#.NET SDK

[foone]

AAA games? Pfft. Indie games? Double pfft.

I only play games from the alternate history where Hillary Clinton was elected in 2008 and banned all video games. You can only imagine how weird their underground gaming scene is. People like to call unlicensed games "bootlegs" but they've got actual bootlegged games! I've played games about helping your grandmother in hospice care realize she's a lesbian by reading Sappho to her, at 2am in a speakeasy in Baltimore. The cops raided it the next night, hundreds of Gamers were arrested. They posted pictures all over Friendster of the Baltimore PD destroying the arcades with axes.

I nearly got busted once because I was imaging old disks from a 386 and someone tipped off the gaming cops that there was a copy of Commander Keen in there. I had to prove that I didn't know it, I was imaging the disks blind and then indexing them later, and I would of course turn over any contraband to the proper authorities.

I was already on a watch list because I'd been known to have some gamedev-related activities pre-ban. They can't arrest me for making games back in 2007 when it was still legal, but they do want to keep an eye on me since I have the skills to break the law.

Anyway that universe's bootlegs are mainly PC games. Can't really have console games if there hasn't been a console release since the Wii/PS3/360 era. At one point Nintendo threatened to release the Wii SDK so game devs in the US could make unlicensed games, but that didn't happen as there were quickly no functional Wiis left in the US, except for very rare holdouts that never move. PC games are easy to distribute samizdat and hide on a USB stick or CD-R labeled "nickelback".

Japan's games industry is still going, so the later Nintendo and Sony consoles still exist, but Microsoft got out of the business of course. They sold the franchise to Sega who were hoping to release the 360 successor (the Xbox One in our universe) as the Sega Phoenix but it never materialized, either through their own financial incompetence or because of pressure from the US. There's a lot of international treaties that the US has pushed "and this aid only goes through if you ban games" clauses into. That would have been an official UN resolution if the USSR hadn't vetoed it. For once, thank God for the security council, eh?

I mainly get my gaming news through Japanese gaming sites (through a set of VPNs, since they're blocked at the border firewall), and some tor onion site run by a weird guy in Minnesota who is obsessed with documenting all the underground US games.

There's a lot being worked on, but it's always a tricky trade off. Too much attention and the police might be able to track down the creators, and it's basically impossible to fund underground games, as the VISA/PayPal etc funds get seized immediately. There's a whole task force for that.

Anyway one of the weirdest differences between our two time lines is that they've gone back and edited out gaming from a bunch of movies. Those that they can, of course. War games was just banned because they couldn't remove the tic tac toe ending. The Net just removed the scene at the beginning where she's playing Wolfenstein 3D, by recording some new screen footage and a new voice over. She's fixing a spreadsheet in the new edition.

(Yes, I've seen The Net from this alternate timeline. On Laserdisc, of course. I'm just that kind of person!)

They even edited Star Wars. You know that scene where R2-D2 is playing holochess with Chewie? They edited it to be a board game instead of holograms, because that made it too "video gamey".

Technically it's not illegal to show gaming in a movie, but it needs to be an 18+ film and you have to show the deleterious effects of gaming and/or the gamesters coming to a bad end.

This has affected films less than you'd think, to be honest. They were never great about showing video games even before they banned them.

Anyway, go have fun playing your AAA games with hundred-million-dollar budgets. I only play indie games made by people under a constant threat of arrest for their art.

[pocket-deer-boy]

Webfishing - how do you mod it?

There's a couple mod loaders, but i recommend using this one. It's very user friendly and easy to set up, and the video does a good job explaining most of the process.

The mod loader also requires you install the .NET 8.0 SDK x64. The modloader should give you a popup that takes you to the download page but this doesn't always work. Make sure it's this exact SDK, the 9.0 version does not work! To test if your installed mods work, you can quickly set up a single player lobby.

Lastly, this is the modlist I'm using in the server I'm about to set up. If you want to join you should at least have the weblake mod working.

[6ix3y3s]

If you're a chaos-head, and also a fan of Cry of Fear... I am unsure of what exactly to tell you, but provide you with a custom hoodie where little Simon can brandish this hoodie against his will (if you are aware, then you are aware)

Here's a tutorial on how to put it into your game.

Keep in mind: you need to unlock all 5 endings of the game to unlock the custom hoodie option (being the very bad ending, 2 separate bad endings, the good ending, and the joke ending)

The hoodie provided is saved in .png for the sake of showcasing. Download this image and convert it to targa (.tga) and save it as 24-bit. (You can use any art program that allows you to save in .tga file (I prefer paint dot net)

Load up the game files in your steam directory (unless you downloaded it from another source, then I suggest you seek out the Cry of Fear folder as we speak), and search up models, costumes and put your targa file in the costumes folder, ensure you rename it to custom_hoodie. For the confused, it should look like this. steam>steamapps>common>cry_of_fear>cryoffear>models>costumes.

I will need to hold your hand for this, but if you are an owner of Steam, you will need to download Source SDK (and it's adjacent source variants) for the custom_hoodie to appear.

Start your game from the beginning, go to the secret room before proceeding, collect whatever you need for your little adventure and change your clothes. On the very bottom of the list should be a custom hoodie option, and it should look like this.

Do disregard the highlighted button, it does that on it's own sometimes.

5. Have fun.

[systemdeez]

I watched a YouTube video about how to develop .NET projects in Linux. It was a good video, it helped me set everything up. But for some reason the guy who did the video installed the .NET sdk as a snap?! What the fuck?! Shaking and crying right now. 😭

[meklarian]

Hi friends,

The eclipse is nigh and I made a thing to try and make the best of the upcoming event.

If you are a Nikon user like myself, you might have noticed that the onboard intervalometer is useful but not really programmable in ways that we would like when it comes to bracketing exposures. This is especially problematic for eclipses, where the amount of time we have to shoot is limited and the capture settings are too broad for what our cameras support.

Hence, I made the aforementioned to address these limitations. I tried my best to find a COTS solution, but I couldn't get enough detail out of any sales material to be sure that they could do what I wanted. In addition to shooting wide brackets (7+ exposure sets), I wanted to be able to shoot at least two cameras for the event.

The source code provided above addresses the issues I've mentioned (but really the minimum, too), but it needs to be compiled to be useable. One will also need to download the SDK materials from Nikon that match one's cameras. I feel I've made enough progress that I feel I can throw this out there in the hopes that maybe someone else who also needs this can put it to some use. There are lots of cut corners and some shabby roofing and flooring, but enough framework is there to get the job done.

Thanks for following along and thank you all in general for all the attention you've given the content I've posted. Hopefully this upcoming adventure also affords the opportunity to get some quality shots of the solar eclipse.

