, ensure you have a copy of Visual Studio installed, along with the 'Mobile development with .NET' workload. You can either enable this feature during your initial installation or access it through the 'Tools -> Get Tools and Features…' menu item. When testing and running your app, you'll have the option to use an Android emulator on your development machine or directly connect to an existing Android device.

Verify Your Android Environment in Visual Studio

To verify everything installed correctly, navigate to 'Tools -> Options -> Xamarin -> Android Settings' and check that both Java Development Kit Location and Android SDK Location paths are valid. If either is missing, you'll need to manually install the Java Development Kit or Android SDK respectively.

Create a Xamarin App

Begin by creating a new project and select the 'Android App (Xamarin)' master template under the Android menu. On the next page, choose the 'Single View App' option as it provides a solid starting point for your development journey.

Import Required NuGet Packages

To get started with this tutorial, you'll need to import the following NuGet packages:

  • Xamarin.OpenId.AppAuth.Android: This package enables user authentication using OpenID Connect standard (an enhancement of OAuth 2.0).
  • System.IdentityModel.Tokens.Jwt: This package helps extract data from JSON Web Tokens.
  • Xamarin.Android.Support.v4
  • Xamarin.Android.Support.CustomTabs: These packages are relied upon by AppAuth.

Familiarize Yourself with the Xamarin Project

If you're new to Android development, it's essential to understand the concept of an Activity. Activities represent components used to display your user interface; in their most basic form, think of them as pages in an app that users can navigate between. Your project will include a 'MainActivity.cs' and 'activity_main.axml' file to start with as the first Activity (page) to run upon opening the app.

Resources: A Key Concept

Resources are designed to be handled within their own directory, following a specific naming convention. It's recommended to store most of your resources in this directory, as it simplifies the reuse of these variables for ongoing development. The 'values' directory within the Resources directory contains files with specific purposes:

  • Strings.xml: Hosts user-facing strings, essential for localizing your app for a global audience.
  • Styles.xml: Contains styles and themes for your app.

By following this tutorial, you'll gain a solid understanding of swift app development using Xamarin and Visual Studio. With these skills, the possibilities are endless!