Introduction to Xamarin

What is Xamarin

Xamarin is a tool that came out relatively recently and was designed for those for whom cross-platform development is preferable then native applications. The purpose of this tool was to enable the launch of programs created in C # in other operating systems besides Windows. Thus, with cross-platform development, code and design elements for one platform are used when working on the next one, and this promises a good economy, however, this does not affect Xamarin developer salary since the possession of this tool is worthily paid. Xamarin mobile app development is positioned as the best tool for such solutions that need to be cross-platform and savings are in the priority. Let’s find out the main reasons for its popularity and the sphere of its practical application.

The Brief History

Xamarin is a framework for the cross-platform development of mobile applications (iOS, Android, Windows Phone) using the C # language. It was created in 2011 and at the moment, was bought by Microsoft.

The Main Distinctive Feature of Xamarin

The business logic of the application rarely changes when the platform is changed. For example, Internet banking carries out payments and reports a balance regardless of whether it works on a smartphone or laptop. Similar applications with complex business logic and a standard interface are the prerogative of Xamarin. Algorithms developed in C # for a single platform are used for all other platforms by a freelance Xamarin developer. The technology makes it possible to reuse up to 75 percent of the code. If the most important thing in the application is functionality, and the design consists of a pair of buttons and a beautiful graph, Xamarin fits. On projects with a complex interface, the cost of revision is sometimes comparable to the development of two or three native solutions. But business logic does not change equally and each new version of the application will be even easier to develop because all the nuances of the customer’s requirements are already known. In the net balance, the cost of completion depends on the team and the complexity of the design.

What Mobile Applications Can Be Created on Xamarin

Xamarin developer  jobs may include the development of  mobile applications for such areas as transportation, logistics, banking, education, medicine, media, games, sports, insurance, security, personal finance, restaurant business, sales, online voting, customs checks, energy expenditure control, various research, analysis and visualization of data and this list can be continued.

The development of mobile applications using this technology will be most relevant in the event that it is planned to create a product the functionality of which will be in the first place, and the interface is extremely simple and not saturated with complex elements. If the application is completely elementary, it makes sense to use Xamarin. Forms because there are quite a few standard components that can be taken from the ready-made set and used in creating applications.

Pros and Cons

The main advantage, as already mentioned, is resource savings, code reuse and the ease of adding versions for new platforms. The code in C # is available to the whole team and, if sufficiently qualified, can be used on any other platform: both mobile and desktop.

A relatively controversial disadvantage of Xamarin is the difficulty of finding answers to non-standard questions. The site itself contains documentation, which includes a lot of information on the product, as well as numerous examples of methods used; in addition, it is always possible to ask a question on the developer forum. Therefore, such difficulties can only be encountered if to use Xamarin to work on a fairly complex and unique project.

Summing Up

Walt Disney’s famous phrase “If you can imagine it, you can do it” is perfectly characterizing the development of mobile applications on Xamarin. Everything that a developer can imagine will be embodied in a worthy application.