See you on the other side,

- Paul / meklarian

[this-week-in-rust]

This Week in Rust 544

Hello and welcome to another issue of This Week in Rust! Rust is a programming language empowering everyone to build reliable and efficient software. This is a weekly summary of its progress and community. Want something mentioned? Tag us at @ThisWeekInRust on Twitter or @ThisWeekinRust on mastodon.social, or send us a pull request. Want to get involved? We love contributions.

This Week in Rust is openly developed on GitHub and archives can be viewed at this-week-in-rust.org. If you find any errors in this week's issue, please submit a PR.

Updates from Rust Community

Foundation

Guest Blog: Attending CISA’s Open Source Software Security Summit

Newsletters

This Month in Rust OSDev: March 2024

Project/Tooling Updates

lilos v1.0 released

medium-to-markdown v0.1.1 : Convert your medium blogs easily into markdown files

Fluvio v0.11.6 release and project updates

venndb 0.4.0 - custom validators

Tantivy 0.22: Performance improvements, new aggregations and stability fixes

Announcing r3bl_terminal_async - build async interactive CLIs in Rust

[video] Demo + architecture overview of Ferrostar, a cross-platform turn-by-turn navigation SDK with a Rust core

Observations/Thoughts

The Rust Calling Convention We Deserve

Sized, DynSized, and Unsized

Coroutines and effects

Porting a cross-platform GUI application to Rust

Adventures In Rust: Bringing Exchange Support To Thunderbird

Rust Walkthroughs

Why SQLite Performance Tuning made Bencher 1200x Faster

drop, the destructor of Rust structs

Building with AWS S3 using Rust

Rust tokio task cancellation patterns

[video] Build with Naz - Published crate r3bl_terminal_async for building async interactive CLIs in Rust

[video] Trent Billington - Bevy ECS - Power tool for data oriented applications

[video] Building a procedural art generator

[audio] Isograph with Robert Balicki

Research

A Study of Undefined Behavior Across Foreign Function Boundaries in Rust Libraries

Rust Digger: Does size matter? The biggest crate is 450MB; More than 100 crates are over 50MB

Miscellaneous

GitHub Sponsor Rust developer David Tolnay

Learn how to write TCP servers using Rust's std::net module

RustFest Zürich 🇨 Talks announced

Crate of the Week

This week's crate is scandir, a high-performance file tree scanner.

Thanks to Marty B. for the self-suggestion!

Please submit your suggestions and votes for next week!

Call for Testing

An important step for RFC implementation is for people to experiment with the implementation and give feedback, especially before stabilization. The following RFCs would benefit from user testing before moving forward:

No calls for testing were issued this week.

If you are a feature implementer and would like your RFC to appear on the above list, add the new call-for-testing label to your RFC along with a comment providing testing instructions and/or guidance on which aspect(s) of the feature need testing.

Call for Participation; projects and speakers

CFP - Projects

Always wanted to contribute to open-source projects but did not know where to start? Every week we highlight some tasks from the Rust community for you to pick and get started!

Some of these tasks may also have mentors available, visit the task page for more information.

awesome-alternatives-in-rust - Add dqy alternative to dig

fluvio - When a topic is deleted, connected clients should have their connection closed

fluvio - MQTT Connector: Prefix auto generated Client ID to prevent connection drops

fluvio - Remove localhost from fluvio in favor of 127.0.0.1

If you are a Rust project owner and are looking for contributors, please submit tasks here.

CFP - Speakers

Are you a new or experienced speaker looking for a place to share something cool? This section highlights events that are being planned and are accepting submissions to join their event as a speaker.

RustConf 2024 | Closes 2024-04-25 | Montreal, Canada | Event date: 2024-09-10

RustLab 2024 | Closes 2024-05-01 | Florence, Italy | Event date: 2024-11-09 - 2024-11-11

EuroRust 2024| Closes 2024-06-03 | Vienna, Austria & online | Event date: 2024-10-10

Scientific Computing in Rust 2024| Closes 2024-06-14 | online | Event date: 2024-07-17 - 2024-07-19

Conf42 Rustlang 2024 | Closes 2024-07-22 | online | Event date: 2024-08-22

If you are an event organizer hoping to expand the reach of your event, please submit a link to the submission website through a PR to TWiR.

Updates from the Rust Project

432 pull requests were merged in the last week

add simple async drop glue generation

llvm backend: Prevent creating the same Instance::mono multiple times

static_mut_refs: use raw pointers to remove the remaining FIXME

add a lower bound check to unicode-table-generator output

add an opt-in to store incoming edges in VecGraph + misc

add llvm-bitcode-linker to build manifest

allow workproducts without object files

at debuginfo=0, don't inline debuginfo when inlining

correctly change type when adding adjustments on top of NeverToAny

coverage: branch coverage tests for lazy boolean operators

coverage: prepare for improved branch coverage

delay interning errors to after validation

delay span bug when Self kw resolves to DefKind::{Mod,Trait}

don't ICE for kind mismatches during error rendering

don't ascend into parent bodies when collecting stmts for possible return suggestion

don't error on subtyping of equal types

don't inline integer literals when they overflow - new attempt

don't repeatedly duplicate TAIT lifetimes for each subsequently nested TAIT

fix ICE in eval_body_using_ecx

fix ICE when there is a non-Unicode entry in the incremental crate directory

fix capturing duplicated lifetimes via parent in precise_captures (impl use<'...>)

fix normalizing in different ParamEnvs with the same InferCtxt

fix trait solver overflow with non_local_definitions lint

flip spans for precise capturing syntax not capturing a ty/const param, and for implicit captures of lifetime params

give a name to each distinct manipulation of pretty-printer FixupContext

ignore -C strip on MSVC

implement Modified Condition/Decision Coverage

implement PROBLEMATIC_CONSTS generalization

implement syntax for impl Trait to specify its captures explicitly (feature(precise_capturing))

improve ICE message for forbidden dep-graph reads

interpret: pass MemoryKind to adjust_alloc_base_pointer

interpret: pass MemoryKind to before_memory_deallocation

interpret: use ScalarInt for bin-ops; avoid PartialOrd for ScalarInt

introduce perma-unstable wasm-c-abi flag

let inherent associated types constrain opaque types during projection

make suggest_deref_closure_return more idiomatic/easier to understand

make thir_tree and thir_flat into hooks

make the comments for ReturnDest variants doc comments

match ergonomics 2024: Implement eat-one-layer

match ergonomics 2024: mut doesn't reset binding mode

match hyphen in multi-revision comment matchers

opaque types have no namespace

outline default query and hook provider function implementations

prefer identity equality over equating types during coercion

print note with closure signature on type mismatch

properly handle emojis as literal prefix in macros

remove default_hidden_visibility: false from wasm targets

remove uneeded clones now that TrustedStep implies Copy

silence some follow-up errors on trait impls in case the trait has conflicting or otherwise incoherent impls

