Introduction

Let's see how to create Android application in Visual Studio using DevExtreme tool from scratch step-by-step.

Step 1: Download the DevExtreme tool from their website and install in on your system.

Step 2: Open Visual Studio and create a new project. Here you will find the DevExtreme in Installed Templates Section.

Templates Section

Here we are going to select WCF OData Service. This is the basic requirement for any mobile development to create its data service first.

Step 3: It opens the Entity Data Model Wizard. Here we select EF Designer from Database to design the Data Model.

Entity Data Model Wizard

Select the server name and database here.

Type server name

On next step we get the tables to select.

Table

Here I am selecting to tables and clicked finish.

After that we find the Data Model and Data Service in the Solution Explorer.

Just right click on DataService.svc and set it as Start Page and run the project.

DataService

Here we get the xml return of the tables we selected.

Just copy the url and open the new instance of visual studio and create a new project.

Step 4: This time we are going with DevExtreme Multi Channel Application.

Here the wizard opens.

wizard

Select the Mobile and next.

Now it asks for layout type i.e. Navigation Bar or Slide Out. We are going with navigation bar.

Navigation Bar

On next step enter the url of DataService.scv that we are created earlier and press discover.

Then it returns the entities, just check the Check All check box to generate the model and view and click finish.

click finish

It will create the data view page and the data view model .js classes.

create the data view page

Just run the application, it will open its own simulator and run the project.

simulator

Step 5: Now to build apk, go to solution explorer and right click on solution and click Build Native Package.

build apk

Step 6: Choose Platform; here I selected Android.

Choose Platform

It ask form certificate. Just create a new certificate, enter the password and press build.

build

That’s it! Enjoy!