Simple Guide to get start with Xamarin on PC

Xamarin could access almost all the native iOS or android API, and it's able to build with C# by drop controls like old windows forms, or you could build WebView by use the cshtml, which you can add js, html inside the Xamarin. This blog demo how to get start with Xamarin.

Requirement

Visual Studio 2015 (Windows)

By Default, visula studio 2015 already contains Xamarin, but once when you try to create Xamarin project, it will ask you to download following software.

Android SDK

For running android, but it's better you also install the Android Studio, or Java SDK, Android Studio could build your app as APK file for deploy to android store and Java SDK is for android to build APK file.

Xamarin
Xamarin Profiler
Xamarin Workbooks Inspector
Remoted iOS Simulator

Althought you install this but you will need iOS.

You don't have to do anything, but just click continue to download all these.

If you developer are more familar with C#, visual studio and your app might want to consume as much as possible native API, then it might be good idea to use Xamarin because you can stay on C# and visual studio. However, if you're familar with Javascript and want to build hybrid app, create once deploy to everywhere, you don't have to access all the native API, you might want to try, `Phonegap`, `React Native`, `lonic`, React Native is use react.js, ionic is angular2, phonegap is just js, so you would use any javascript, they all use node.js backend for build process.

References

Xamarin vs Native
Phonegap with iOS xCode

iOS Development Information

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