Before you get started
In order to use the EMDK for Xamarin, you must have the Xamarin Platform installed on your development system. Xamarin Studio will be installed as part of the Xamarin Platform. If you intend to use Microsoft Visual Studio as your development environment, you must install Microsoft Visual Studio 2013 or higher. Zebra does not provide licenses for Microsoft Visual Studio or licenses for Xamarin Platform. Further information on obtaining licenses or getting started with these products, can be found at the following links.
Development Environment
Consult the Xamarin and Microsoft documentation for installing and setting up Xamarin and Visual Studio:
Xamarin.Android (Includes Xamarin Studio)
Microsoft Visual Studio (Recommended)
Xamarin Licensing
When using Visual Studio for EMDK development, a Xamarin Business License or higher is required.
When using Xamarin Studio for EMDK development, a Xamarin Indie License or higher is required.
Learn more about Xamarin Licensing options.
Getting Started
1) Install The Visual Studio Extension or Xamarin Studio Add-in
Download and install the Visual Studio Extension using the online extension gallery.
Download and install the Xamarin Studio Add-in using the Add-in Manager.
2) Install The Xamarin Component
3) Try the Sample
A sample is included as part of the Xamarin Component package to help get you started. Click on the samples tab on the component details page to add it to your solution project.
4) Understand Profile Manager
One unique feature to EMDK for Xamarin is to control device behavior and configuration through the use of profiles. The EMDK Profile Manager lets you create profiles right from your IDE using a GUI interface for selecting the features and settings that your application wishes to use. Then in your application you would simply apply the profile when needed. This results in a simple approach and minimal lines of code required to accomplish tasks
5) Build a Simple Application
Now that you have your environment setup and have an overview of the EMDK for Xamarin, let's walk through and build an application from scratch.