N=6 - Books over the network (N+1 days of MvvmCross)

Today we make another 4 platform example.

This time:

• we include a very simple REST service - which sends GET requests to the Google Books search API
• we include the JSON plugin to decode the requests
• we try to use the Visual Designers to help produce nicer UIs

You'll quickly spot that I'm not very good with the designers - it's not them, it's me :)


Here's the video:





You'll see that I hit a couple of errors along the way:

• I initially got my namespace wrong - sorry - just had to fix it during the demo!
• A bug in  the JSON plugin NuGet package for MvvmCross - have already fixed in v3 (but not uploaded to nuget.org yet)
• A possible bug in Mono (MonoTouch?) with SSL - will report to Xamarin and see what they say

Completed code is on: https://github.com/slodge/NPlus1DaysOfMvvmCross/tree/master/N-06-Books



For more on the Google Books API try https://developers.google.com/books/docs/v1/using#PerformingSearch


For more on json to C# conversion, see http://json2csharp.com/

.... or try http://blogs.msdn.com/b/webdev/archive/2012/12/18/paste-json-as-classes-in-asp-net-and-web-tools-2012-2-rc.aspx



Update: I then moved across to the Mac and did a prettier cell design - here it is:






Previously in N+1:

• N=0 - a first application - http://slodge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/n0-first-mvvmcross-application-n1-days.html
• N=1 - tip calc - including the Android Designer and using IoC -http://slodge.blogspot.com/2013/04/n1-tipcalc-second-example-adding-ioc.html
• N=2 - Kittens - lists and tables - N=2: Lists and Kittens (N+1 days of MvvmCross)
• N=3 - Kitten Cells on iPhone - http://slodge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/n3-kitten-cells-on-iphone-n1-days-of.html
• N=4 - ValueConverters - http://slodge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/n4-valueconverters-n1-days-of-mvvmcross.html  
• N=5 - ICommand and Multiple Pages - http://slodge.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/n5-some-first-icommands-and-multiple.html