Anyone use visual studio 2015 community for mobile app development?

Ability to develop cross-platform apps using C# and the .NET framework?

I am looking to make an app and am completely new to it, trying to find out the best way to get started.

I need the app to work on both iOS and Android. Is a MAC needed to compile iOS apps, even with the visual studio cross-platform stuff?


I don't even know where to begin in coding an app, I mostly do web dev stuff.

what are your goals? you can just write normal web apps in js/html/css and package them with phonegap if you dont want to learn much.

for xamarin, you will need access to a mac, but you don't have to own one. there are services online that will build for you if you so desire.

This post was edited by carteblanche on Aug 13 2015 07:51am

We are making a game right now. It is two of us. We both know php/js/html/css and are pretty much developing it as a web based game right now, but our end goal is turning this into an app for iOS and Android

if you already have it written / mostly written, just package it up with phonegap. depending on what framework you used to make it. phonegap will wrap it into an ios/android app. performance/functionality may be a bit worse than alternatives, but if you can code it 10x faster, it might be your best bet.

We haven't really started coding much in php yet.

I was looking at phonegap, is a mac needed to get the app onto an iOS device as well?

as far as i'm aware, ANY framework that builds a native ios app needs access to a mac to compile it. you dont have to own the mac.

would unity be a good tool to get started?

unity is a good idea cus you can code in javascript / c#

I need to get an android device for testing purposes. I only have an iPhone.

my coworker used unity and was pleased with it.


sounds like you're early in dev stages. start with a simulator. you can get a good chunk of your code ready.

This post was edited by carteblanche on Aug 13 2015 10:04am