Tips and Tricks to Make Android and IOS Apps In C# On Mac

C# for Android and iOS apps on Mac

Xamarin uses a mono version of the Microsoft .NET runtime. It allows for writing code in C# and building apps for Android, iOS, and Windows mobile operating systems. Xamarin.Forms lets developers create native applications using the same SDKs and UI controls available in Swift, Xcode, and Android Studio.

Before developing an Android or iOS application, there is a need for a proper integrated development environment (IDE). This is a complete application suite that provides services like writing and editing source code, building executable files, and debugging.

Visual Studio is one of the more popular IDEs used to develop cross-platform mobile applications. It can be used to create almost any type of application for tvOS, iOS, .NET, Android, and ASP.NET.

Visual Studio for Mac includes compilers, code completion tools, graphical designers, and source control features to ease the software development process.

Steps to build an app for Android and iOS on Mac

To begin, you’ll need to install Visual Studio for Mac. Once done, you’re ready to create a Xamarin project.

1. Start Visual Studio for Mac.

2. Click on Multiplatform -> App -> Blank App and hit Continue.

3. Enter <your app name> inside the App Name option and keep everything else as default. Click on Continue.

4. Confirm the location of the new project on your computer.

5. Click the Create button.

A new Xamarin.Mac app will be created by Visual Studio for Mac with default files that show in the app's solution. This is a container that holds one or more projects.

Here, we can see that the application follows the MVVM (Model-View-ViewModel) architecture.

Time-saving tips for Android and iOS app development

Now that you have a new Xamarin.Mac app, it’s time to apply a few tips and tricks to help you code better. These include using code snippets, code folding, comments, and more.

Code snippet

Code snippet helps you speed up coding. Also known as code template, it is used for efficient programming as it allows the insertion and editing of pre-written blocks of code.

There are different ways to add a code snippet, some of which are described below:

• Constructor: You can use predefined keywords to create a constructor quickly by typing "ctr" and pressing the tab twice.

using System;
namespace example
{
	public class EmptyClass
	{		
}

}

• Property: If you want a small template for the property, type "prop" and press the tab twice to get it.

using System;
namespace example
{
public class EmptyClass2
{
public EmptyClass2()
{
}
}

}

Note: You have to pass object name and property name.

• Getters and setters: To get a property with the getter and setter methods, type “propfull” and press the tab twice.
• Console.WriteLine: Type CW to get Console.WriteLine.

using System;
namespace example
{
public class EmptyClass3
{
public EmptyClass3()
{
Console.WriteLine();
}
}
public object MyProperty { get; set; }

public object MyProperty { get; set; }

}

Note: You can use the same code for loops like "for" or "if".

using System;
namespace example
{
public class EmptyClass3
{
public EmptyClass3()
{
Console.WriteLine();
}
if (true) {

}
}
public object MyProperty { get; set; }
public object MyProperty { get; set; }

Trying to remember these code snippets may seem daunting, but the good news is that the Toolbox Window displays a list of all of them. You can drag any template from the toolbox into the correct position in the source code.

Code folding

Code folding helps to manage large source code files. It allows you to show or hide complete sections of codes. It’s turned off by default in Visual Studio for Mac. To turn it on, navigate to Visual Studio > Preferences > Text Editor > General > Code Folding.

Highlight visualize changed lines

Highlighting visualize changed lines lets you find blocks of code. You can enable this by going to Visual Studio > Preferences > Text Editor > Markers and Rulers and selecting Visualize changed lines.

Multi-caret editing

Like code snippets, multi-caret editing speeds up coding. It allows for adding n number of insertion points at a single time.

The following keyboard shortcuts will let you enter the exact mode of multi-caret editing:

HotkeyAction

⌥⇧. Insert next matching caret

⌥⇧; Insert carets at all matching

⌥⇧, Remove last caret

⌥⇧/ Move last caret down.

using System;
namespace example
{
	public class EmptyClass2
	{
		public EmptyClass2()
		{
            		Console.WriteLine("hello, I'm David");
			Console.WriteLine("hello, I am jenny");
			Console.WriteLine("hello, I am Jack");
		}
	}
}

Comments

Comments play an important role when debugging or experimenting with code. They may be required either temporarily or for the long-term.

To comment out an entire block of code, select the code and press (cmd + / ).

Shifting code

Visual Studio lets developers shift code lines within the code using two keys (option + upper/ down arrow).

The tips and tricks listed above can simplify coding and help you save plenty of time when creating Xamarin-based Android and iOS apps on Mac using Visual Studio. Apply them to your project to boost your coding efficiency.