A Complete Guide - Xamarin Forms Setting up Development Environment Visual Studio, Android SDKs

Step 3: Create a New Xamarin.Forms Project

1. Start a New Project:

   • Open Visual Studio and click on "Create a new project".
   • Search for "Xamarin.Forms App" and select it.
   • Click "Next".

2. Configure Your Project:

   • Enter a project name, location, and solution name.
   • Set the target and minimum Android version.
   • Click "Create".

3. Configure Project Settings:

   • Once the project is created, it will open with multiple projects including shared project, Android project, and iOS project.
   • You can now start adding code to your Xamarin.Forms shared project and compile/run it on various platforms.

Step 4: Run Your First Xamarin.Forms Application

1. Set the StartUp Project:

   • In the Solution Explorer, right-click on the Android project and select "Set as StartUp Project".

2. Select an Emulator or Device:

   • Click on the green play button (or F5) to start running your app.
   • In the device selection dialog, choose an Android emulator device.
   • If you don't have one, you can create a new emulator through the Android Device Manager.

3. Run Your Application:

   • The application will be built and deployed to the emulator/device.
   • You should see a default app screen that's blank or has some default content.

Step 5: Verify Setup

1. Check for Errors:

   • If you encounter any errors, double-check that all the SDKs and tools are installed correctly.
   • Ensure that all paths are set correctly and that the JDK is properly installed.

2. Experiment:

   • Open the MainPage.xaml in the shared project and start adding some UI elements.
   • Run the application again to see the changes.

Conclusion