Xamarin is revolutionizing the way we develop mobile applications by offering a cross-platform framework that allows developers to create native-like experiences for Android, iOS, OS X, and Windows. With Xamarin development, you can share code between your Android and iOS app and compile it into native code, providing the advantages of native UI, native performance, and access to specific device features.
To get started with Xamarin development, you'll need the right tools and IDEs. In this article, we'll explore the essential tools needed for swift app development using Xamarin.
Xamarin-Supported IDEs
Visual Studio
Visual Studio is Microsoft's premier Integrated Development Environment (IDE) that supports a wide range of programming languages, including C# for mobile, desktop, web, and cross-platform Unity game development. With its rich editor, debugging capabilities, native platform integration with iOS, Mac, and Android, and integrated source control, Visual Studio provides everything you need to develop high-quality apps.
Developed by: Microsoft Corporation
Release date: February 1997
Platform: Windows, Mac
Written in: C++, C#
Pricing: Free for students, open-source, and individual developers; Standard subscriptions start at $799 per year with $1,199 for the first year and cloud subscriptions starting at $539 per year.
Xcode
Xcode is Apple's premier IDE for building apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. While you can develop iOS apps with Xamarin on Visual Studio running on a Windows machine, there must be a Mac computer accessible on the network acting as a build host for remote compilation and debugging.
Developed by: Apple
Release date: 2003
Platform: Mac
Pricing: Free
Xamarin Development Tools
NuGet
NuGet is an essential tool for any modern development platform, providing a mechanism through which developers can create, share, and consume useful code. With over 100,000 unique packages at nuget.org, NuGet enables you to host packages privately in the cloud or on your local file system.
Developed by: Microsoft Corporation, .NET Foundation
Release date: October 5th, 2010
Platform: .NET Framework
Written in: C#
Pricing: Free and open-source
Xamarin Inspector
Xamarin Workbooks & Inspector bring an interactive C# console with tools to users. The Inspector integrates with the app debugging workflow of your IDE, serving as a debugging or diagnostics aid when inspecting your running app.
Developed by: Xamarin
Platform: Windows, Mac
Pricing: Free
Prism
Prism is a framework for building loosely coupled, maintainable, and testable XAML applications in WPF, Windows 10 UWP, and Xamarin Forms. With its shared codebase in a Portable Class Library targeting these platforms, Prism provides great integration of patterns with the target platform.
Developed by: .NET Foundation
Pricing: Free and open-source
MFractor
MFractor is an XAML IntelliSense tool that offers 100+ XAML inspections and refactorings, image tooling, and much more to simplify Xamarin development. With its enhanced XAML editor, MFractor helps you find code issues instantly and then fix them in just a few clicks.
Developed by: Matthew Robbins, Tom Bowers
Platform: Mac
Pricing: Free; Professional version at $300
Resharper
Resharper is a Visual Studio extension for .Net developers that provides on-the-fly code quality analysis available in C#, VB.NET, XAML, ASP.NET, ASP.NET MVC, JavaScript, TypeScript, CSS, HTML, and XML. With hundreds of quick fixes to solve problems automatically, Resharper helps you improve your code.
Developed by: JetBrains
Platform: Windows
Pricing: Plans start at $129 per year
Xamarin Design Tools
InVision
InVision is the world's leading product design collaboration platform that allows you to upload your design files and add animations, gestures, and transitions. With its seamless integration with Xamarin development, InVision enables you to create stunning designs for your mobile apps.
Developed by: InVision
Platform: Web-based
Pricing: Free trial; Paid plans start at $15 per user per month