As mentioned earlier, there are two ways to build apps using Xamarin.Forms. The first method is to use the built-in user interface API methods. This approach is strictly code-based; if you're comfortable using code to create all of your Pages, then this is the way to go. Another way is to use XAML to design your Pages, which will be discussed later in this chapter.

Since I'm writing this chapter at the height of the spring fishing season, I would like to build an app that can help my fellow anglers in some small way. Let's demonstrate building a Xamarin.Forms application that lists types of fishing hooks and provides brief details on their selection and use for various game fishing species. First, we'll set up the solution by performing the following steps: