The document summarizes a program for a Xamarin conference that included sessions on Xamarin Forms updates, mobile search using Google App Indexing, and mobile security. Key highlights from backstage conversations with Xamarin engineers indicated that the Xamarin Forms team primarily works with C# instead of XAML, and that Microsoft plans to move more of their mobile technologies to use Xamarin.

1. Vincent Hoogendoorn
Alberto Aguzzi May 12, 2016

2. Program
18:00 Reception & Dinner
19:00 Evolve Highlights & Backstage Info from Xamarin Engineers
19:10 Mobile Search with Google App Indexing in Xamarin Forms
19:45 Coffee Break
20:00 Mobile Security
20:15 Insights Mobile Application Management
20:45 Drinks & Talks

3. Evolve Highlights & Backstage Info

4. Highlights
• All Xamarin SDK’s Open Sourced… including Forms 
http://open.xamarin.com/
• Previews
o Visual Studio & iOS: Simulator remoting, USB remoting
o Native HTTP Handlers for speedier network operations with HttpClient
o Workbooks for REPL and training with seamless Markdown and code
• Xamarin Forms
o DataPages : automatic UI from JSON design data or cloud API’s
o Previewer for XAML
o URL Navigation
o Embedded Platform-Specific Controls
• DevOps
o Test Cloud Live: debug an issue on a specific real device in Test Cloud
https://blog.xamarin.com/xamarin-evolve-2016-recap/

5. Backstage info
Jason Smith, Lead Engineer for the Xamarin Forms team responding to a question during a presentation:
“DataPages are an just early app prototyping tool, before you publish an app you will change to viewmodels etc.”
Later I met Jason in the hallway…
Me: “If you prefer C# for Forms UI to XAML like I do, is the Xamarin Forms Previewer for XAML a reason to reconsider?”
Jason: “No. I’m on the C# side to. In the Xamarin Forms team, only one guy works on XAML. The others ignore it.”
Me: “But what if I want REPL for C# UI in Forms?”
Jason: “Because we require XAML precompilation, the Previewer will have to support compiling C# as well. So that is coming.”
Me: 
I met a Xamarin engineer from the first days at the lunch table…
Me: “How will the Xamarin team and the Microsoft teams move forward? Will they move Xamarin Forms towards Universal Apps or what?”
Engineer: “Microsoft will actually be moving their mobile things over to Xamarin”
Me:  

6. Mobile Search with Google App Indexing in
Xamarin Forms

7. Why Google Does It
Mission: collect and organize the world’s data
But…. they were missing all app-only data
Two categories of search result rankings from App data:
App Packs and App Deep Links
Experimenting with non-parity app indexing solution (no web, app only)
http://searchengineland.com/app-indexing-new-frontier-seo-google-search-deep-linking-226517

8. Why You Should Do It
The average person only uses 26% of their apps daily,
while one in four apps are never used at all. App
Indexing helps you re-engage your existing app users
through Google Search, for both Android and iOS.
New competition – threat and opportunity:
• For web: app search results… lots from your app!
• For apps: autocompletion and now on tap lures
users to other apps …. yours!
https://developers.google.com/app-indexing/

11. Demo: Search in (Forms) Evolve App
1. Clone
2. Live Data

17. Fetch as Google for your App!

22. Xamarin Forms 2.3.0 Pre1 or later: built in!

27. iOS Code
public override bool FinishedLaunching(UIApplication app, NSDictionary options)
{
// …
Forms.Init();
// ...
AppIndexing.SharedInstance.RegisterApp (618319027); // iTunes ID
// …
}
https://developers.google.com/app-indexing/ios/server

29. Demo: Debugging Evolve App
1. Clone
2. Live Data

30. Resources
James’ presentation video:
https://youtu.be/XGmB-ELJjL0
James’ slides:
http://www.slideshare.net/JamesMontemagno/xamarin-evolve-2016-mobile-
search-making-your-mobile-apps-stand-out
The Evolve app code:
https://github.com/xamarinhq/app-evolve

31. PART II
The presentation slides for:
Mobile Security
Insights Mobile Application Management
are available at:
http://www.slideshare.net/AlbertoAguzzi/mobile-security-dutch-mobile-net-
developers

32. Thanks for your attention!
Any Questions?

33. ENGINEER YOUR
FUTURE TODAY
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