Xamarin Tools, Part 2 of 3: Mobile and Web Services

Course description

In this course, we will look at the Xamarin Mobile API. Mobile devices tend to have features that are functionally the same except for the APIs. For example, there is a geolocation api. The geolocation api is functionally the same across iOS and Android, yet the APIs are very different. Then we’ll look at various other services that can be commonly used in the mobile world with iPhone and Android. We can use the same API to call out to web services to get data. When that data comes back, we can use the same API in JSON and XML to process returned data in the iPhone and Android.

Each LearnNowOnline training course is made up of Modules (typically an hour in length). Within each module there are Topics (typically 15-30 minutes each) and Subtopics (typically 2-5 minutes each). There is a Post Exam for each Module that must be passed with a score of 70% or higher to successfully and fully complete the course.

Prerequisites

This course assumes that students have some programming background and experience using Visual Studio and Xcode. In addition, this course assumes knowledge of Visual C# and Mono for Android, as well as Objective C and Mono Touch. An understanding of XML is also required.

Meet the expert

Wallace McClure

Wallace McClure specializes in building applications that have large numbers of users and large amounts of data as well as user interface specific technologies such as AJAX, iPhone, and Android. He is a Microsoft MVP, ASPInsider, and a partner in Scalable Development, Inc. Wally has authored books on iPhone Programming with Mono/MonoTouch, Android Programming with Mono for Android, application architecture, ADO.NET and SQL Server, and finally AJAX.

Video Runtime

104 Minutes

Time to complete

196 Minutes

Course Outline

Xamarin Mobile API

Xamarin Mobile Introduction (17:48)

• Introduction (00:19)
• Devices (00:48)
• Problem (01:04)
• Xamarin Mobile API (01:43)
• Platforms Supported (00:46)
• Geolocation API (01:23)
• Basic Steps for GeoLocation (00:54)
• PositionEventArgs (01:07)
• Location/Position Changes (01:30)
• Output (01:14)
• Demo: iOS GeoLocation (04:29)
• Demo: Android GeoLocation (02:05)
• Summary (00:19)

Xamarin Mobile Contacts (10:07)

• Introduction (00:15)
• Contacts (01:36)
• Classes (00:53)
• Enumerations (01:00)
• Output in Android (00:35)
• Output in iPhone 5 (00:34)
• Demo: Address book (04:52)
• Summary (00:19)

Xamarin Media (09:35)

• Introduction (00:16)
• Accessing the Camera (00:42)
• Xamarin.Media Namespace (00:55)
• Enumerations (00:26)
• Output (00:52)
• Demo: Android Camera (03:32)
• Demo: iOS Camera (01:45)
• References (00:45)
• Summary (00:17)

Targeting Services

Web Services (20:06)

• Introduction (00:16)
• Accessing Services (02:03)
• Businesses Run On Data (01:20)
• Architecture (02:21)
• Data Terms (01:22)
• Data Interchange Standards (01:08)
• Limitations (02:26)
• Web Services (00:51)
• Web Service Options (02:40)
• What is REST? (01:21)
• REST over WCF (00:31)
• Your WCF Interface (00:56)
• JavaScript Object Notation (01:39)
• XML (00:52)
• Summary (00:14)

Web Services Demo (19:08)

• Introduction (00:15)
• Demo: Web Services (01:29)
• Demo: REST Service (02:55)
• Demo: REST Callback (03:59)
• Demo: REST and JSON (03:39)
• Demo: JSON Result (02:54)
• Demo: Primitave Data (03:34)
• Summary (00:20)

Databases (19:15)

• Introduction (00:16)
• Intra-Firewall (02:13)
• On Device (03:04)
• SQLite (01:25)
• Corporate Data (01:38)
• Demo: Setting up SQLite (03:45)
• Demo: Creating the Database (04:56)
• Demo: SQL to Avoid (01:37)
• Summary (00:17)

Threading (08:24)

• Introduction (00:20)
• Async Commands (01:26)
• Threading (01:53)
• Demo: Threading (02:57)
• Question (01:36)
• Summary (00:10)