Mono for iOS/Android Open or Closed? Paid or Free?

Mono for iOS/Android: Open or Closed? Paid or Free?

Mono, a popular open-source framework for cross-platform development, has been a game-changer for developers looking to reach a wider audience. But its use for iOS and Android development brings up a few questions about licensing and its open-source nature.

Open Source vs. Closed Source

Open Source Components:

• Mono itself is an open-source project under the MIT license, meaning it’s free to use, modify, and distribute, even commercially.
• Many essential libraries and tools within the Mono ecosystem are also open source, like Xamarin.Forms and Xamarin.Essentials.

Closed Source Components:

• Xamarin: While Xamarin was originally open source, it was acquired by Microsoft and became a commercial product. This means using Xamarin for iOS and Android development requires a paid subscription.
• Visual Studio for Mac: The primary IDE for developing with Mono on macOS is Visual Studio for Mac, which also requires a paid subscription for full functionality.

Paid vs. Free

Paid Options:

• Visual Studio Subscriptions: Microsoft offers different Visual Studio subscriptions, including the Visual Studio Enterprise and Professional subscriptions, which grant access to Xamarin and Visual Studio for Mac, enabling development for iOS and Android.
• Xamarin.Forms: Xamarin.Forms is a paid product, part of the Xamarin subscription, and provides a way to share UI code across iOS and Android.

Free Options:

• Mono Framework: The core Mono framework remains open-source, allowing you to develop cross-platform applications using C#. You can use other free IDEs like MonoDevelop.
• Limited Xamarin Features: Certain aspects of Xamarin are free, such as the ability to develop for Android using Visual Studio (Windows) and limited access to Xamarin.Forms.

Comparison Table:

Example: Simple Hello World App

This example demonstrates creating a simple “Hello World” app for Android using the Mono framework.

AndroidManifest.xml:

MainActivity.cs:

using Android.App;
using Android.OS;
using Android.Widget;

namespace com.example.helloworld
{
    [Activity(Label = "HelloWorld", MainLauncher = true)]
    public class MainActivity : Activity
    {
        protected override void OnCreate(Bundle savedInstanceState)
        {
            base.OnCreate(savedInstanceState);

            // Set our view from the "main" layout resource
            SetContentView(Resource.Layout.activity_main);

            // Get our button from the layout resource
            Button button = FindViewById(Resource.Id.myButton);

            // Attach an event to the button
            button.Click += (sender, e) =>
            {
                // Create an intent to start the second activity
                Intent intent = new Intent(this, typeof(SecondActivity));
                StartActivity(intent);
            };
        }
    }
}

activity_main.xml:

This example is a simple Android application that displays “Hello World!” and allows a user to click a button to start a second activity. While this is a simple demonstration of how you can start using Mono for Android development, the complete implementation would involve setting up a development environment with a suitable IDE and build tools.

Conclusion:

Mono for iOS and Android development presents a mix of open-source and closed-source components. While the core Mono framework is free and open source, commercial products like Xamarin and Visual Studio for Mac require paid subscriptions. Developers can choose a free or paid path based on their project’s requirements and budget.

This guide provides a basic understanding of the open-source and paid aspects of Mono for iOS and Android development. For more detailed information and complete guides, consult the official Mono and Xamarin documentation.