Android apps using Visual Studio? - Part 2

 

You can create an Android app in Visual Studio 2015 CTP6. Such as XamarinTest as in the next image (Please refer to the first image in Part 1).


XamarinApp01

There are only two items in the Solution Explorer as shown:

 

XamarinApp02

 

 

In order to proceed you need Xamarin and when you access to learn more about Xamarin you will be taken to the Xamarin site here:
http://xamarin.com/platform?utm_source=visualstudio&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=platform&utm_campaign=installer

 

The details of what Xamarin download gives you are shown here:

 

XamarinApp03

You need to provide some info before you can download.

Double click the Xamarinisntaller.exe to begin installing Xamarin (installs with Admin rights). It first tries to locate the Android SDK location and finds it on the computer here: (Note a few screens before the next image are not shown here)

 

Xamarinapp06

In order to proceed further any running Visual Studio instance needs to be closed and the installer closes the Visual Studio if you ask it to force it.

 

 

There are lot more requirements shown here when you proceed to install hitting Next button.

XamarinApp07

 

You need to agree for more terms next to proceed. If you do agree the download of the above starts as shown:

XamarinApp08

 

You may have to close out IE browsers as Java requires it. You get a series of messages that browser is closed while installing JDK but you will see the browsers are still open and unless you close it yourself, the program is unable to close browsers.

 

 

 Xamarin studio 5.7.2 (windows installer kicks in) gets installed. Finally after a while you get the final screen that allows you create 'amazin' apps.

XamarinApp09

 

 

The installation  has installed the following items to your programs as seen in control panel:

XamarinApp10

The installation continues without the JDK warnings to close the browsers.

Android SDK form 22_r3 gets installed. Many other versions of Android SDK (4.4.2,etc) gets installed. Installation is quite slow. The Android NDK r8d is admittedly slow.

 

Now if you launch Visual Studio 2015 CTP6 and try to create an Android app you will see few more items as shown.

 

 

Xamarin Studio also gets installed. Which one do you use, Xamarin Studio or Visual Studio 2015 CTP6? 

That's all for now