MvvmCross vNext - portable class libraries - back on track - 4 complete samples building and running...

UPDATE - 19 Dec 2012 - LATEST INFO IS ON http://slodge.blogspot.com/2012/12/cross-platform-winrt-monodroid.html

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Three months on from hitting some severe stumbling blocks in the Portable Library support within MonoTouch, I'm pleased to say that the last two weeks have seen huge leaps forwards in the vNext version.

Right now, the Portable Library layer is now running well under all of WP7, MonoDroid and MonoTouch :)

There are still some tooling issues... but overall, this is now working really well - so I'd like to invite users to have a play with the new projects!

Although there is some significant tooling hackery required to get portable library mvvm working, once you've done the initial hackery, then this shouldn't affect your existing workspaces and you should then be able to build and run portable versions of:

• BestSellers (WP7, Droid, Touch)
• CustomerManagement (WP7, Droid, Touch)
• SimpleBinding (Droid, Touch)
• Tutorial (WP7, Droid, Touch)

... and you might be able to run even more... :)

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And the benefits for doing this are....

1. Simpler project structures:

2. Automated cross-platform refactoring - e.g. using resharper

3. Simpler porting to new platforms

4. A new plugin structure which makes mvvmcross lighter (smaller executables), which provides developers with more choice and which makes contributing new IoC modules more straightforward - now anyone can provide and consume new "plugins"

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If you are interested in all this, then here's the instructions:

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To get the source...

- you will need to download from the vNext branch on https://github.com/slodge/MvvmCross/tree/vnext

- the only working solution in this download is the MvvmCross_All.sln file - which contains all the projects - portable and platform specific.

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To get your Windows development environment working with this portable branch:

- assuming you start from Visual Studio 2010, Windows Phone SDK 7.5, MonoDroid on a PC

1. Install the Portable Library tools for the VS2010 - http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/b0e0b5e9-e138-410b-ad10-00cb3caf4981

2. Install VisualStudio 2012 on the same PC... this updates the Portable Library tools to include v2 PCL support (which includes some MVVM/DataBinding helpers)


1 and 2. Install the latest PCL plugin from http://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/b0e0b5e9-e138-410b-ad10-00cb3caf4981 - thanks to @dsplaisted for the update.

3. Install VSMonoTouch - https://github.com/follesoe/VSMonoTouch
- be sure to also copy across the v1.0 MonoTouch framework assemblies in the instructions there

4. Follow instructions based on http://jpobst.blogspot.co.uk/2012/04/mono-for-android-portable-libraries-in.html
- these say to install a file called "MonoAndroid,Version=v1.6+.xml" in "C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETPortable\v4.0\Profile\Profile104\SupportedFrameworks" with content:



BUT PLEASE NOTE - the target directory is Profile104

5. Install a similar file called "VSMonoTouch,Version=v1.0+.xml" in the same directory and for its content use:

(Note: this file is even hackier than the MonoDroid one - it points the portable tools at Full .Net v1.0 in line with what the VSMonoTouch plugin does!)

After you have done this.... then you should be able to load and run the WP7 and Droid samples within MvvmCross_All.sln 

... and you should also be able to build MonoTouch solutions too. And you should be able to refactor across all 3 platforms!

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For the Mac:

Assuming you are starting with MonoDevelop with MonoTouch installed on a Mac

1. Follow the instructions in http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12041290/monodevelop-is-it-possible-to-switch-pcls-compiler/12062589#12062589

This is only a temporary hack - it's a workaround for: https://bugzilla.xamarin.com/show_bug.cgi?id=6649

2. Before opening the MvvmCross_All.sln solution, you need to run a search and replace in "*.csproj" files - this search and replace will:

- search for : <targetframeworkprofile>Profile104</targetframeworkprofile>

- replace with : <targetframeworkprofile>Profile1</targetframeworkprofile>

This is only a temporary hack - it's a workaround for: https://bugzilla.xamarin.com/show_bug.cgi?id=7173

Update: see http://slodge.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/a-temporary-solution-for-profile1-only.html for an alternative workaround for 7173

3. Sometimes (if I've checked in the wrong .sln file version) then before opening the MvvmCross_All.sln solution, you may need to change the first line from

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 12.00

to

Microsoft Visual Studio Solution File, Format Version 11.00

This is only a temporary hack - it's a workaround for: https://bugzilla.xamarin.com/show_bug.cgi?id=4919

After you've done these 3 steps.... then you should be able to:

- open the solution

- switch to the Debug|iPhoneSimulator branch

- run the BestSellers, CustomerManagement, SimpleDialogBinding, and Tutorial projects - other projects currently still have unresolved problems.

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Further Notes....

- I'll be trying to get this branch fully working in the next month (that's my aim!)

- My intention is to switch all future MvvmCross development across to this portable approach 

- If this happens, then I expect the existing non-portable tree will only get bug fixes - not new features.

- The exact timing of any switchover may depend a bit on tool changes from both Microsoft and Xamarin (and it may depend on clashes in my work and leisure time too!)

- There are a number of class and namespace breaking changes in the vNext (portable libraries) branch - most notably:

-- all Cirrious.MvvmCross.Android namespaces have moved to Cirrious.MvvmCross.Droid - this is to avoid name clashing issues with the global::Android namespace.

-- FirePropertyChanged has become RaisePropertyChanged - as this seems to be the more normal method name

- There are a number of fixes on the master branch which are not yet on the vnext branch

- There are a number of changes still to make in the vnext branch - e.g. IMvxServiceConsumer might switch to a simpler IMvxServiceConsumer - following a request/suggestion from @dsplaisted

- There are several dead files and directories left in the tree at present - mainly left over after refactoring - these will get tidied away soon.

- I've not yet tried much WinRT, console or PSS development on the vnext branch - so don't be surprised if those projects don't build or work!

- If anyone wants to help - with code, documentation, tools, samples or suggestions, then you are very welcome - just get in touch.

- As ever, bugs to GitHub issues please, and questions to StackOverflow :)