README.md

dot-net-embed-plugins

Gradle plugins for embedding C# in an Android app.

Prerequisites

1. Android Studio
2. Visual Studio for Mac

Currently working for:

=== Visual Studio Community 2019 for Mac ===

Version 8.10.6 (build 10)

=== Mono Framework MDK ===

Runtime:
	Mono 6.12.0.140 (2020-02/51d876a041e) (64-bit)
	Package version: 612000140
  
=== Xamarin.Android ===

Version: 11.3.0.4
Commit: xamarin-android/d16-10/ae14caf
Android SDK:
	Supported Android versions:
		4.4 (API level 19)
		5.0 (API level 21)
		5.1 (API level 22)
		6.0 (API level 23)
		8.0 (API level 26)
		8.1 (API level 27)

SDK Tools Version: 26.1.1
SDK Platform Tools Version: 31.0.3
SDK Build Tools Version: 31.0.0

Build Information: 
Mono: b4a3858
Java.Interop: xamarin/java.interop/d16-10@f39db25
ProGuard: Guardsquare/proguard/v7.0.1@912d149
SQLite: xamarin/sqlite/3.35.4@85460d3
Xamarin.Android Tools: xamarin/xamarin-android-tools/d16-10@c5732a0

=== Operating System ===

Mac OS X 10.16.0
Darwin 20.6.0 Darwin Kernel Version 20.6.0
    Mon Aug 30 06:12:21 PDT 2021
    root:xnu-7195.141.6~3/RELEASE_X86_64 x86_64

Getting Started

1. Clone this repo.
2. Open the test Android project in Android Studio.
3. Run the app.

Building Your Own

1. Clone this repo.
2. Create an Android app in a sibling directory.
3. Create a Visual Studio Android library project in a sibling directory.
4. Configure the Visual Studio project. See test library settings.
5. Include the plugins project in the Android project settings.gradle. See test app settings.

includeBuild '../../'

4. Apply the app plugin in the app build.gradle and the library plugin in the build.gradle of the module that will use C# (perhaps the app build.gradle in a small app). See test app configuration.

apply plugin: 'com.roy.dot-net-embed-app'
apply plugin: 'com.roy.dot-net-embed-library'

5. Configure the dotNet extension in the build.gradle where the library plugin is applied. See test app configuration.

dotNet {
    pluginLogLevel LogLevel.LIFECYCLE
    projectFile "../../dot-net/DotNetLibrary/DotNetLibrary.csproj"
    solutionFile "../../dot-net/DotNet.sln"
    buildTypes {
        debug {
            msBuildConfig "Debug"
        }
        release {
            msBuildConfig "Release"
        }
    }
}

6. Add the Mono Runtime content provider to AndroidManifest.xml in the Android project application element to initialize Mono on startup. Get this from obj/debug/android/AndroidManifest.xml after building the C# project.

<provider
    android:name="mono.MonoRuntimeProvider"
    android:authorities="com.roy.dotnetlibrary.mono.MonoRuntimeProvider.__mono_init__"
    android:exported="false"
    android:initOrder="1999999999" />

8. Create C# classes extending Java.Lang.Object, applying the Export and Register attributes. See an example.
9. Run Gradle task :app:compileDebugDotNet to create the Android Callable Wrappers that will be visible in Android Studio.
10. Utilize the Android Callable Wrappers in Java or Kotlin.
11. Run the app!