HowXamarin.FormsSupport EfficientCross-PlatformApp DevelopmentforBusinesses
bySARASUAREZ4monthsagoinAPPS/PRODUCTREVIEW
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In the digital era, mobile apps are no longer an option but a must-have for organizations. The real challenge for enterprises lies in choosing the approach (native or cross-platform) for app development. Both the
approaches have their own advantages and limitations, determining the best is always challenging.
As per reports, 80% of organizations are focusing on creating applications that run seamlessly on multiple platforms like Android, iOS, and Windows.
Chrome, Firefox, Facebook, along with many other applications have proved that multi-platform development is the ultimate choice for startups and leading companies. The cross-platform approach helps businesses deliver a native UI experience and influence a wide range of audience with relatively limited resources.
ChallengeswithCross-PlatformAppDevelopment
A decade ago, cross-platform app development was intended to develop simple games and mobile apps. Later, innovative technologies have made cross-platform development more influential, adaptable, and scalable than before. However, to enable a responsive experience in an app, developers need to solve several problems first.
Multiple Development Environments
- Developers need to use Mac OS X and certain tools like XCode with Objective-C or Swift as a coding language for iOS development. Whereas, for Android development, developers use Android Studio and choose Java or Kotlin as a programming language.
Diverse APIs - Each platform provides a distinct method of employing an additional feature or solving a specific user problem. Therefore, cross-
platform app developers have to identify an optimal combination that would coordinate several operating systems.
Compliance - Cross-platform app developers often face problems maintaining the compliance of applications across several OS and devices.
Performance Glitches - are one of the key challenges in cross-platform development. This issue occurs due to inconsistent interaction among the native and non-native elements of devices.
To solve all these challenges, developers prefer using a single framework that allows for developing apps for any platform with better resolutions.
Xamarin.Forms is one such framework that unites development environments, and diverse APIs, and allows developers to utilize a reusable codebase.
WhatisXamarin.Forms?
Xamarin.Forms is an exclusive framework designed by the Xamarin community to help developers build prototypes or mobile apps with 100% code shareability across Windows, iOS, and Android platforms.
Xamarin.Forms is incorporated with native libraries where app developers can personalize APIs for any operating system. With these APIs, developers can use the native devices’ functionalities like GPS, camera, geolocation, etc., and can integrate them inside the application.
Xamarin.Forms framework uses the combination of C# and the .NET technologies. It also provides a lot of reusable code templates and remains
one of the most valuable cross platform frameworks available up to date. Developers from the Xamarin app development services company help businesses to design, develop, test, and release the apps securely.
Features of Xamarin.Forms
The main objective of Xamarin.Forms framework is to allow app developers to enhance user interfaces, add more functionality on different platforms, and visualize the outcomes in real time. A cross platform app developer needs to check whether the app is displayed appropriately on all operating systems. Therefore, the Xamarin community offers a range of features for developers like:
1. Device Class - This feature allows app developers to modify the app ’ s functionality for a specific platform after the basic codebase has been programmed. Despite being a cross-platform development framework, Xamarin.Forms framework allows developers to design code according to specific hardware types and resolutions. The Device Class is capable of analyzing an application’s performance and providing suggestions for its enhancement.
2. Essentials Page “Xamarin Essentials” is a recurrently updated library with multiple APIs for native devices. Whether the app needs to utilize a camera or microphone, developers can simply access the required API that matches particular hardware requirements from the “Essentials” section. This feature is highly beneficial for developers to integrate text-to-
speech conversion, file system access, keypad, screen lock, and other APIs, enabling smooth UI.
3. Pre-Built Page Layouts - Xamarin.Forms ensure a ready-to-use set of basic user interfaces and application controls. App designers or developers can alter layout elements or prefer to modify a specific platform’s effects, and colors, and include unique APIs to the app without impacting the app ’ s design on other OS. Moreover, it provides designers and developers with pre-equipped navigation and interface customizations.