HOW XAMARIN SCORES OVER OTHER CROSS PLATFORM DEVELOPMENT FRAMEWORKS
A constant increase is being noted in the number of businesses developing different versions of the same application for major mobile platforms like iOS, Android and Windows Phone. So businesses need cross-platform mobile development tools to reduce both development time and cost. Based on its specific requirements, each organization has option to choose from a diverse range of cross-platform mobile development tools including Xamarin, PhoneGap, Titanium, Appcelerator, Kony and iFactr. But a number of reports have highlighted the growing popularity and market share of Xamarin.
Unlike other cross-platform mobile development tools, Xamarin Platform enables mobile app developers to create iOS, Android and Windows Phone apps by sharing the same C# code base. At the same time, the developers can use Xamarin Test to identify flaws and bugs in the mobile application by testing it on a variety of mobile devices in the cloud. Also, they can use Xamarin Insight to deliver high quality application by monitoring exceptions and crashed in the real time.
WHY XAMARIN IS MORE POPULAR THAN OTHER CROSS-PLATFORM MOBILE APP DEVELOPMENT TOOLS?
100% CODE REUSABILITY
As noted earlier, Xamarin allows developers to create apps for major mobile platforms by sharing the same code base. The developers can further use Xamarin.Forms to quickly design native user interfaces (UIs) for iOS, Android and Windows Phone. They can further use the native UIs by sharing the same C# code base. Thus, Xamarin Forms makes it easier for enterprises to save the time and resources required developing native UIs several times for different mobile platforms.
ALLOWS TESTING IN CLOUD
While creating a cross-platform mobile app, developers have to invest additional time and efforts to assess its look, feel and performance on multiple devices. But they can use Xamarin Test Cloud to find bugs and flaws in the application in the cloud. Further, they can check the test results, screenshots and performance metrics to make the mobile application flawless.
SUPPORTS BOTH MVC AND MVVM PATTERNS
Unlike other cross-platform mobile development tools, Xamarin supports commonly used software development patterns like Model-View-Controller (MVC) and Model View ViewModel (MVVM). The MVC pattern enables developers to keep the application logic and presentation separate. So it becomes easier for the business to modify and update the mobile application rapidly. At the same time, the MVVM pattern makes it easier for programmers to reuse the same code base for different projects.
NO NEED TO DEVELOP ADDITIONAL PLUG-INS
Xamarin enables developers to effectuate on device processing without developing specific plug-ins. As Xamarin applications are developed with standard and native user interface controls, the deliver richer user experience across different mobile platforms. Also, the applications can access all functionality of the underlying mobile device and platform. For instance, the Xamarin applications can access platform-specific functionality like Android Fragment and iBeacons. So the businesses can save the time and resources required for developing plug-ins for on device processing.
MEETS THE NEED OF LARGER AND MORE COMPLEX PROJECTS
Normally, all cross-platform mobile development tools complement the requirements of small projects. But most of these tools fail to meet the needs of larger and more complex projects. Xamarin is effective in meeting the needs of both small and large projects. As the developers can write code in a single programming language (C#), it becomes easier for the organization to scale horizontally without hiring additional developers. At the same time, the developers can further avail the native iOS and Android Libraries to easily modify and improve the mobile app.
The mobile app developers can further use the version 3.0 of Xamarin to create robust apps for smartphones and tablets, along with Google Glass, Android Wear, Fire phone, Amazon Kindle Fire and other latest mobile devices. The most recent version of Xamarin also comes with several new features and enhancements to curtail the cross-platform mobile app development time and cost.
Tecordeon is an Authorized Consulting Partner of M/S Xamarin and have developed Multiple Applications using Xamarin Technology. Tecordeon developed apps for iPhone, Android, iPad devices and served clients of various Industry verticals, like media & entertainment, finance, enterprise, lifestyle, eCommerce.
