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Xamarin Forms vs Xamarin Native: What’s the Difference?

When it comes to cross-platform mobile app development, Xamarin is a popular framework that uses C# and .NET for building apps for multiple platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. Xamarin offers two different approaches to developing mobile apps: Xamarin Forms and Xamarin Native.

Xamarin Forms

Xamarin.Forms is a UI toolkit that allows developers to create user interfaces that can be shared across different platforms such as iOS, Android, and Windows. With Xamarin.Forms, developers can create native user interfaces using XAML markup or C# code, and the framework will handle adapting them to the native UI controls of each platform.

Syntax

To create a new Xamarin.Forms application, use the following syntax:

dotnet new -i "Xamarin.Forms.Templates"
dotnet new xamarinforms -n MyNewApp

Example

Here is an example of a Xamarin.Forms page using XAML markup:

<ContentPage xmlns="http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms"
    xmlns:x="http://schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml"
    x:Class="MyApp.MainPage">

    <StackLayout>
        <Label Text="Welcome to Xamarin.Forms!"
               VerticalOptions="CenterAndExpand" 
               HorizontalOptions="CenterAndExpand" />
    </StackLayout>

</ContentPage>

Output

The above XAML markup will produce a page with a label that displays the text "Welcome to Xamarin.Forms!".

Explanation

Xamarin.Forms allows developers to create user interfaces using a single codebase that can run on multiple platforms. Developers can use XAML markup or C# code to create user interfaces and can use the built-in controls provided by the framework or create their own custom controls.

Use

Xamarin.Forms is best used for applications that require a simple user interface and do not require complex customizations. Developers can build simple user interfaces that can be easily shared across multiple platforms.

Important Points

  • Xamarin.Forms provides a UI toolkit that allows developers to create user interfaces that can be shared across multiple platforms.
  • Xamarin.Forms supports XAML markup and C# code for creating user interfaces.
  • Xamarin.Forms is best used for applications that do not require complex customizations.

Xamarin Native

Xamarin Native is a framework that allows developers to create native mobile applications for iOS, Android, and Windows using C# and .NET. With Xamarin Native, developers can create applications with a native user interface and full access to the underlying platform APIs.

Syntax

To create a new Xamarin Native application, use the following syntax:

dotnet new -i "Xamarin.Native.Templates"
dotnet new xamarinios -n MyNewApp.iOS
dotnet new xamarinandroid -n MyNewApp.Android

Example

Here is an example of a Xamarin.Native page using C# code:

public class MainPage : ContentPage
{
    public MainPage()
    {
        Content = new StackLayout
        {
            Children = {
                new Label {
                    Text = "Welcome to Xamarin.Native!",
                    VerticalOptions = LayoutOptions.CenterAndExpand,
                    HorizontalOptions = LayoutOptions.CenterAndExpand
                }
            }
        };
    }
}

Output

The above C# code will produce a page with a label that displays the text "Welcome to Xamarin.Native!".

Explanation

Xamarin.Native allows developers to create applications with a native user interface that can access all platform APIs using C# and .NET. Developers can use the native user interface controls provided by each platform and have access to the underlying platform APIs.

Use

Xamarin.Native is best used for applications that require complex customizations or require access to low-level platform APIs. Developers can create complex native user interfaces and have direct access to the underlying platform APIs.

Important Points

  • Xamarin.Native provides a framework that allows developers to create native mobile applications for multiple platforms using C# and .NET.
  • Xamarin.Native provides full access to the underlying platform APIs.
  • Xamarin.Native is best used for applications that require complex customizations or require access to low-level platform APIs.

Summary

Xamarin offers two approaches to mobile app development: Xamarin.Forms and Xamarin.Native. Xamarin.Forms provides a UI toolkit that allows developers to create simple user interfaces that can be shared across multiple platforms, while Xamarin.Native allows developers to create complex native user interfaces with direct access to the underlying platform APIs. Developers should choose the approach that best suits their project's needs.

XamarinEssentials
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