Let’s create a project, shall we? (Part 1)

• What are we going to build? – Part 0
• Let’s create a project, shall we? – Part 1 (This post)
• Adding splash screen – Part 2

In order to get started, we need do the setup for our solution (the base block) and start from there.

Project Setup:

This is a trivial part, you need to launch your preferred IDE (as mentioned before am using Xamarin Studio) and follow these instructions:

1. From the menu go to File, click New Solution. from the left panel under Multiplatform section choose App and from the middle panel choose Forms App with C# then press Next button.
   
2. On the second screen, Write the name of the app you’re intending to create in the App Name field (In my case the name will be PuzzlersJordan), and then write the Organization identifier.
   

   What is Organization identifier?

   It’s that identifier that is being used in your app to be distinguished among other apps, it comes with the form ‘com.yourcompanyname.productname’.
   For Android, it will be the package name and for iOS, it’s the bundle identifier.

   Next, make sure to check Android and iOS as Target Platforms and for the Shared Code choose ‘Use portable Class library’ and check XAML for user interface files.

   What is the difference between Shared Library and portable class library?

   To answer this question it will take me a whole blog post just to explain it. so instead I recommend reading this Xamarin Help blog post by Adam Pedley.

   

3. The last step, you need to specify the name of the project and solution, where should it be located on your machine and if you want to create a git repository for it.
4. Press Create and you will be ready to develop the solution.

• What are we going to build? – Part 0
• Let’s create a project, shall we? – Part 1 (This post)
• Adding splash screen – Part 2