simplify shallow resolver to just fold ty/consts

stop taking ParamTy/ParamConst/EarlyParamRegion/AliasTy by ref

subtype predicates only exist on inference types, so we can allow them to register opaque types within them

tell LLVM Vec::len is invariant across growth

use raw-dylib for Windows synchronization functions

refactor clippy in bootstrap

when suggesting RUST_BACKTRACE=1, add a special note for Miri's env var isolation

miri: data_race: make the release/acquire API more clear

miri: no_std works on Windows now

miri: add localtime_r shim

miri: address reuse improvements and fixes

miri: deadlock: show backtrace for all threads

miri: directly call handle_alloc_error

miri: implement support for __rust_alloc_error_handler

miri: make realloc with a size of zero fail

miri: move read_byte_slice to general helpers file, next to read_c_str

miri: threads: keep track of why we are blocked, and sanity-check that when waking up

Box::into_raw: make Miri understand that this is a box-to-raw cast

PatRangeBoundary::compare_with: also add a fast-path for signed integers

codegen ZSTs without an allocation

stabilize Wasm target features that are in phase 4 and 5

stabilize const_io_structs

stabilize checking of cfgs at compile-time: --check-cfg option

stabilize generic NonZero

make checked ops emit unchecked LLVM operations where feasible

improve std::fs::Metadata Debug representation

fix negating f16 and f128 constants

force exhaustion in iter::ArrayChunks::into_remainder

checked_ilog: improve performance

add an intrinsic for ptr::from_raw_parts(_mut)

fix: make str::from_raw_parts_mut mut

use queue-based RwLock on more platforms

add support for Arm64EC to the standard library

codegen_gcc: fix PassMode::Indirect with params

codegen_gcc: fix check for main function already declared

codegen_gcc: fix panic when calling get_fn for a variable

codegen_gcc: fix passing custom CG_RUSTFLAGS when building sysroot

codegen_gcc: implement more type kinds

cargo install: including Locking message

cargo resolver: add default Edition2024 to resolver v3

cargo resolver: add v3 resolver for MSRV-aware resolving

cargo credential: trim newlines in tokens from stdin

cargo msrv: error, rather than panic, on rust-version 'x'

cargo msrv: put MSRV-aware resolver behind a config

cargo toml: don't crash on parse errors that point to multi-byte character

cargo toml: disallow source-less dependencies

cargo toml: error on [project] in Edition 2024

cargo toml: report _fied variants (e.g. dev_dependencies) as deprecated

cargo: fix 'cargo build' fails when list_files() with gix is triggered

rustdoc: always display stability version even if it's the same as the containing item

rustdoc: fix copy path button

rustdoc: support type '/' to search

rustdoc-search: fix description on aliases in results

rustdoc-search: single result for items with multiple paths

clippy: threadlocal_initializer_can_be_made_const will not trigger for unreachable initializers

clippy: arithmetic_side_effects fix false negative on +=

clippy: ptr_as_ptr: fix duplicate diagnostics

clippy: emit the needless_pass_by_ref_mut lint on self arguments as well

clippy: fix is_test_module_or_function

clippy: reduce single_char_pattern to only lint on ascii chars

clippy: rework interior mutability detection

clippy: the multiple_unsafe_ops_per_block test needs asm!

rust-analyzer: cargo script mvp

rust-analyzer: add convert From to TryFrom assist

rust-analyzer: allow rust files to be used linkedProjects

rust-analyzer: VFS should not walk circular symlinks

rust-analyzer: handle escaped chars in doc comments

rust-analyzer: replace Just the variable name in Unused Variable Diagnostic Fix

rust-analyzer: implement BeginPanic handling in const eval

rust-analyzer: make test harness arguments configurable and not --nocapture

rust-analyzer: render matched macro arm on hover of macro calls

rust-analyzer: try to generate more meaningful names in json converter

Rust Compiler Performance Triage

A week dominated by small mixed changes to perf with improvements slightly outweighing regressions. There were no pure regressions, and many of the mixed perf results were deemed worth it for their potential improvements to runtime performance through further optimization from LLVM.

Triage done by @rylev. Revision range: ccfcd950..a77f76e2

Summary:

(instructions:u) mean range count Regressions ❌ (primary) 0.4% [0.2%, 1.8%] 57 Regressions ❌ (secondary) 0.4% [0.2%, 1.9%] 26 Improvements ✅ (primary) -0.8% [-3.4%, -0.2%] 50 Improvements ✅ (secondary) -0.6% [-1.9%, -0.1%] 32 All ❌✅ (primary) -0.2% [-3.4%, 1.8%] 107

0 Regressions, 5 Improvements, 6 Mixed; 2 of them in rollups 62 artifact comparisons made in total

Full report here

Call for Testing

An important step for RFC implementation is for people to experiment with the implementation and give feedback, especially before stabilization. The following RFCs would benefit from user testing before moving forward:

No calls for testing were issued this week.

RFCs

Rust

If you are a feature implementer and would like your RFC to appear on the above list, add the new call-for-testing label to your RFC along with a comment providing testing instructions and/or guidance on which aspect(s) of the feature need testing.

Approved RFCs

Changes to Rust follow the Rust RFC (request for comments) process. These are the RFCs that were approved for implementation this week:

No RFCs were approved this week.

Final Comment Period

Every week, the team announces the 'final comment period' for RFCs and key PRs which are reaching a decision. Express your opinions now.

RFCs

[disposition: merge] experimental project goal program for 2024 H2

Tracking Issues & PRs

Rust

[disposition: merge] Tracking Issue for std::path::absolute

[disposition: merge] Tracking Issue for convenience methods on NonNull

[disposition: merge] Inline more svg images into CSS

[disposition: merge] Edition 2024: Make ! fall back to !

[disposition: merge] static_mut_refs: Should the lint cover hidden references?

