If you know C# and have an iOS device, learn to use one language for multiple devices with Xamarin

Overview

• A clear and concise look at how to create your own apps building on what you already know of C#
• Create advanced and elegant apps by yourself
• Ensure that the majority of your code can also be used with Android and Windows Mobile 8 devices

In Detail

Before the release of monotouch, development on iOS was purely in Objective C. There was nothing wrong with that except for one thing - it's very unpleasant to write code in! The release of Xamarin changed all of that, and with it brought cross-platform development to the mobile world.

Xamarin Mobile Application Development for iOS is not just your normal everyday book on iOS app development. Everything is written for a point and not for effect, and therefore you will learn everything you need to know quickly and efficiently without getting bogged down in needless information. The code has been taken from fully tested apps, so you can just drop it into your code and it will work out of the box.

In this clear and informative guide, you will be taken on a whirlwind tour of iOS application development with Xamarin, from setting up a development environment on your PC or Mac to testing and distribution through the Apple Store with plenty of practical examples along the way.

The book begins by discussing the installation of the IDE (for both PC and Mac) as well as how to set up your PC so it can be used to develop for iOS. From there, successive chapters cover the user interface, views, view controllers, customisation of controls, animation, events and event handling, getting the most from your app using threading, creating your own settings system, the internal database system and LINQ, sending texts, making calls, taking photos, videos, and audio recordings as well as using the mapping system. The book culminates by showing you how to test your app using testflight and finally how to release your app on the Apple Store. It is an all-encompassing book that leaves nothing out.

What you will learn from this book

• Create a working user interface
• Understand and write a cross-platform configuration system
• Learn how to create an SQLite helper system and master the basics of LINQ
• Use and manipulate graphics
• Get the most out of your iOS device with very little code
• Publish your very own app on Apple’s app store
• Come to terms with threading in a mobile world

Approach

This book is a standard tutorial aimed at teaching you everything you need to know about iOS app development using Xamarin.

Who this book is written for

This book is written for those who are new to iOS app development as well as more experienced developers who just need a quick reference book. It is assumed that you are already comfortable using C#. Those teaching iOS to new students will also find this book invaluable as a form of reference material.