The following is a short interview with Succinctly series author Ed Freitas, whose book Uno Platform Succinctly was published recently. You can download the book from our ebook portal.
What should people know about Uno Platform? Why is it important?
The promise of cross-platform development has been going for at least 20 years now. Kylix was a pioneer in this space, but it never really took off. Uno is important because it’s the platform that comes the closest to fulfilling that long-ago promise of cross-platform development.
When did you first become interested in Uno Platform?
Pretty much since it came out and I heard about on the Visual Studio Toolbox show on Channel 9.
By writing Uno Platform Succinctly, did you learn anything new yourself?
Yes, a ton. Especially that it’s much more than XAML and C#.
How will Uno Platform change over the next few years?
It’s hard to predict, but it will likely include and target more frameworks and different systems.
Do you see Uno Platform as part of a larger trend in software development?
Yes, cross-platform development. Uno is definitely on to something.
What other books or resources on Uno Platform do you recommend?
I highly recommend this Udemy course: Introduction to Uno Platform | Udemy.
What are three key pieces of info that developers can take away from this book?
- Uno Platform is broad. Have patience and take the time to learn it. Don’t rush things through.
- If you don’t know XAML or MVVM, make sure to brush up those skills first.
- It’s likely the only true candidate for cross-platform development across web, mobile, and desktop.
Do you have any tips for developers trying to learn the Uno Platform?
Yes, come with an open mindset. There’s much more happening in the background besides XAML and C#.
Do you have a personal website where people can find you?
Yes, you can find me at edfreitas.me, and I also have a blog at blog.edfreitas.me.
How long have you been working with Uno Platform?
Slightly over a year, although I’ve worked on many of the underlying technologies the platform relies on for a very long time.
Have you hosted any webinars or informative videos we could share with Succinctly readers?
Yes, for Syncfusion I was on an episode of the Coding Cube talking about AngularDart Succinctly.
Who are your role models in the developer world?
We are all humans and mortals, so I tend to avoid glorifying anyone in particular. I try to remain humble and pay attention to anyone that has something interesting to say or share, independently of their background. We can all learn from each other.
What were the biggest challenges you faced when learning Uno Platform?
How broad the platform is. Uno relies on a lot of different underlying frameworks and technologies. Although it’s mostly XAML, C#, and Xamarin.Forms under the hood, you need to be acquainted with much more than that.
How quickly can you learn a new language or framework?
Roughly between 1 to 3 weeks, sometimes less. But, don’t take that as your reference point! ?
How do you stay up to date on industry news?
I read Hacker News, check the latest trending demos on the GitHub repository, attend conferences such as Microsoft Build, among other things.
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