Is there a way to use a C# library in Windows Store app, so that is doesn't produce a separate DLL, but its modules are included in main assembly?
You can use ILMerge by Microsoft - download.
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Is it possible to have c# code in optional package? Or is it refrained to only native code? Most of the blogs suggest that it is cofined to native code. But I need to implement c# code for my project.
Is it possible to have c# code in optional package?
Currently, it's not possible to include c# code in optional package due to a .Net limitation.
For more details, you can refer to the blog Extend your application using Optional Packages written by #Sandeep George:
"All Store apps are compiled via .Net Native and hence is the default build chain when you build your app locally in release mode – see https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dn584397(v=vs.110).aspx. Since the app is precompiled, all the referenced dlls must be available at compile time and are statically linked. Optional packages by design can have dlls that are only loaded at run time, hence we have this issue. We are working with the .NET teams to have a solution for this problem."
I need to make a Windows Store application that exchanges xml serialized data over a TCP connection with a server. Since I need to use Direct3D rendering in the application I went for the c++/cx store application template however I ran into issues with xml serialization/deserialization.
My usual approach in C# would be to use the XmlSerializer and classes with DataContractAttribute annotations. However as soon as I try to import System.Xml.Serialization assembly I get the C1114 error - WinRT does not support #using of a managed assembly. However there are lots of examples that mention using this approach in a Windows Phone app from C#.
So the question is - is only c++/cx limited in support for .NET in Windows Store applications and C# can use all the standard components on phone as well or is switching to C# in this case also not a solution and I need to use the WinRT classes for xml serialization/deserialization?
Your confusion is understandable, what with the variety of frameworks Microsoft has put out there.
C++/Cx is a native binding to the Windows Runtime (WinRT). It does not use any managed code or the .NET framework in any way, which is why you're getting the C1114 error.
C# provides a managed binding to WinRT. It does leverage the .NET framework, so in a C# Windows Store application, you can make use of some of the base-class library. This subset is referred to as the .NET Profile. This article talks about this more: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/dotnet/archive/2012/04/17/net-for-metro-style-apps.aspx
In your specific case, you are using a C++/Cx application because you want access to Direct3D. This makes sense, although it means that you will not have access to System.Xml.Serialization. Instead, as you surmised, you will need to use APIs that are available to C++/Cx to read XML, specifically Windows.Data.Xml.Dom: https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/apps/windows.data.xml.dom.aspx
I'm having trouble understanding why the Newtonsoft JSON parser has to be device specific under Xamarin. I cannot seem to find any way to have the parser exist in a common, shared library. I'm using the Tasky Pro sample app. I can get the JSON.Net DLLs from the Xamarin store to work in the Android and iOS projects, however that makes no architecural sense. E.g., the SQLite stuff is all in a shared lib, as you'd expect - as one set of c# source files.
Ideally I'd like to just add some kind of reference to "Tasky.Core" and be able to serialize/deserialize JSON.
Is there any way to get JSON.Net to work in a shared library (across droid/ios/wp8)? The source is pretty huge to try to manage as linked files, if that's even possible...
If not, is there some alternative way of managing JSON that will work in this way?
You should be able to use the JSon.NET NuGet Package for this. The implementation is actually platform-specific [1], but NuGet will transparently take care of that for you and pick the correct one for you.
Note that you need Mono 3.2.6 and Xamarin.iOS 7.0.6 for this, which just hit the alpha channel this week, I have just fixed some critical bugs in this area. You should also upgrade the NuGet Add-In in Xamarin Studio to the latest version (0.8), which contains several PCL-related bug fixes.
Simply add the NuGet Add-In to Xamarin Studio if you have not done so already, then search for "JSon.NET", the add-in will automatically install the package and add the required library references for you.
[1] The NuGet package contains different .dll's for different target frameworks and then picks and references the best one for your project - so your application will only contain a single implementation, but an iOS app may use a different one than a desktop application.
Update 01/14/14:
NuGet packages usually contain different implementations - unfortunately, not all of them will work with Xamarin.iOS due to APIs such as Reflection.Emit or Full DLR that are not available on iOS.
If you look into the packages/Newtonsoft.Json.5.0.8/lib/ directory, you'll see different sub-directories - each of these contain a different implementation and NuGet will use the one that best fits the current target framework. Unfortunately, NuGet does not always pick the right one :-(
For Newtonsoft.Json.5.0.8, the "portable-net45+wp80+win8" implementation uses DLR features that are not available on iOS, the "portable-net40+sl4+wp7+win8" one is ok. So if you add the NuGet package to a PCL that's targeting for instance Profile136, you'll get the correct implementation.
There is no GUI to choose another implementation, but you can edit the .csproj file. Replace
<Reference Include="Newtonsoft.Json">
<HintPath>..\packages\Newtonsoft.Json.5.0.8\lib\portable-net45+wp80+win8\Newtonsoft.Json.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>
with
<Reference Include="Newtonsoft.Json">
<HintPath>..\packages\Newtonsoft.Json.5.0.8\lib\portable-net40+sl4+wp7+win8\Newtonsoft.Json.dll</HintPath>
</Reference>
and it should work.
In general, when you're getting an error message about missing types after adding a new NuGet package, go to the corresponding package directory and grep -r for that symbol - chances are that there's a different implementation which does not use this type.
Hopefully, a more elegant solution will be available in the future, but that needs coordination with the NuGet team and package authors, so it'll take some time.
Just add it to Shared Library via NuGet. Actually, all your request/response tasks should be done in library. You should use JSON.Net to parse response.
I need to wrap a C library with Adobe AIR native extension API (ANE).The extension should target IOS and Android.First,I realize that for Android , if not using NDK API , I have to port that library to Java.But my main concern is IO operations like read and write to file system which exist in that library.I read through the ANE development manual but found no note on restriction of native lib communication with the host file system.Does it mean my native library is allowed to read and write files inside AIR extension freely ?
You definitely can access the filesystem to read and write files.
The only thing of note here is that you'll only have access to the parts of the filesystem that the application has permission to access. So you basically just have to obey any restrictions that a normal native application developer has.
I've used the java.io.File to access files in ANE's no problem.
Based on what I see scanning through that too it reads to me like it's doable but I can't confirm 100%
When you create a native extension, you provide the following:
ActionScript extension classes that you define. These ActionScript classes use the built-in ActionScript APIs that allow access to and data exchange with native code.
A native code implementation. The native code uses native code APIs that allow access to and data exchange with your ActionScript extension classes.
sounds to me like you have whatever native API available for writing your native extension in and they're just providing a "bridge" or "data tunnel" to communicate between the actionscript code and the native extension. They have one import from the android library for log in their example as well so I imagine you can use whatever objects/methods are available for each platform, I suppose the only real question is then what access the native process has on the file system for each platform. If you don't get an answer please try and post back (if I have time I'll do the same).
VS gives me errors when I try to do it. Yet, it displays such projects as available to reference. Is it possible to add winRT project reference to the classic class library project somehow?
If not, how to bridge both worlds, so common logic can be stored in one place?
The short answer is yes. The long answer is that it's not supported and comes with some caveats that you need to understand.
See my answer here:
Using Custom Windows Runtime Components in Non-Metro Applications
VS2012 adds a "Portable Class Library" project type that allows you to select multiple targets, including the ability to target WinRT and full .Net 4.5 from one assembly.
See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/gg597391.aspx.