Concepts and Relationship
- For C#, there are 2 main popular free IDE softwares
- Microsoft Visual Studio community edition
- features:
- license: free for small team or individual
- available only on windows system
- use .NET framework (only works on windows system)
- use Xamarin framework (free for small team or individual)
- support other language dev like python, javascript, c++ …
- support extended development in other software like game engines (Unity, Epic)
- MonoDevelop (aka Xamarin Studio in win, mac)
- features:
- license: open source and free for all
- available on Windows, Mac OS X, Linux
- use .NET framework or Mono framework (opensource port of .NET) on windows, and Mono framework on Mac OS X and Linux
- use Xamarin framework (free for small team or individual on Windows and Mac only)
- c# and .NET related language only
- use GTK# as GUI library
- Xamarin Framework / Xamarin platform
- license: free for small team and individual
- enable you to write application using C#, and transcode it to native code and native GUI and run on many operation system
- including mobile: iOS system, Android system, Windows phone system
- including desktop: windows, mac os x
- no linux support because too many variation Linux system
- Mono Framework and GTK# GUI library
- license: open source and free for all
- enable you write .NET compatible C# code and run application in all desktop system like Windows, Mac OS X, Linux