Xamarin: Where is .Net Framework subset?

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I have installed Xamarin just now, but when i wanna add new references, i see no .Net Framework.

Xamarin ported a subset of .Net Framework, i wanna get it and use.
I see it on the Xamarin's website, it is called "Base Class Library":
http://api.xamarin.com/[^]

So, how can use Base Class Library in my new project?

Posted 6-Apr-15 8:48am

Ziya1995

Updated 6-Apr-15 8:50am

v4

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3 solutions

Solution 3

Just a note, Xamarin can also work from within Visual Studio - check this out - http://xamarin.com/visual-studio[^].

Posted 6-Apr-15 16:38pm

Abhinav S

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Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-06T09:06:00

Solution 1

Please see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_data_types_of_the_Standard_Libraries#Base_Class_Library.

You can use BCL classes the same way as you do it in .NET: you reference the assembly by its strong name, assuming that this assembly is placed in GAC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Global_Assembly_Cache).

After you do it, top-level assembly types become accessible to your assembly code by full names, which you can shorten in use using using declarations (not to be mixed up with using statements).

Basically, the assembly name is referenced in a command line of appropriate build tools. If you use Xamarin Studio, please see http://developer.xamarin.com/guides/cross-platform/getting_started/introducing_xamarin_studio, the section "Assembly References". By the way, it looks exactly the same in different IDE: Visual Studio, SharpDevelop, MonoDevelop.

—SA

Posted 6-Apr-15 9:06am

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov

Updated 6-Apr-15 9:08am

v2

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Ziya1995 6-Apr-15 15:40pm

No, you didn't answer.

I opened the next page:
http://androidapi.xamarin.com/
I see "System.Windows.Forms" on the page in "Base Class Library", it means it is supported by Android.
I wanna add a reference to it to use in my Android app.
But i can't do it, how to do?

I feel like "System.Windows.Forms" is Windows specific, but that fact - it is in the list for Android. What is wrong?

Ziya1995 6-Apr-15 16:17pm

Solved: Solution 2.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 6-Apr-15 17:10pm

Sure, it tells you the names. What was the problem?
—SA

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 6-Apr-15 17:08pm

Hm... The names are well-known, they depend on the platform version. When you click "Add Reference", you are supposed to see all assemblies... Don't you?
And now, Forms is a non-standard Microsoft library implemented in Mono and Xamarin. It is not a part of BCL. In all cases, you can add reference to whatever you have in GAC.
—SA

Ziya1995 7-Apr-15 6:07am

> you can add reference to whatever you have in GAC.
I don't know what is GAC, but BCL is not included into any API completely.
There are 3 APIs and the list shows everything included into a certain API in exception BCL.

The answer from another forum:
"You can't use Windows Forms in an Android app. That doc is misleading - it is showing you everything in the BCL, not the classes specifically supported in Xamarin Android."

That was a problem.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 7-Apr-15 8:57am

If you don't know what is GAC, you are not quite ready for CLI programming. You need to learn it, at least for general understanding. And strong name. This is not hard to understand, just read about it.

Wait a second... are you saying that BCL is not a part of Xamarin implementation. I cannot believe that. BCL is a part of the standard; that's why I referenced the article on BCL. All right, can you provide any evidence?

And forget Forms. I mean, it wasn't part of your question. Yes, incomplete implementation of Forms is a problem, but what can you do? I believe you still can develop Android UI using Forms. I've done it for Mono and also experienced some problems, so what? Either use it or not.

—SA

Abhinav S 6-Apr-15 22:38pm

5. By the way, Xamarin can now also be used from within Visual Studio.

Sergey Alexandrovich Kryukov 6-Apr-15 23:55pm

Thank you, Abhinav. I know, but I want to wait for Visual Studio 2015.
—SA

Ziya1995 · Accepted Answer · 2015-04-06T10:17:00

The next page shows API for Android:
http://androidapi.xamarin.com/[^]
It shows Base Class Library (BCL) first, but it is not included into the API.
You can use only what you see after BCL, you can use everything out the list in exception of BCL.
BCL is all APIs used by all 3 platforms and it is a subset of .Net Framework.