Cargo

[disposition: merge] fix(toml): Warn, rather than fail publish, if a target is excluded

New and Updated RFCs

[new] experimental project goal program for 2024 H2

Upcoming Events

Rusty Events between 2024-04-24 - 2024-05-22 🦀

Virtual

2024-04-24 | Virtual + In Person (Prague, CZ) | Rust Czech Republic

#2: Making Safe Rust Safer (Pavel Šimerda)

2024-04-25 | Virtual (Berlin, DE) | OpenTechSchool Berlin + Rust Berlin

Rust Hack and Learn | Mirror: Rust Hack n Learn Meetup

2024-04-30 | Virtual (Dallas, TX, US) | Dallas Rust

Last Tuesday

2024-05-01 | Virtual (Cardiff, UK) | Rust and C++ Cardiff

Rust for Rustaceans Book Club: Chapter 5 - Project Structure

2024-05-01 | Virtual (Indianapolis, IN, US) | Indy Rust

Indy.rs - with Social Distancing

2024-05-02 | Virtual (Charlottesville, NC, US) | Charlottesville Rust Meetup

Crafting Interpreters in Rust Collaboratively

2024-05-07 | Virtual (Buffalo, NY) | Buffalo Rust Meetup

Buffalo Rust User Group

2024-05-09 | Virtual (Berlin, DE) | OpenTechSchool Berlin + Rust Berlin

Rust Hack and Learn | Mirror: Rust Hack n Learn Meetup

2024-05-09 | Virtual (Israel) | Rust in Israel

Rust at Microsoft, Tel Aviv - Are we embedded yet?

2024-05-09 | Virtual (Nuremberg/Nürnberg, DE) | Rust Nuremberg

Rust Nürnberg online

2024-05-14 | Virtual (Dallas, TX, US) | Dallas Rust

Second Tuesday

2024-05-14 | Virtual (Halifax, NS, CA) | Rust Halifax

Rust&Tell - Halifax

2024-05-14 | Virtual + In-Person (München/Munich, DE) | Rust Munich

Rust Munich 2024 / 1 - hybrid (Rescheduled)

2024-05-15 | Virtual (Vancouver, BC, CA) | Vancouver Rust

Rust Study/Hack/Hang-out

2024-05-16 | Virtual (Charlottesville, VA, US) | Charlottesville Rust Meetup

Crafting Interpreters in Rust Collaboratively

2024-05-21 | Virtual (Washington, DC, US) | Rust DC

Mid-month Rustful—forensic parsing via Artemis

Africa

2024-05-04 | Kampala, UG | Rust Circle Kampala

Rust Circle Meetup

Asia

2024-05-11 | Bangalore, IN | Rust Bangalore

May 2024 Rustacean meetup

Europe

2024-04-24 | Virtual + In Person (Prague, CZ) | Rust Czech Republic

#2: Making Safe Rust Safer (Pavel Šimerda)

2024-04-25 | Aarhus, DK | Rust Aarhus

Talk Night at MFT Energy

2024-04-25 | Berlin, DE | Rust Berlin

Rust and Tell - TBD

2024-04-25 | København/Copenhagen, DK | Copenhagen Rust Community

Rust meetup #46 sponsored by Nine A/S

2024-04-25 | Vienna, AT | Rust Vienna

Rust Vienna x Python User Group - April

2024-04-27 | Basel, CH | Rust Basel

Fullstack Rust - Workshop #2 (Register by 23 April)

2024-04-27 | Stockholm, SE | Stockholm Rust

Ferris' Fika Forum #2

2024-04-30 | Budapest, HU | Budapest Rust Meetup Group

Rust Meetup Budapest 2

2024-04-30 | Salzburg, AT | Rust Salzburg

[Rust Salzburg meetup]: 6:30pm - CCC Salzburg, 1. OG, ArgeKultur, Ulrike-Gschwandtner-Straße 5, 5020 Salzburg

2024-05-01 | Köln/Cologne, DE | Rust Cologne

This Month in Rust, May

2024-05-01 | Utrecht, NL | NL-RSE Community

NL-RSE RUST meetup

2024-05-06 | Delft, NL | GOSIM

GOSIM Europe 2024

2024-05-07 & 2024-05-08 | Delft, NL | RustNL

RustNL 2024

2024-05-08 | Cambridge, UK | Cambridge Rust Meetup

Monthly Rust Meetup

2024-05-09 | Gdańsk, PL | Rust Gdansk

Rust Gdansk Meetup #2

2024-05-14 | Virtual + In-Person (München/Munich, DE) | Rust Munich

Rust Munich 2024 / 1 - hybrid (Rescheduled)

2024-05-14 | Prague, CZ | Rust Prague

Rust Meetup Prague (May 2024)

2024-05-21 | Aarhus, DK | Rust Aarhus

Hack Night

2024-05-21 | Zurich, CH | Rust Zurich

Save the date - Mai Meetup

North America

2024-04-24 | Austin, TX, US | Rust ATX

Rust Lunch - Fareground

2024-04-25 | Nashville, TN, US | Music City Rust Developers

Music City Rust Developers - Async Rust on Embedded

2024-04-26 | Boston, MA, US | Boston Rust Meetup

North End Rust Lunch, Apr 26

2024-05-04 | Cambridge, MA, US | Boston Rust Meetup

Kendall Rust Lunch, May 4

2024-05-09 | Spokane, WA, US | Spokane Rust

Monthly Meetup: Topic TBD!

2024-05-12 | Brookline, MA, US | Boston Rust Meetup

Coolidge Corner Brookline Rust Lunch, May 12

2024-05-16 | Seattle, WA, US | Seattle Rust User Group

Seattle Rust User Group Meetup

2024-05-20 | Somerville, MA, US | Boston Rust Meetup

Ball Square Rust Lunch, May 20

2024-05-21 | San Francisco, CA, US | San Francisco Rust Study Group

Rust Hacking in Person

2024-05-22 | Austin, TX, US | Rust ATX

Rust Lunch - Fareground

Oceania

2024-04-30 | Auckland, NZ | Rust AKL

Rust AKL: Why Rust? Convince Me!

2024-04-30 | Canberra, ACT, AU | Canberra Rust User Group

CRUG April Meetup: Generics and Traits

If you are running a Rust event please add it to the calendar to get it mentioned here. Please remember to add a link to the event too. Email the Rust Community Team for access.

Jobs

Please see the latest Who's Hiring thread on r/rust

Quote of the Week

The learning curve for Rust is relatively steep compared to other languages, but once you climb it you'll never look down.

– BD103 on Mastodon

Thanks to BD103 for the self-suggestion!

Please submit quotes and vote for next week!

This Week in Rust is edited by: nellshamrell, llogiq, cdmistman, ericseppanen, extrawurst, andrewpollack, U007D, kolharsam, joelmarcey, mariannegoldin, bennyvasquez.

Email list hosting is sponsored by The Rust Foundation

Discuss on r/rust

[full-stackmobiledeveloper]

How Can Companies Optimize ROI by Converting Android Apps to iOS (or Vice Versa)?

Optimize ROI by Converting Android Apps to iOS

Introduction 

In today’s mobile-first landscape, companies aiming to maximize their mobile app ROI must consider platform expansion. With Android dominating in user volume and iOS leading in revenue generation, converting your app from Android to iOS (or vice versa) can be a strategic move to reach a broader audience and boost profitability. This blog explores how app conversion can be a growth catalyst, helping businesses lower acquisition costs and increase user engagement across platforms.

Understanding Android to iOS App Conversion (or Vice Versa)

App conversion refers to the process of adapting an existing mobile application to operate on a different platform. Whether moving from Android to iOS or the reverse, this process involves more than just copying code. It includes reworking the UI/UX, adapting to platform-specific APIs, and ensuring functional parity across devices. Successful app conversion demands expertise in both Android and iOS app development to maintain performance and user satisfaction.

Top Reasons to Convert Android Apps to iOS (or Vice Versa)

Reach a wider audience: Tap into new user segments by expanding your presence to another platform.

Increase revenue potential: iOS users typically have higher lifetime value, while Android's larger user base can fuel ad-driven revenue models.

Improve brand presence: Being available on both platforms builds credibility and trust with users.

Maximize previous investments: Reusing assets and backend systems speeds up time-to-market and reduces development costs.

How App Conversion Improves ROI 

Converting your app allows you to scale without starting from scratch, which significantly lowers development costs. The ability to reach more users boosts installs, engagement, and revenue. Moreover, a cross-platform presence strengthens brand authority and opens doors to new monetization opportunities, like in-app purchases or subscriptions, ultimately maximizing return on investment.

Key Challenges in Mobile App Platform Conversion

UI/UX differences: iOS and Android have distinct design languages (Material vs. Human Interface Guidelines).

Technical variations: Differences in programming languages (Java/Kotlin for Android vs. Swift/Objective-C for iOS).

Third-party integration compatibility: Not all libraries and SDKs work identically across platforms.

Testing requirements: Each platform has its own device ecosystem and app store policies.

Steps to Successfully Convert Your Mobile App

Audit existing app code and features

Choose the right development approach (native or cross-platform)

Redesign UI/UX to fit the new platform standards

Adapt backend APIs and third-party services

Test extensively across devices and OS versions

Deploy to the relevant app store with optimized listings

Tools & Technologies for App Conversion

Flutter: Ideal for creating a single codebase for both platforms

Kotlin Multiplatform: Enables code sharing between Android and iOS

React Native: Popular framework for cross-platform mobile development

Xamarin: Microsoft-backed tool for .NET-based apps

Choosing the right tech stack depends on performance needs, UI complexity, and existing code structure.

Cost Estimation & ROI Forecasting 

App conversion is typically more cost-effective than building a new app from scratch. Factors affecting cost include app complexity, UI redesign, and backend changes. Companies should calculate potential ROI by comparing conversion cost with projected increase in user acquisition, engagement, and revenue across the new platform.

Case Studies: App Conversion Success Stories

Example 1: A retail app that expanded from iOS to Android and saw a 40% increase in monthly active users

Example 2: A SaaS product that moved from Android to iOS, leading to a 30% boost in in-app purchases These examples showcase how strategic app conversion can result in measurable growth.

Tips to Maximize ROI After Converting Your App

Invest in App Store Optimization (ASO) for visibility

Launch targeted marketing campaigns on the new platform

Monitor analytics closely to track engagement and retention

Solicit user feedback to continuously refine the app experience

Conclusion 

Converting your Android app to iOS or vice versa is not just a technical decision—it's a business strategy. When done right, it can significantly enhance user reach, reduce development overhead, and boost ROI. By partnering with an experienced app development company like CQLsys Technologies, you can ensure a smooth transition and unlock new growth opportunities across platforms.

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Elevating E-commerce with Smarter Checkout Solutions: NifiPayments Payment Gateway

In today’s fast-paced digital marketplace, customer experience is king—and checkout is where it counts most. NifiPayments is transforming the e-commerce landscape by offering an intelligent, seamless, and secure payment gateway designed to meet the demands of modern consumers and businesses alike.

⚙️ Smarter Checkout for Better Conversions

Cart abandonment often happens at the final step: payment. NifiPayments tackles this issue head-on by streamlining the checkout process. With features like one-click payments, auto-filled details, and support for multiple payment modes (UPI, credit/debit cards, net banking, wallets, etc.), users enjoy a frictionless transaction experience that boosts conversion rates.

💳 Multiple Payment Options, One Unified Gateway

Whether your customers prefer using UPI, credit cards, wallets, or EMI, NifiPayments supports a wide range of payment methods in one place. This flexibility ensures that your e-commerce platform caters to a broader audience, increasing reach and customer satisfaction.

🔐 Advanced Security & Compliance

Security is a top priority for NifiPayments. The gateway is PCI-DSS compliant, integrated with fraud detection mechanisms, and features end-to-end encryption to keep customer data safe. Our system ensures real-time payment validation and chargeback protection, giving both businesses and customers peace of mind.

🚀 Developer-Friendly Integration

NifiPayments offers easy-to-integrate APIs and SDKs that let developers embed the gateway seamlessly into websites or mobile apps. The documentation is robust, and the support is hands-on—reducing development time and getting you to market faster.

��� Powerful Dashboard & Analytics

Gain real-time insights into your transactions with NifiPayments’ intuitive dashboard. Monitor sales, track trends, and generate reports to make data-driven business decisions effortlessly.

🌐 Scalable for Businesses of All Sizes

Whether you're a startup or a large-scale enterprise, NifiPayments is built to scale with your business. From handling small volumes to processing high-value, high-frequency transactions, the gateway is both reliable and scalable.

✅ Why Choose NifiPayments for Your E-commerce Business?

Instant settlement and faster payouts

High success rate for transactions

24/7 customer and technical support

Custom branding options for the checkout page

Support for recurring billing & subscriptions

Conclusion:

E-commerce is evolving—and so should your checkout experience. With NifiPayments' smart payment gateway, businesses can ensure secure, fast, and flexible payments that enhance customer satisfaction and improve bottom-line results. Ready to power up your e-commerce store? Choose NifiPayments and elevate your digital transactions today.

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Exploring the Best Cross Platform Mobile App Development Services in 2025

The mobile app development landscape in 2025 has evolved into a robust arena of innovation, efficiency, and user-focused solutions. With businesses aiming to reach customers on both iOS and Android, cross platform mobile app development services have become essential. These services allow developers to use a single codebase for multiple platforms, saving time, reducing costs, and maintaining consistent brand experiences across devices.

Cross-platform development is no longer a compromise between quality and efficiency—it’s the preferred choice for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s. With more tools, technologies, and frameworks available than ever before, the demand for reliable and performance-oriented development services has soared.

In this article, we’ll dive into some of the best cross platform development services in 2025, highlighting their key strengths and what makes them stand out.

