Why Hiring a Xamarin Developer Will Help Your Business?

Xamarin was founded ten years ago, and ever since, the community has been growing in 120 countries. It is an excellent framework for making cross-platform apps that offer a native-like experience without hampering the user experience. Hence, Xamarin Developer writes the code in a single language instead of native apps where the developer has to use several programming languages. This framework is used by over 15,000 companies in fields like energy, transport, healthcare, and others.

How Does it Work?

Xamarin is the framework that allows and employs developers to develop a native application for Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. With a single codebase, i.e., C#, and a single IDE, i.e., Visual Studio. The C# code has to be converted into the relevant source to make it work on these three separate platforms. Thus, a developer is able to create native mobile applications without knowing Java, Kotlin, Objective-C, or Swift.

In a nutshell, Xamarin provides a UI interface, API access, and native performance.

Architecture of Xamarin

There are three architectural forms of Xamarin:

1.      Xamarin – Forms architecture

This open-source framework allows the developer to create a native UI cross-platform. It also allows them to write business logic in C# which is shared across all the platforms. At best, more than 70% of the codes in Xamarin are sharable. Also, it is Xamarin that takes care of translating or compiling all the C# code to its corresponding platform-specific codes. No manual entry needs to be done. Xamarin is built on top of an open-source version of the .NET Framework based on the .NET ECMA standards - MONO. It has been in existence for a period as long as .NET Framework. The best part about it is that it runs on most platforms, including Linux, Unix, FreeBSD, and macOS. The Mono execution environment handles the tasks of memory allocation, garbage collection, and interoperability with underlying platforms. 

2.      Xamarin.Android Architecture

For Android, Xamarin makes a Just-In-Time compilation to create an executable. Xamarin.Android application runs within the Mono execution environment, which runs side by side with Android Runtime Virtual Machine. The Mono runtime is written in C language. On Android, most of the system facilities like Audio, Graphics, OpenGL, and Telephony are not available directly to native applications; they are only exposed through the Android Runtime Java APIs residing in one of the Java namespaces or the Android namespaces.

3.      Xamarin.iOS Architecture

For iOS, Xamarin provides a fully compiled Ahead of Time binary. It directly runs on your device to provide native performance. Xamarin.iOS offers access to ECMA CIL APIs and various other .NET APIs. Xamarin.iOS too runs within the Mono execution environment and uses complete AOT compilation to compile C# code to assembly language. It runs side-by-side with the Objective-C runtime, and both the runtime environments run on top of a UNIX-like kernel, specifically XNU. It exposes various APIs to the user code, allowing developers to access the underlying native or managed system.

Xamarin Developers Must Know

Here are the three things Xamarin developers must know:

1.      C# Language

C# is a general-purpose multi-paradigm programming language. It encompasses static typing,  strong typing, lexically scoped, imperative, declarative, functional, generic, object-oriented (class-based), and component-oriented programming disciplines.

2.      Mobile Development

It is not compulsory to know Android and iOS. A developer needs to know one of those and how the platform works and uses controllers, stores files on the device, and uses all the great features of a smartphone. Learning a mobile app development is a never-ending process, but you can always hire a good team for whom it's a piece of cake.

3.      Architecture

The developer needs to code the architecture and solution right. It is hard enough to create an app with a single platform; Xamarin is a cross-platform framework provider. Hence, it is necessary just to get the basics right.

Pros of Choosing Xamarin

Here are a few reasons to choose Xamarin for your business:

1.      Single Code for Multi-Platforms

As mentioned above, Xamarin provides the ability to write one single code for an app, which can be used across multiple platforms (such as Android and iOS). This will save engineers time and costs compared to native app development. This means it also protects the money of the business. It is a win-win for developers as well as business owners.

2.      Near-Native UX

Xamarin also offers tools for making the near-native user experience (UX) even closer to 100%. Xamarin Forms provides the ability to “translate” app elements across platforms or create native code for each operating system.

3.      Testing Tools

Xamarin also provides qualified tools to test the problems. The test Cloud function of Xamarin enables developers to test across 2,000 devices. This is done to ensure that the highest possible quality should be provided no matter who is using the app. The Insights function delivers valuable data about things like the number of users, session lengths, and the number of crashes as well.

4.      Open Source

Xamarin’s libraries and tools are free to use and are open source because they are part of Microsoft's Visual Studio.

5.      Straightforward Updates

All the Xamarin engineers can update all the latest versions of the app at the same time because just one programming language is used for multiple platforms.

6.      Microsoft Support

There is no limit for Xamarin developers to learn. It is a part of Microsoft's software development package wherein developers get continuous support, learning opportunities, and platform stability and performance.

Cons of Choosing Xamarin

With the advantages come disadvantages. Here are a few disadvantages of Xamarin:

1.      Xamarin Is in Its Infancy Stage

Xamarin is not an old platform, it is still in its infant stage, and its community is still growing. This is why companies seeking an experienced Xamarin developer might have trouble finding one. Also, the Xamarin engineers may have problems finding help with their challenges.

2.      Too Many Bugs

Xamarin has a smaller community, and because it is a newer platform, the resources to manage the bugs found might become a problem.

3.      Limitations of The Library

The complex projects might require native coding, and Xamarin might not be of any help with that, even though Xamarin's library is extensive.

4.      Size Matters

The apps in Xamarin apps contain a package that includes the app plus the libraries. Hence, the size of apps is usually much more extensive than native-built ones. It leads to slower download and install times.

5.      The Gap in API

Xamarin Developers might have to wait for Xamarin to integrate OS updates before they can update an app. It can delay their work because these updates are sometimes delayed  which can hamper the consistency and smoothness of the flow of work.

6.      Costing

Xamarin itself might be free as part of the .NET platform. However, it requires the use of Microsoft Visual Studio, which can be beyond the budget for some. Thus, Xamarin might not be the best option for low-budgeters.

Why Hiring a Xamarin Developer Will Help Your Business?

The best part about Xamarin is that start-ups and small-scale businesses prefer it because it is simple yet scalable. When you hire Xamarin developers, you can enjoy the advantages of various programming languages to build robust, quality applications. Some of the significant components of Xamarin are Xamarin Forms and Xamarin.iOS, Xamarin.Android, Xamarin Test Cloud, Platform SDKs, and DevOps Support Tool.

Here are reasons for you to hire Xamarin developers for your business:

1.  If you hire a Xamarin developer, he will build cross-platform applications through visual studio.

2.  The developer's main task will be designing, developing, testing, and maintaining the application using Xamarin.

3.  They will also improve the appearance, feel, and execution.

4.  When you hire Xamarin app developers, they are completely involved in creating UIs and writing code for different platforms and OS.

5.  They produce precise specifications and write clear, concise, and readable code.

6.  Work closely with designers, business analysts, and other team members to manage app behaviour and satisfy all the necessary objectives.

7.  Work with guaranteed security measures to protect business-critical data and information.

8.  Before publishing on respective platforms, point out potential risks, errors, and app vulnerabilities.

Hence, your money, time, and energy will be saved to invest in managing the business's profits. You need not worry about your Xamarin project after outsourcing it to the top Xamarin developers, they will take care of your project needs.  

Wrapping Up

So, now you know why hiring a Xamarin developer will help your business? You get expertise, quality results, transparency, contractual basis, beneficial cost, communication is smoothened, and the best of the best. Here is the list of companies that provide top Xamarin Development Services.