# Creating the Android project

Add a new Xamarin Android project with name `MvvmCross.Forms.Droid` into the solution. **DO NOT** select the Android XAML App (Xamarin.Forms) template item.

![](/files/-LPQKZbLOWDZ9_LKKAEc)

Select the Blank App template:

![](/files/-LPQKcSbudc5mWwlGrcl)

Install the `Xamarin.Forms` package from the NuGet Package Manageer, or input the command below in the NuGet Manager Console:

```bash
Install-Package Xamarin.Forms
```

Then install the `MvvmCross.Forms` package from the NuGet Package Manager by searching MvvmCross.forms:

![](/files/-LPQKqSR9fd78ckwCVW1)

If you prefer the Package Manager Console, please use this command:

```bash
Install-Package MvvmCross.Forms
```

It will take a while since it need to install some related packages. Next, add the references to both `MvvmCrossDemo.Core` project and `MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.UI` project:

![](/files/-LPQL7cEP_n3kp-GHrHh)

Also, we need to add the reference to `Mono.Android.Export` assembly:

![](/files/-LPQLDdh2ZFSzX68WCwu)

Delete the `activity_main.axml` file in the Resources\layout folder because we use the `MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.UI` project to host the UI.

Open the `MainActivity.cs` file and delete the automatically generated methods and make it to inherit from `MvxFormsAppCompatActivity<MvxFormsAndroidSetup<Core.App, UI.App>, Core.App, UI.App>` instead of `AppCompatActivity`, as shown below:

```csharp
using Android.App;
using MvvmCross.Forms.Platforms.Android.Core;
using MvvmCross.Forms.Platforms.Android.Views;

namespace MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.Droid
{
    [Activity(Label = "MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.Droid", Theme = "@style/AppTheme", MainLauncher = true)]
    public class MainActivity : MvxFormsAppCompatActivity<MvxFormsAndroidSetup<Core.App, UI.App>, Core.App, UI.App>
    {
    }
}
```

The base class of the `MainActivity` shows that the Android project uses the default Setup class to initialize itself. Notice that now we have two App classes, one is in the `MvvmCrossDemo.Core` project, another is in the `MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.UI` project.

Next, we need to define an `AppCompat` theme by adding a new XML file called `styles.xml` into the Resources/values folder. If it already exists, open it and replace the content with the following code:

```markup
<resources>

    <!-- Base application theme. -->
    <style name="AppTheme" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
        <!-- Customize your theme here. -->
        <item name="colorPrimary">@color/colorPrimary</item>
        <item name="colorPrimaryDark">@color/colorPrimaryDark</item>
        <item name="colorAccent">@color/colorAccent</item>
    </style>
  <style name="MainTheme" parent="MainTheme.Base">
  </style>
  <!-- Base theme applied no matter what API -->
  <style name="MainTheme.Base" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.DarkActionBar">
    <!--If you are using revision 22.1 please use just windowNoTitle. Without android:-->
    <item name="windowNoTitle">true</item>
    <!--We will be using the toolbar so no need to show ActionBar-->
    <item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
    <!-- Set theme colors from http://www.google.com/design/spec/style/color.html#color-color-palette -->
    <!-- colorPrimary is used for the default action bar background -->
    <item name="colorPrimary">#2196F3</item>
    <!-- colorPrimaryDark is used for the status bar -->
    <item name="colorPrimaryDark">#1976D2</item>
    <!-- colorAccent is used as the default value for colorControlActivated
         which is used to tint widgets -->
    <item name="colorAccent">#FF4081</item>
    <!-- You can also set colorControlNormal, colorControlActivated
         colorControlHighlight and colorSwitchThumbNormal. -->
    <item name="windowActionModeOverlay">true</item>

    <item name="android:datePickerDialogTheme">@style/AppCompatDialogStyle</item>
  </style>

  <style name="AppCompatDialogStyle" parent="Theme.AppCompat.Light.Dialog">
    <item name="colorAccent">#FF4081</item>
  </style>
</resources>
```

You can find the code of the `style.xml` here: <https://github.com/MvvmCross/MvvmCross/blob/develop/ContentFiles/Forms/AndroidContent/styles.xml.pp>. Because in Android, we use `Toolbar` instead of the `ActionBar` so we must set this item:

```bash
<item name="windowActionBar">false</item>
```

In this file, you can also customize some values for the style of the Android project. Apply this style file by updating the attributes of the `MainActivity` class in the `MainActivity.cs` file, as shown below:

```csharp
[Activity(Label = "MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.Droid", Theme = "@style/MainTheme", MainLauncher = true)]
public class MainActivity : MvxFormsAppCompatActivity<MvxFormsAndroidSetup<Core.App, UI.App>, Core.App, UI.App>
{
}
```

Now you can launch the `MvvmCrossDemo.Forms.Droid` Project. The result is:

![](/files/-LPQM_tjakDKvtchx33F)


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://yanxiaodi.gitbook.io/xamarin-mvvmcross-handbook/using-mvvmcross-to-create-your-first-xamarin-app/creating-the-xamarin.forms-project/creating-the-android-project.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.