Real Life .NET Cross Platform

Building a cross-platform, permanent, asynchronous key-value store with today .NET/Xamarin stack (iOS, Android, Windows Desktop)

- Western Europe MVP Community Open Day 2016, Rome
- OpenDomus.net Community Meetup, Rome
- Live recording for Microsoft Channel9 TecHeroes (Italian)

Transcript

1. CROSS PLATFORM
   REAL LIFE .NET
   

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2. NICOLA IAROCCI
   CO-FOUNDER @C2K
   LEAD DEV @AMICA
   MICROSOFT MVP
   MONGODB MASTER
   CODERDOJO
   OPEN SOURCE
   TL;DR CODER AT HEART
   

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3. REAL LIFE .NET CROSS PLATFORM
   SHARED PROJECTS
   ▸Unit of reuse: SOURCE CODE
   ▸Shows up in References node of Solution Explorer
   ▸Code treated as if it was linked into main project
   ▸Incorporated into each assembly referencing the project
   ▸Can have assets such as XAML, JavaScript files, etc.
   ▸Full access to .NET Framework
   ▸#ifdef for platform-specific code
   ▸Since Visual Studio 2013 Update 2
   

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4. REAL LIFE .NET CROSS PLATFORM
   PORTABLE CLASSES
   ▸Unit of reuse: ASSEMBLY
   ▸Shows up References node of Solution Explorer
   ▸Assembly (.dll) required by referencing projects
   ▸Lowest common denominator of selected target platforms
   ▸No assets, just code
   ▸Platform-specific code requires Inversion of Control (IoC)
   ▸Since Visual Studio 2010 with Portable Library Tools 2
   ▸“Informaly” deprecated in favor of .NET Standard Platform
   

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5. REAL LIFE .NET CROSS PLATFORM
   .NET PLATFORM STANDARD
   

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6. OUR GOALS
   REAL LIFE .NET
   

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7. #1
   WEB AND DESKTOP
   APPS ON MODERN .NET
   PLATFORMS
   using portable classes
   

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8. #2
   IOS, ANDROID,
   WINPHONE APPS ON
   XAMARIN
   using portable classes
   

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9. #3
   SYNC ALL APPS WITH
   OUR REST API SERVICE
   powered by Python, Eve and Mongo
   

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10. #4
    SUPPORT LEGACY
    WINFORMS AND
    ADO.NET ON NET4
    Because… XP (yeah)
    

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11. #5
    SINGLE CODEBASE
    for all platforms NET4 included
    

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12. MEET
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    async, permanent, cross-platform
    key-value object cache
    

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13. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET IN BRIEF
    ▸runs on .NET45+
    ▸runs on iOS, Android, WinPhone (Xamarin)
    ▸runs on .NET4
    ▸single codebase
    ▸open source
    ▸part of Amica.vNext toolset: auth, REST client, service discovery, storage,
    

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14. PORTABLE CLASSES
    OR
    SHARED PROJECTS?
    this is the question
    

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15. THE PCL, IT IS THE WAY, THE TRUTH, AND
    THE LIGHT. FRIENDS DON’T LET FRIENDS
    USE SHARED PROJECTS.
    Jason Smith
    Jan 19, 2016
    PCL OR SHARED PROJECT
    

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16. FOR ME, THE PCL IS JUST TOO
    CUMBERSOME FOR MOST USES. IT IS
    LIKE USING A CANNON TO KILL A FLY
    Miguel de Icaza
    Jan 22, 2016
    PCL OR SHARED PROJECT
    

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17. THEY CAN BE USED TOGETHER
    ACTUALLY
    

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18. PCL CAN REFERENCE
    SHARED PROJECTS
    just fine
    

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19. NATIVE PROJECTS CAN
    ALSO REFERENCE
    SHARED PROJECTS
    

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20. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    

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21. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    99,99% IMPLEMENTATION
    

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22. SHARED PROJECT
    CORE
    

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23. SHARED PROJECT
    CORE
    ONE ABASTRACT
    METHOD
    

