In a previous release, a feature known as startup tracing was included. This enables you to make resource changes at runtime without having to restart your application – even during a debug session. In this release, we are introducing support for Android Apply Changes. After discussion with developers, like you, we found that Android resources, as well as layouts and drawables, made up a significant portion of edits. In our effort to examine how we can make Android developers more productive, we looked at the most common edit types.
To use multi-target reload for XAML Hot Reload, create a run configuration in Visual Studio for Mac for the targets you would like to debug and reload at the same time. This release adds to the capability to reload XAML on multiple targets at the same time: You shared a need to see changes made to your XAML reloaded instantaneously on multiple targets – such as an iOS simulator and Android emulator – at the same time. Instead, it instantly reflects those changes in your running app! This means no longer having to rebuild your app each time you tweak your UI. XAML Hot Reload for Xamarin.Forms speeds up your development and makes it easier to build, experiment, and iterate on user interfaces.
Install Visual Studio for Mac version 8.5 XAML Previewer Opt-Out: Prefer runtime tooling over visual tooling when building Xamarin.Forms apps? Disable the XAML Previewer in the Xamarin settings in Tools > Options.Which enables the use of tools that make you most productive for authoring iOS UIs. Improved Xcode Storyboard Designer Integration: Add the ability to set your default iOS designer in Visual Studio for Mac.XAML Document Outline: See the hierarchy of your Xamarin.Forms UI in the “Document Outline” pane.This provides improved application start-up with minimal increase in app size. Faster Android Startup: Generate custom profiles using startup tracing in your Android applications.Including changes to layouts, drawables, etc., Android Apply Changes: Quickly see changes made to Android resource files on an Android device or emulator without requiring the application to be restarted.Such as an iOS Simulator and Android emulator. Multi-Target Reload for XAML Hot Reload: Reload changes made to XAML instantly on multiple targets at the same time for rapid UI iteration.
This week, Visual Studio 2019 for Mac version 8.5 was released! Which brings several new features and improvements for mobile developers in Visual Studio for Mac to help you build better mobile apps, faster.