
#### 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. A simple memo for deploying xamarin mobile app to Google Play Store
2. First, prepare following
3. Quick step to deploy to Google Play store.

## A simple memo for deploying xamarin mobile app to Google Play Store

### First, prepare following

  - Create account at Google Play Console, you have to register as Android
developer, pay $25 yearly.

  - Following build, deploy are assume you're using your local machine as build
and delopyment.

  - Make sure you app is ready and able to deploy to app store.

  - Assume you're using PC

### Quick step to deploy to Google Play store.

1. Right click Xamarin's Android project.

2. Click Archive, which will build new version of archive and store all build
files under your current PC.

3. Following is the sample location which Android will store all the Archive
build files include APK file.

4. C:\Users\{YourLoginUserName}\AppData\Local\Xamarin\Mono for
Android\Archives

If you want to use existing Archive, then select the view Archieve.
Selec  Archive
Select Disctribute, choose either AdHoc or Google Play

1. If you want to upload your app to Google Play as Aplha, Beta or Production
version, select Google Play

Select Identity, if don't have one you need to create one.

1. This is Android Keystore, very important, might be better to create backup
file or backup password.

2. If you loss the Android Keystore used for Google Play, you can't upload...
you might end up create another version of your app by using different
Android Keystore.

3. So, backup keystore and password for Google Play.

Click next, will generate build file and APK under follwoing location

1. C:\Users\{YourLoginUserName}\AppData\Local\Xamarin\Mono for
Android\Archives

Login to Google Play Console
Assume you're already create your app.

Select you app, go to release's Aplha, submit your apk. Once sumit, opt-in
url will showing and you can share the url for tester.

1. https://play.google.com/apps/testing/{your app identity name, like
com.yourid.yourapp}

2. Your tester must be login as the register tester email account and try to
download the app

Upload to Beta

1. once Aplha is done, at the Aplha page select Release to Beta.

2. select Review at Beta page.

3. select Start Rollout To Beta at Beta page.

4. opt-in url will be the same as Alpha

5. https://play.google.com/apps/testing/{your app identity name, like
com.yourid.yourapp}

6. once upgrae to beta, Aplha version is gone.

Production release

1. select Release to Production at Beta page.

2. click Review at Beta Page.

3. click Start Rollout to Production if want to deploy google play store.

4. wait for Google Play's review, once finish should get notification
message. (could be short as couple minutest to hours)

###
That's all the step if you use your development PC to release xamarin app to
Google Play Store.


How to deploy mobile app to Google Play Store with Xamarin.

Deploy Mobile App to Google Play Store with Xamarin


## 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.

![](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_bcrpp7tw7.png)

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

![](https://d1p0mp3f1fx0hz.cloudfront.net/_jvbyzvhf0.png)

#####
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


Simple Guide to getting started with Xamarin on PC.

android

Use Mobile Center to Build

Deploy Mobile App to Google Play Store with Xamarin

Get Start with Xamarin for iOS, Android and Windows App