The choice between having a native or a cross-platform application for your organization depends on the requirements & features of the app. Cross-platform app development is usually considered the more cost-effective option of the two. Xamarin is one framework that can be used for front-end development during cross-platform app development.
What is Xamarin?
Xamarin is an open-source cross-platform development framework for mobile applications. The single technology stack of Xamarin is made of C# & .NET. Xamarin allows developers to reuse up to 95% of the code for app development for both iOS & Android making it extremely easy and fast to build apps.
Let’s look at some reasons why you should consider Xamarin for your next mobile app:
1. Native UX: Applications built using Xamarin.forms offer a native or close to the native experience to the user. The framework has easy access to some of the APIs being used by Android & iOS, and many platform-specific native elements can also be found in C# & Visual Studio. Because of this, Xamarin can create UI/UX that works well across several platforms like Android, Windows & iOS.
2. Single Technology Stack: With Xamarin, a single technology stack is used in the form of C#. This stack can be used to create multiple solutions without having to switch between environments, thanks to Visual Studio. This helps with ease in the creation of applications and cuts back on time and makes it an extremely easy framework to learn and master.
3. Shared App Logic: Up to 95% of the code written in Xamarin is reusable — this means that cross-platform app development becomes easy and fast. The amount of time and effort that goes into creating the app is significantly reduced. A single codebase can function across multiple platforms with only minimal changes in the code required.
4. Cost-effectiveness: The use of a single technology stack & reusable code allows developers to significantly descale on the costs of development and the time of delivery to the client. A single team’s entire app development process can be carried out using C# & Visual Studio. Expenses are reduced significantly with the elimination of the need for multiple teams.
5. Integrated Testing: With Xamarin test clouds allow for faultless code generation because continuous testing being available throughout the development process. Xamarin test clouds can test the application across multiple platforms on a single device. When compared to other frameworks, finding performance issues before the release of the application makes it a very cost-effective solution.
6. Open-source with Microsoft Support: Xamarin, being an open-source framework, is constantly being improved upon by the community. Microsoft support also makes it a very scalable, stable and robust framework to work with.
Xamarin app development comes with several benefits that are not just useful for enterprises but also new-age opportunities. Developing the mobile application with Xamarin is always cost-effective.
Fun fact, Xamarin is one of the frameworks that doesn’t allow any compromise on the quality while also offers time-saving and cost-cutting measures. All benefits considered, you must consult a professional while choosing between native or cross-platform applications. That is why TechRev experts are just one email away. Stay tuned to this space for more such informational posts.
