What's the difference between xamarin component and reference?

Question

I'm from .net, so I understand what's a reference of a .net project, and I know how to use Nuget to udpate it.

But in Xamarin, there is another folder called component, and I can add more component. I found that if some component is added into the project then some reference packages will be added when the project is build.

Can I understand that component is another way to add reference? If I add reference manually (not by adding component), so there are packages in reference but empty in component folder, will the project compiles as well?

Answer 1

Xamarin Components are similar to NuGet packages since they can include assemblies which are referenced by your project when the component is installed.

However a Xamarin Component will also include sample projects and documentation which a NuGet package generally does not.

A Xamarin Component can also install a NuGet package instead of including assemblies.

So a Xamarin Component generally made up of:

• One or more assemblies targeting one or more platforms, such as Android or iOS.
• Code samples showing how the component can be used.
• NuGet package dependencies which can optionally be used instead of including assemblies directly in the component.