The adaptability of cross-platform app development platforms such as Xamarin is rising due to code reusability, lesser time to market, high performance, and cost considerations. Xamarin is in great demand to develop Windows, Android, and iOS apps in a less complex development environment.
Founded in 2011, Xamarin- the best app development software, has approximately 1.5 million developers worldwide. In 2016, Microsoft acquired it as part of its Visual Studio IDE. It allows the development of native applications with a single codebase (c#) and single IDE (Visual Studio).
There is no need to know other languages like Java, Kotlin, or Swift for constructing apps in fields like energy, transport, healthcare, and others.
Main Features of Xamarin
Use of Single Language for App Development
Xamarin uses C# and .Net frameworks for most of the work. To simplify it for the developers, it allows building all Xamarin apps in Visual Studio code.
Simple Maintenance
Its cross-platform nature makes maintenance and upgradation easy. Just deploy the change in the source file, which will be automatically done for both Windows and iOS apps, saving time. This feature makes it the best among other IDE for Android.
Support for Wearables Devices, IoT, and Television
The products which can be worn on the body are known as wearables. Xamarin facilitates using Visual Studio for Windows and Mac app development, mainly for watch devices. Thanks to Xamarin.Form that enables development companies also to build apps Tizen, tvOS, and watchOS.
Comprehensive Use
Businesses get a robust and complete Xamarin ecosystem with support from Xamarin. It has strong support and offers developers fast development and testing.
Xamarin allows developers to use a single language, C#, to work on various solutions, saving precious time. The maintenance is easy as well because developers get a native user experience.
Advantages of Using Xamarin
- One tech stack is good to go for all your mobile app development needs
- Open source, free, and strong community support
- Simple app maintenance system
- Reduced time to market
- Full hardware support with easy updation
Disadvantages of Using Xamarin
- Not good compatibility with third-party tools & libraries
- Costly to use in the enterprise setting
- Large size due to the Xamarin app consisting of libraries and apps, both
Skills to Look for in a Xamarin Developer
It is vital to look at the technical aspects of a developer. However, consider other personal characteristics such as a positive outlook, fast learning ability, thoughtfulness, patience, etc. Here, we’ll discuss only technical aspects.
API and Third-Party Libraries
The prominent reason for Xamarin’s popularity among other cross-platform best app development software is the extensive support for third-party APIs. Ask the developer about those libraries and APIs, or you’ll be forced to look towards outsourcing or hiring other developers later for that particular work.
Visual Studio
For Mac and Windows, Xamarin facilitates mobile app development through Visual Studio. Developers should not just have a knack for Visual Studio; they should be ready to keep themselves updated to remain responsive to new-age technologies. Also, examine whether the candidate has worked on MVVM development methodology.
C# and ASP.NET
C# and ASP.Net works like a base in Xamarin for building apps; thus, proficiency in these languages is necessary. Ask questions based on HTML-based pages, UI controls, C # classes, C # properties, lambda expressions, data binding, web services, XAML, etc., to understand the candidate’s know-how of the languages.
Code Reusability Across Platforms
Xamarin- IDE for Android professionals use Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Android, and Xamarin.Mac for mobile application development.
So, make sure the developer has an understanding of Model-View-ViewModel (MVVM). Designers and developers may collaborate on a project using this cross-platform development approach. Verify that the Xamarin developer you want to hire is familiar with MVVM.
Final Verdict
There are many alternatives to Xamarin, such as React Native, Flutter, Iconic, Apache Cordova, Sencha, Xcode, Corona SDK, Firebase, Android Studio, Kony Quantum, and Adobe AIR.
However, organizations prefer Xamarin, which is the best app development software, for its performance, speed, resourcefulness, shareable code, and open source. Xamarin takes first place with its simplified and agile development. Microsoft also extends its full support to this platform. Moreover, Xamarin is cheaper to deploy than any other cross-platform solution.
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