How to build an android app using MVC 5 and Web API?

Question

I have an application developed in ASP.NET MVC 5 using EF6. My client needs some forms of that web app and reports on an android app. I just learnt that using ASP.NET 5, one can develop cross platform apps. How can I use my existing MVC 5 controllers,views and models with Web API to make an android app?

I have no experience with asp.net 5 and android development. I have studied a bit on internet that if I expose my data via RESTful API then I can make an Android app.

Regards.

Answer 1

Any web application or service can make functionality available via REST API. This basically means that you can control it and get data via GET, POST and other requests.

This means that it will be very difficult for you to expose anything but data, like controllers or views.

Since with the REST web service your app would need to be online anyway, you could just wrap your website inside an android app, similar to what BNK said or using other technologies, like a native view - should not make much of a difference.

Then basically, you have your web site (or a modified version thereof) hosted inside an android app.