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24. SHARED PROJECT
    CORE
    IMPLEMENTATION
    

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25. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    FULL .NET4 PROJECT
    

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26. NET4
    PLATFORM
    

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27. NET4
    PLATFORM
    INHERIT FROM
    CORE CLASS
    

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28. NET4
    PLATFORM
    JUST OVERRIDE ONE
    METHOD
    

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29. NET4
    PLATFORM
    DESKTOP
    DATABASE PATH
    

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30. NET4
    PLATFORM
    CLASSIC SQLITE
    CONNECTION
    

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31. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    

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32. NET45
    PLATFORM
    

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33. NET45
    PLATFORM
    DEKSTOP
    DATABASE PATH
    

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34. NET45
    PLATFORM
    PLATFORM
    CONNECTION
    SQLITE-PCL
    

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35. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    

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36. IOS
    PLATFORM
    

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37. IOS
    PLATFORM
    IOS
    DATABASE PATH
    

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38. IOS
    PLATFORM
    PLATFORM
    CONNECTION
    SQLITE-PCL
    

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39. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    NO REDUCED FEATURES SET INDUCTED BY NET4
    

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40. WAIT.
    THE PORTABLE CLASS, ISN’T THAT
    REDUNDANT?
    Yourself & the guy sitting next to you
    NOW YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING
    

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41. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    WHY ADD A PCL LAYER TO THE MODERN PLATFORM TOOLSET?
    ▸SimpleCache is going to be used by a lot of projects:
    ▸XamarinForms app
    ▸Discovery Service
    ▸Authentication
    ▸REST client
    ▸Local Storage
    ▸PCL resolves all SimpleCache references VS adding each and every one to all parent projects
    ▸Shared Project in each parent project leads to multiple definition warnings in the solution…
    ▸… which, in turn, leads to explicit casts needed in parent projects
    ▸“Simple is better than complex” — Zen of Python
    

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42. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    SQLITE.NET.CORE-PCL
    

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43. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    CLASSIC SQLITE.NET
    

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44. SHARED PROJECT
    CORE
    BUILD-TIME
    COMPILATION SYMBOL
    

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45. REST CLIENT CORE
    EVE.NET DIGRESSION
    REFLECTION
    DISCREPANCIES
    NET4/NET45
    

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46. CROSS PLATFORM KEY-VALUE OBJECT CACHE
    SIMPLECACHE.NET
    CORE
    PORTABLE CLASS
    .NET45+ XAMARIN.FORMS
    IOS ANDROID WINPHONE
    PLATFORMS
    MODERN DESKTOP
    LEGACY DESKTOP
    NET4
    APPS
    SHARED PROJECT
    INVERSION
    OF CONTROL
    

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47. IOS
    PLATFORM
    XAMARIN
    DEPENDENCY
    SERVICE
    

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48. XAMARIN FORMS
    PORTABLE CLASS
    RETRIEVE
    PLATFORM
    IMPLEMENTATION
    

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49. XAMARIN FORMS
    PORTABLE CLASS
    USE IT IN THE
    MOBILE, SHARED
    CODEBASE
    

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50. REAL LIFE .NET CROSS PLATFORM
    OUR WAY OUT OF TROUBLE
    ▸ Shared Projects referenced in both Portable Classes and
    native .NET libraries.
    ▸ Use Shared Project directly un legacy .NET projects
    ▸ Use PCL wrapper in modern .NET and mobile projects
    ▸ Abstract methods work for us, eventually combined with other
    IoC techniques like Dependency Service, Bait and Switch, etc.
    ▸ #ifdef in Shared Project will be honored in Portable Classes
    (just define the constant in PCL build settings). Use sparingly.
    ▸ If you don’t need to support legacy frameworks life is easy
    ▸ This stuff is costantly evolving (.NET Core, Platform Standard,
    etc.) so stay up to date.
    

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51. THANKS!
    Nicola Iarocci
    @nicolaiarocci / nicolaiarocci.com / me@nicolaiarocci.com
    SimpleCache
    http://buff.ly/1WSqUru
    

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