1. Flutter by Google

Flutter continues to lead the way in 2025, thanks to its seamless rendering engine, flexible UI components, and high-performance output. Its use of the Dart programming language allows for precise control over animations, transitions, and performance optimizations.

Why developers love it:

Fast development with hot reload.

A rich set of pre-designed widgets for building intuitive UIs.

Large community and wide plugin support.

Flutter’s growing enterprise adoption demonstrates its ability to scale complex mobile applications without compromising speed or UX quality. Companies love the flexibility it brings when building prototypes and large-scale products alike.

2. React Native by Meta

React Native holds its strong position due to its use of JavaScript and wide adoption by major brands like Instagram, Shopify, and Tesla. In 2025, enhancements in native integration and concurrent rendering make it even more reliable for performance-focused applications.

Advantages include:

Cross-platform compatibility with up to 90% shared code.

Active open-source ecosystem with thousands of libraries.

Strong developer tooling and third-party plugin availability.

React Native’s modular structure makes it ideal for teams practicing agile development. It supports fast iteration cycles, making it well-suited for apps with ongoing updates.

3. Xamarin by Microsoft

Xamarin remains a top choice for developers embedded in the .NET and Microsoft Azure ecosystem. Using C#, it delivers near-native performance and seamless backend integration.

Why it stands out:

Deep integration with Azure cloud services.

Native performance and look via Xamarin.Android and Xamarin.iOS.

A single tech stack for mobile, desktop, and web.

In 2025, Xamarin’s improved support for MAUI (Multi-platform App UI) has simplified the development of cross-platform UIs even further. Enterprises value Xamarin for its reliability, scalability, and compatibility with legacy systems.

4. Autuskeyl

When talking about efficient cross platform mobile app development services, Autuskeyl deserves a spotlight. The company stands out for blending technical excellence with strategic business insights. Known for building intuitive, high-performing apps, Autuskeyl offers full-cycle app development services—from idea validation to deployment and maintenance.

Why Autuskeyl makes the list:

Tailored development strategies for startups and enterprises.

Expertise in Flutter, React Native, and hybrid frameworks.

Emphasis on UX, scalability, and long-term performance.

What sets Autuskeyl apart is their commitment to transparency and quality assurance. Their collaborative approach ensures clients are actively involved in each project milestone. They also stay ahead of the curve by integrating DevOps, cloud-native architecture, and automation into their workflows.

5. Ionic

Ionic is a powerful, open-source SDK for hybrid mobile app development. Based on web technologies like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript, it is ideal for teams with strong front-end expertise.

Key benefits:

Works with popular frameworks like Angular, React, and Vue.

Wide plugin ecosystem for native device access.

Easy to deploy and update via web standards.

In 2025, Ionic’s Capacitor runtime enhances native functionality and performance. It’s especially beneficial for teams that want to launch web apps and mobile apps simultaneously with minimal adjustments.

6. NativeScript

NativeScript lets developers use JavaScript, TypeScript, or Angular to build cross-platform mobile apps that directly access native APIs. This results in excellent performance and a true native user experience.

Top reasons to choose NativeScript:

Full native API access without wrappers.

No need for WebViews.

Active open-source community.

Its flexibility makes it a favorite among experienced JavaScript developers. In 2025, NativeScript has improved tooling, allowing easier debugging, build management, and cloud sync features.

7. Kotlin Multiplatform Mobile (KMM)

A rising star in 2025, Kotlin Multiplatform by JetBrains allows sharing code between Android and iOS apps using Kotlin. It's particularly suited for apps with complex business logic.

Why developers are switching to KMM:

High code reusability with strong platform-specific performance.

Shared business logic layer while preserving UI independence.

Official support from JetBrains and Google.

Many companies are embracing KMM for its ability to write native UIs while maintaining common backend logic. It’s becoming a go-to option for performance-focused, modern applications.

8. PhoneGap (Apache Cordova)

While no longer in active development by Adobe, PhoneGap still powers legacy cross-platform mobile apps, especially in small to mid-size businesses.

Where it’s used today:

Cost-effective solutions for MVPs and simple apps.

Teams familiar with web development tech.

Lightweight apps without intensive animations or performance demands.

In 2025, many legacy apps are being migrated from PhoneGap to modern alternatives, but it still holds relevance in environments that require fast and budget-conscious solutions.

9. Unity (For Game and AR Apps)

Though primarily known for game development, Unity is a major player in building interactive, AR-based mobile apps. Its cross-platform capabilities extend beyond gaming, into healthcare, training, and real estate sectors.

Why Unity stands out:

Real-time 3D rendering and AR/VR support.

Compatible with Android, iOS, Windows, and more.

Large marketplace for assets and plugins.

Unity’s flexibility makes it a favorite for brands wanting immersive app experiences. In 2025, its integration with AI-driven physics and interactions sets new benchmarks in mobile experiences.

10. Framework7

Framework7 is a lesser-known but powerful tool focused on building iOS and Android apps using HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Pros of using Framework7:

Great for building apps with native iOS or Material Design UIs.

Works well with Vue.js and React.

Lightweight and easy to learn.

Framework7 continues to serve a niche segment of developers looking for simple, elegant solutions. It's ideal for smaller projects with tight timelines and minimal complexity.

Final Thoughts

The future of mobile app development lies in flexibility, speed, and scalability. Choosing the right cross platform mobile app development services can significantly affect your project’s success in 2025. Whether you prioritize performance, UI/UX, or seamless integrations, there’s a framework or service to match your needs.

Companies like Autuskeyl bring together the best of technology and strategy to deliver high-quality mobile apps for diverse industries. As digital transformation accelerates, investing in the right cross-platform technology will empower your brand to stay agile, competitive, and future-ready.

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Get ePay PG Integration by Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd

In today’s fast-paced digital economy, businesses need seamless and secure payment gateway solutions to ensure smooth transactions and enhanced customer satisfaction. Get ePay PG Integration is emerging as a preferred solution for many businesses, thanks to its robust features and ease of integration. Leading the way in facilitating this service is Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd, a company renowned for its top-tier API Integration Services.

What is Get ePay PG?

Get ePay is a versatile payment gateway (PG) platform designed to handle online payments swiftly and securely. It supports a wide range of payment modes including credit/debit cards, net banking, UPI, and digital wallets, making it ideal for e-commerce platforms, service providers, and online merchants.

Why Choose Get ePay PG API?

The Get ePay PG API allows businesses to integrate the payment gateway directly into their websites or applications. With this API, transactions become seamless, reducing cart abandonment rates and increasing conversion. Key benefits include:

Fast and reliable transaction processing

Multi-layered security and fraud detection

Real-time reporting and analytics

Developer-friendly documentation for smooth integration

Key Features of GetePay API Integration

Robust APIs and SDKs: GetePay offers developer-friendly APIs, plugins, and SDKs   compatible with major platforms, facilitating seamless integration.

