Mastering Xamarin UI Development

Learn how to build stunning, maintainable, cross-platform mobile application user interfaces using C# 7 with the power of both the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms frameworks.
Key Features

Build effective native and cross-platform user interfaces using the Xamarin frameworks for iOS and Android, as well as Xamarin.Forms

Maximize the testability, flexibility, and overall quality of your Xamarin mobile apps

Step-by-Steps guide that is packed with real-world scenarios and solutions, to build professional grade mobile apps and games for the iOS and Android platforms, using C# 7

Book Description This book will provide you with the knowledge and practical skills that are required to develop real-world Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms applications. You'll learn how to create native Android app that will interact with the device camera and photo gallery, and then create a native iOS sliding tiles game. You will learn how to implement complex UI layouts and create customizable control elements based on the platform, using XAML and C# 7 code to interact with control elements within your XAML ContentPages.
You'll learn how to add location-based features by to your apps by creating a LocationService class and using the Xam.Plugin.Geolocator cross-platform library, that will be used to obtain the current device location. Next, you'll learn how to work with and implement animations and visual effects within your UI using the PlatformEffects API, using C# code.
At the end of this book, you'll learn how to integrate Microsoft Azure App Services and use the Twitter APIs within your app. You will work with the Razor Templating Engine to build a book library HTML5 solution that will use a SQLite.net library to store, update, retrieve, and delete information within a local SQLite database. Finally, you will learn how to write unit tests using the NUnit and UITest frameworks.
What you will learn

Downloading and Installing the Visual Studio for Mac IDE

Overview and Understanding of the Xamarin Mobile Platform

Understand the MVVM architectural pattern and how to implement this with your apps

Build a NavigationService class to enable navigation between your ViewModels

Implement Data-Binding to control elements within your XAML pages and ViewModels

Create and Implement Xamarin.Forms Animations within your applications

Work with the Microsoft Azure App Services Platform and the Twitter API

Who this book is for This book is intended for readers who have experience using at least the C# 6.0 programming language and interested in learning how to create stunning native, and cross-platform user interfaces for the iOS and Android platforms using the Xamarin and Xamarin.Forms frameworks using C# 7.
Table of Contents

Setting up Visual Studio for Mac

Building a Photo Library app using Xamarin.Android and C#

Building a Picture Sliding Game using Xamarin.iOS and C#

Creating the TrackMyWalks Native App

MVVM and Data Binding

Navigating within the MVVM Model - The Xamarin.Forms Way

Adding Location-Based Features within Your App

Customizing the User Interface

Working with Animations in Xamarin.Forms

Working with the Razor Templating Engine

Incorporating API Data Access using Microsoft Azure App Services

Making our App Social - Using the Twitter API

Unit Testing your Xamarin.Forms App using the NUnit and UITest Frameworks