Can I develop for Android using Visual Studio without a Xamarin license?

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Hi,

I am completely confused by the available options for developing for Android.

I am most familiar with C# or C++, and keen to avoid having to write Java or Javascript. I really want to use Visual Studio because I have used to editor all my professional career and find it to be easily the best code editor out there. So, this leads me to ask a couple of questions:

1. Is there an option that does not involve paying the $999/year Xamarin license? (Note that, at this stage, I am not too worried about targeting multiple platforms.)

2. I have Visual Studio 2012 Professional. Do I need to use a newer version? The upcoming 2015 seems to have Android development built-in, but I am confused about whether this is free or not.

3. Will I need to move from Windows 7?

Any help or advice would be gratefully received.

Kind wishes ~ Patrick

Posted 23-Jan-15 4:56am

Patrick Skelton

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Ravi Bhavnani 24-Jan-15 0:40am

Patrick, you may want to consider using Xamarin Indie edition with Xamarin Studio (instead of VStudio). That's the path I'm likely to follow once I restart working with Xamarin. Like you, I'm interested in Android dev only.

/ravi

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**Zoltán Zörgő** · Answer 1 · 2015-01-23T05:27:00

Solution 1

You can try dot42[^]. It's license is different - there is a free community edition with VS support, and the commercial one is also much cheaper.

Posted 23-Jan-15 5:27am

Zoltán Zörgő

Updated 23-Jan-15 5:36am

v2

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Patrick Skelton 23-Jan-15 11:55am

I have not come across that before. It looks very interesting indeed. Thank you!

Zoltán Zörgő 23-Jan-15 11:57am

You are welcome.

OriginalGriff 23-Jan-15 12:09pm

Nor had I - have you tried it?
Any good?

Zoltán Zörgő 23-Jan-15 12:36pm

Yes I have, but I'v compiled only some demos. But it worked just fine.

OriginalGriff · Answer 2 · 2015-01-23T05:29:00

Solution 2

"Is there an option that does not involve paying the $999/year Xamarin license? (Note that, at this stage, I am not too worried about targeting multiple platforms.)"

Basically, no. VS support is only available above the "Indie" level: https://store.xamarin.com/[^] - so if you want to use C# to develop for Android, you gotta pay. every year.

This is why I am still not currently developing for Android: I'll have to bite the bullet, and learn Java...:sigh:

Posted 23-Jan-15 5:29am

OriginalGriff

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Patrick Skelton 23-Jan-15 11:56am

Is there no C++ option for Android?

OriginalGriff 23-Jan-15 12:09pm

You can...but...it's complicated by all reports
http://developer.android.com/tools/sdk/ndk/index.html

It seems that much of the "Android goodness" is Java only, certainly as far as I could see last time I looked.

Ravi Bhavnani 24-Jan-15 0:36am

OG, why use Java when you have a more powerful and elegant language (C#) at your disposal? Use Xamarin Studio (instead of VS) with the Indie license. IMHO, that beats going through the hassle of using and configuring Android Studio or <gasp!> Eclipse and settling for an inferior language.

/ravi