Customizable Branded Experience: Businesses can tailor the payment interface to align with their brand identity, ensuring a consistent user experience.

Multiple Payment Options: The platform supports various payment methods, allowing customers to pay using their preferred options.

Real-Time Dashboard: Merchants have access to a comprehensive dashboard to manage payments, refunds, subscriptions, invoices, and more.

Security and Compliance: GetePay employs AES 256-bit encryption and is PCI DSS compliant, ensuring secure transactions.

Instant Activation: Businesses can get started quickly with minimal documentation, enabling swift transaction processing.

    Steps to Integrate GetePay API

Register for a GetePay Account: Sign up on the GetePay website to obtain your merchant credentials.

Access API Documentation: After registration, log in to your merchant dashboard to access the API keys and integration guides.

Choose Integration Method: Depending on your platform (e.g., web, mobile), select the appropriate SDK or plugin provided by GetePay.

Implement API Calls: Use the provided documentation to implement API calls for payment processing, handling callbacks, and managing transactions.

Test the Integration: Before going live, thoroughly test the integration in a sandbox environment to ensure all functionalities work as expected.

Go Live: Once testing is successful, switch to the production environment to start processing real transactions.

Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd: Your Trusted API Integration Partner

When it comes to API Integration Services, Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd stands out for its deep technical expertise and client-centric approach. With years of experience in fintech and software development, the company ensures that businesses can integrate the Get ePay PG API smoothly, with minimal downtime and maximum security.

What Infinity Webinfo Offers:

End-to-End Integration: From initial setup to final testing, the company handles the full integration process.

Custom Solutions: Tailored API integration to suit specific business needs.

Technical Support: Ongoing support to handle any issues post-integration.

Compliance Assurance: Ensuring that the integration meets security and regulatory standards.

Why API Integration Services Matter

In a digital-first world, API integration plays a critical role in unifying different software systems. It enables automation, improves data accuracy, and enhances user experience. By choosing the right partner like Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd, businesses can future-proof their operations and gain a competitive edge.

Conclusion

Whether you're an emerging startup or a large enterprise, leveraging Get ePay PG API through expert API Integration Services can streamline your payment processes and boost business efficiency. With Infinity Webinfo Pvt Ltd at your side, you gain a reliable partner committed to delivering secure, scalable, and smart solutions.

Contact Now :- +91 97110 90237

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Development tools and environments

There are many development tools and environments available, and developers should choose one that supports the languages, SDKs, and APIs they need to work with and with which they're most comfortable. For example, a developer who focuses strongly on building applications for Windows using the .NET Framework might prefer to work in an integrated development environment (IDE) like Microsoft Visual Studio. Conversely, a web application developer who works with a wide range of open-source languages and libraries might prefer to use a code editor like Visual Studio Code (VS Code). Both of these products are suitable for developing AI applications on Azure.

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Aurora DSQL: Amazon’s Fastest Serverless SQL Solution

Amazon Aurora DSQL

Availability of Amazon Aurora DSQL is announced. As the quickest serverless distributed SQL database, it provides high availability, almost limitless scalability, and low infrastructure administration for always-accessible applications. Patching, updates, and maintenance downtime may no longer be an operational burden. Customers were excited to get a preview of this solution at AWS re:Invent 2024 since it promised to simplify relational database issues.

Aurora DSQL architecture controlled complexity upfront, according to Amazon.com CTO Dr. Werner Vogels. Its architecture includes a query processor, adjudicator, journal, and crossbar, unlike other databases. These pieces grow independently to your needs, are cohesive, and use well-defined APIs. This architecture supports multi-Region strong consistency, low latency, and global time synchronisation.

Your application can scale to meet any workload and use the fastest distributed SQL reads and writes without database sharding or instance upgrades. Aurora DSQL's active-active distributed architecture provides 99.999 percent availability across many locations and 99.99 percent in one. An application can read and write data consistently without a Region cluster endpoint.

Aurora DSQL commits write transactions to a distributed transaction log in a single Region and synchronously replicates them to user storage replicas in three Availability Zones. Cluster storage replicas are distributed throughout a storage fleet and scale automatically for best read performance. One endpoint per peer cluster region Multi-region clusters boost availability while retaining resilience and connection.

A peered cluster's two endpoints perform concurrent read/write operations with good data consistency and provide a single logical database. Third regions serve as log-only witnesses without cluster resources or endpoints. This lets you balance connections and apps by speed, resilience, or geography to ensure readers always see the same data.

Aurora DSQL benefits event-driven and microservice applications. It builds enormously scalable retail, e-commerce, financial, and travel systems. Data-driven social networking, gaming, and multi-tenant SaaS programs that need multi-region scalability and reliability can use it.

Starting Amazon Aurora DSQL

Aurora DSQL is easy to learn with console expertise. Programmable ways with a database endpoint and authentication token as a password or JetBrains DataGrip, DBeaver, or PostgreSQL interactive terminal are options.

Select “Create cluster” in the console to start an Aurora DSQL cluster. Single-Region and Multi-Region setups are offered.

Simply pick “Create cluster” for a single-Region cluster. Create it in minutes. Create an authentication token, copy the endpoint, and connect with SQL. CloudShell, Python, Java, JavaScript, C++, Ruby,.NET, Rust, and Golang can connect. You can also construct example apps using AWS Lambda or Django and Ruby on Rails.

Multi-region clusters need ARNs to peer. Open Multi-Region, select Witness Region, and click “Create cluster” for the first cluster. The ARN of the first cluster is used to construct a second cluster in another region. Finally, pick “Peer” on the first cluster page to peer the clusters. The “Peers” tab contains peer information. AWS SDKs, CLI, and Aurora DSQL APIs allow programmatic cluster creation and management.

In response to preview user comments, new features were added. These include easier AWS CloudShell connections and better console experiences for constructing and peering multi-region clusters. PostgreSQL also added views, Auto-Analyze, and unique secondary indexes for tables with existing data. Integration with AWS CloudTrail for logging, Backup, PrivateLink, and CloudFormation was also included.

Aurora DSQL now supports natural language communication between the database and generative AI models via a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server to boost developer productivity. Installation of Amazon Q Developer CLI and MCP server allows the CLI access to the cluster, allowing it to investigate schema, understand table structure, and conduct complex SQL queries without integration code.

Accessibility

As of writing, Amazon Aurora DSQL was available for single- and multi-region clusters (two peers and one witness region) in AWS US East (N. Virginia), US East (Ohio), and US West (Oregon) Regions. It was available for single-Region clusters in Ireland, London, Paris, Osaka, and Tokyo.

