
#### Table of Contents

1. Build and Distribute xamarin app with mobile center
2. 1. Make sure your code is connect to following source control service.
3. 2. setup Branch and create build definition

## Build and Distribute xamarin app with mobile center

Following method is good for team mobile development, which you want whenever
developer check-in have build to tell is either success or failed, also when
developer getting latest they can get successfully build file. QA, tester can
get latest APK whenever there's check-in and notifiy by email.

This blog is shows how to use mobile center to manage Xamarin Build. The
technology stacks are following. Mobile center contains Crashs and Analytics
reports, Build, Test and Destribute. It is a center place for you to manage
mobile application. It's support Android and iOS for now and will support
windows in the future. Also, it's not only for Microsoft Xamarin, it's target
for other mobile platiform, native, reactive native and phonegap app.

This blog is just shows if you're using Visual studio to build Xamarin
(Android or iOS) at windows, use visual studio TFS's Git as source control and
want to build solution under mobile center.

  - Mobile Center

  - Visual studio

  - Xamarin

  - Git

![mobile center](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_knaoy2ula.png)

## 1. Make sure your code is connect to following source control service.

You can choose, Github, Bitbucket or Visual Studio Team Services, which Visual
Studio Team Serive is private and unlimit to host. Howeve mobile center only
available for Git project.

How to use Git is not part of this blog, but basically, once you'll have to
clone the git repository at your local. WHen you make changes commit will to
be your local git first, if you want to move to git server, push to master
branch.

![](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_6i7nklpv2.png)

## 2. setup Branch and create build definition

  - Select project to build

  - Choose either Debug or Release mode to build

  - Choose build the project whenever check-in to Git TFS Service or manully
build it.

  - Sign Builds, if you wish to build with your sign certificate, you can upload
keystore file and enter password

  - Test on Real device

  - Distribute builds

    - Distribute Builds if you want to send email to whoever to download
successfully build APK files. This is good for team enviroment, each
check-in will build the latest code and if success then generate new apk
and distribute to the testers.

![](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_8vyin4p58.png)


This blog is shows how to use mobile center to manage Xamarin Build.

Use Mobile Center to Build


#### Table of Contents

1. Microsoft Mobile Center
2. How to use Mobile Center with Xamarin.Form

## Microsoft Mobile Center

Mobile Center bring multiple service into single web based platform for
developer, marketing person, manager. You can build, test, distribute and
monitor app's analytics and crash report data, so far it's support Native
Android, Native iOS, React Native and Xamarin SDK.

![Mobile Center - Microsoft](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_w3xroryfu.png)

### How to use Mobile Center with Xamarin.Form

#### Register via https://mobile.azure.com

Create your account and once login create apps for Android or iOS, at this
point (4/15/2017) they don't have support for window yet, but based on their
product Roadmap will do in the future. When create apps you will get app
secret, add to your `app's OnStart() method`, app class should be
inherit from `Xamarin.Forms.Application`. So following are the code
you need to add.

###### Add nuget to Xamarin.Form project

```
```

###### Add code to Xamarin.Form app's onStart method

```
MobileCenter.Start("ios={Your iOS app secret created at mobile center portal.};" +
                   "android={Your android app secret created at mobile center portal.};",
                   typeof(Analytics), typeof(Crashes));
```

Just adding nuget to Xamarin.Form porject and code, you might see following
error on debug window. So you'll have to add nuget to Xamarin.Form's Android
and iOS projects too.

**[0:] [MobileCenter] ASSERT: Cannot use Mobile Center on this target. If you
are on Android or iOS, you must add the NuGet packages in the Android and
iOS projects as well. Other targets such as Universal Windows Applications
are not yet supported.**

**In Summary, to use Mobile Center at Xamarin.Form**

1. **Create account at https://mobile.azure.com**

2. **Create an App for Android and an App for iOS**

3. **Add Nuget Package, Microsoft.Azure.Mobile,
Microsoft.Azure.Mobile.Analytics,, Microsoft.Azure.Mobile.Crashes to Xamarin.Form, Android and iOS
projects.**

4. **Add Mobile Center start code at App.xaml.cs**

5. Should see analytic data by run app on either emulator or actual
device.

#### Reference

  - About Mobile Center

  - Mobile Center Product Roadmap

  - Mobile Center Pricing


Mobile Center

Use Mobile Center to Build

Use Mobile Azure Center for Mobile Analytic Crash Reports and More