Aurora DSQL bills all request-based operations, such as read/write, monthly using a single normalised billing unit, the Distributed Processing Unit. Total database size, in gigabytes per month, determines storage costs. You pay for one logical copy of your data in a single- or multi-region peered cluster. Your first 100,000 DPUs and 1 GB of storage per month are free with AWS Free Tier. Find pricing here.

Console users can try Aurora DSQL for free. The Aurora DSQL User Guide has more information, and you may give comments via AWS re:Post or other means.

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How to Secure Your Desktop Application from Cyber Threats

In today’s digitally connected world, security is a top concern for any software project. Whether you’re a business investing in desktop application development services or a developer building a standalone tool, protecting your application from cyber threats is non-negotiable. Desktop applications, while often more secure than web-based alternatives due to their offline capabilities, still face numerous risks ranging from malware injection to data breaches. Let’s explore essential strategies to protect your desktop application from potential attacks.

🔐 1. Implement Code Obfuscation

One of the first lines of defense is code obfuscation. Since desktop applications often get distributed as executable files, malicious actors can reverse-engineer them. Obfuscation scrambles the code structure, making it extremely difficult to understand or tamper with.

Tip: Use tools specific to your programming language (e.g., ProGuard for Java, ConfuserEx for .NET).

🧑‍💻 2. Use Strong Authentication and Authorization

Always enforce authentication mechanisms that go beyond simple username/password setups. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) and role-based access control to ensure that users only access what they’re authorized to.

Security Checklist:

Avoid hardcoded credentials.

Store passwords using secure hashing algorithms like bcrypt or Argon2.

🔍 3. Encrypt Data at Rest and in Transit

Any data stored locally on the user’s device must be encrypted. Similarly, if your app communicates with external servers (even occasionally), ensure that data in transit is protected using secure protocols like HTTPS or TLS.

Pro tip: Never rely solely on client-side encryption. Backend validation and protection are equally important.

🛡️ 4. Use Secure APIs and SDKs

If your application depends on third-party APIs or libraries, verify their credibility. Outdated or poorly maintained SDKs can introduce serious vulnerabilities.

Regularly update dependencies.

Use vulnerability scanning tools (like OWASP Dependency-Check).

📁 5. Apply Proper File and Resource Permissions

Desktop apps often interact with system files. Improper file access controls can be exploited to either steal or corrupt user data.

Recommendations:

Always follow the principle of least privilege.

Sandboxing and file access restrictions should be enforced where possible.

🔄 6. Regular Security Updates and Patch Management

Cyber threats evolve rapidly. Keeping your application up-to-date with the latest patches ensures you're protected against known vulnerabilities.

Use auto-update mechanisms.

Monitor CVEs (Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures) for libraries you use.

🧪 7. Perform Regular Penetration Testing

Invest in regular security audits and penetration testing. Ethical hackers can find vulnerabilities before malicious ones do.

Consider using tools like:

Burp Suite

Metasploit

OWASP ZAP

✅ Final Thoughts

Security in desktop applications should be a priority from day one of development. By following best practices—like encryption, secure coding, and regular testing—you significantly reduce the chances of your app becoming a victim of a cyber attack. Whether you’re developing an enterprise-level solution or a personal project, don’t overlook the security layer.

If you're looking for professionals who can build secure and reliable desktop software, partnering with a trusted desktop application development company can provide both expertise and peace of mind.

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Full Stack Developer (.Net with AWS)

. Strong proficiency in at least one backend programming language (e.g., Python, Node.js, Java, Go). Experience with AWS SDKs, CLI… Intermediate Python – 1 Years Intermediate Node.Js – 1 Years Intermediate Go Lang – 1 Years Intermediate Java (All Versions… Apply Now

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Xamarin: The Cross-Platform Mobile Development Framework You Should Know

In today’s rapidly evolving mobile app development landscape, businesses and developers are constantly looking for ways to maximize reach while minimizing effort. With multiple mobile operating systems — most notably iOS and Android — developers are often faced with the dilemma of creating separate apps for each platform. Xamarin, a framework powered by Microsoft, has emerged as a robust solution to this problem by enabling developers to build cross-platform mobile applications using a single codebase written in C#. This blog post explores Xamarin in depth — its architecture, features, benefits, limitations, and practical use cases.

What is Xamarin?

Xamarin is an open-source platform for building modern and performant applications for iOS, Android, and Windows with .NET. Originally developed by the team behind Mono and later acquired by Microsoft in 2016, Xamarin integrates with Visual Studio and enables developers to write code in C# or F# that compiles into native code. Unlike hybrid frameworks that rely on WebView components (e.g., Cordova or Ionic), Xamarin offers a more native experience by accessing platform-specific APIs and delivering near-native performance.

Core Components of Xamarin

Xamarin comprises several essential components:

Xamarin.iOS and Xamarin.Android: These are bindings to the iOS and Android SDKs. They allow developers to write platform-specific code in C#.

Xamarin.Forms: A UI toolkit that enables developers to create user interfaces that can be shared across platforms. Xamarin.Forms simplifies UI design by allowing developers to define UIs in XAML and bind them to C# code-behind.

.NET MAUI (Multi-platform App UI): The evolution of Xamarin.Forms, .NET MAUI unifies the development of apps for Android, iOS, macOS, and Windows in a single project.

Mono Runtime: Xamarin uses the Mono runtime, a cross-platform implementation of the .NET Framework, to execute managed code across platforms.

Visual Studio Integration: Xamarin is deeply integrated into Microsoft’s Visual Studio, offering powerful tools for debugging, profiling, and deployment.

Unlock more details here

Why Choose Xamarin?

1. Code Sharing and Reusability

One of the main appeals of Xamarin is its ability to maximize code sharing. Developers can write up to 90% of their codebase in C# and share it across platforms. This reduces development time and cost significantly.

2. Native Performance

Since Xamarin compiles apps into native binaries and provides bindings to native APIs, the resulting applications perform almost as well as those developed using native SDKs.

3. Rich IDE Support

With Microsoft’s backing, Xamarin has deep integration into Visual Studio, one of the most powerful integrated development environments (IDEs). Features such as IntelliSense, debugging, diagnostics, and version control are readily available.

4. Access to Platform-Specific APIs

Xamarin gives developers full access to the platform-specific APIs using C#. You can implement platform-specific functionality without leaving your shared codebase.

5. Strong Community and Ecosystem

With Microsoft’s support and a growing open-source community, Xamarin has extensive documentation, libraries, and third-party tools that simplify mobile development.

Mobile App Development

Framework