Cannot get Xamarin Xaml Intellisense working in VS 2015
Solution 1
I resolved this issue by doing a simple workaround and here is the solution.
Right-click the XAML file in the Solution Explorer and select
Solution 1: "Open With... > Source Code (Text) Editor".
and in another time this also worked for me:
Solution 2: "Open With... > Source Code (Text) Editor with Encoding"
This workaround gave me the desired XAML IntelliSense even without installing the extra "Enable XAML Language for Xamarin.Forms" extension and even with ReSharper installed but suspended.
Solution 2
Extensions > Tools > Enable XAML Language for Xamarin.Forms
Enable XAML Language for Xamarin.Forms
Enables the VS built-in XAML language service to provide editing and intellisense for Xamarin.Forms XAML files.
https://visualstudiogallery.msdn.microsoft.com/8195a8e2-a842-4389-a8cb-34e4672e2e13
Update:
From @Jeff:
Seems I had to completely uninstall Resharper, not just disable it. Then reinstall the "Enable XAML Language for Xamarin Forms extension".
Additional info:
http://www.cazzulino.com/enable-xaml-forms-intellisense.html
Xamarin XAML Enabled:
XML Enabled and thus no Xamarin XAML Intellisense:
Solution 3
The reason why Intellisense is not appear in editor is that Xamarin XAML is not opened as file with content type xaml but file with content type xml.
To open xamarin XAML file as file with content type xaml simply in solution explorer right click the xaml file and select Open With... In popup select "XAML Designer with Encoding" and click OK.
Solution below is if you edit Xamarin xaml as file with content type xml. But this solution is not correct, IntelliSense then not always correctly suggests.
To take advantage of Intellisense the Visual Studio must get appropriate definition of xml namespace for Xamarin.Forms. For the Xamarin.Forms Visual Studio needs xml definition for namespace http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms.
This definition can be provided to Visual Studio by two ways:
- You can use xsd file and this file then register to xml schemas - after you open xaml file, the menu Xml/Schemas appear.
- You can this definition create by assembly attribute XmlnsDefinitionAttribute. This attribute you can found in Portable.Xaml nuget package.
Suitable for Xamarin.Forms is the second way(using attribute).
If you use Xaml in portable library, restore(download and install) this nuget package to this library.
If you use shared project, then restore this nuget package to all projects referencing this shared project.
Then insert this attribute to appropriate place. I believe that the App.xaml.cs(if you use generated name App) is a good place. The code could look like this:
using Portable.Xaml.Markup;
using Xamarin.Forms;
[assembly: XmlnsDefinition("http://xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms", "Xamarin.Forms")]
namespace YourAppNamespace
{
public partial class App : Application
{
public App ()
{
this.MainPage = new MainPage();
}
}
}
And the rebuild solution, as I believe, might not be necessary to work Intellisense for Xamarin.Forms.
Solution 4
This worked for me:
right click on .xaml file and then select "Open With.." and select "XAML Designer" and also "Set as Default" then intellisense worked great.
Solution 5
I install the Extension Enable XAML Language for Xamarin.Forms from
Enable XAML Language for Xamarin.Forms
Still the intellisense was not working. I just need to close all tabs and close the visual studio. After re-starting Visual studio I open solution and XAML file. The instellisense is working fine.
Jeff
Updated on July 21, 2022Comments
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Jeff almost 2 years
I've been trying to get intellisense working for quite some time now, and am unable to see anything outside of
! 
SeanH about 7 yearsLooks like the link to the extension is dead as of this comment -
A.T. about 7 yearsthis works for me, all I need to do is; after setting above settings I close all files and restart VS. thanks :) -
bryanbcook about 7 yearsI'm using Visual Studio 2015 Update 3, no Resharper, latest Xamarin.Forms - this worked without having to install anything. Would not have thought Source Code (Text) Editor with Encoding.
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Gravity over 6 yearsdoes this problem still persist?
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Admin over 6 yearsYou cannot use the XAML Designer with Xamarin, only WPF XAML. -
Stefan Babos about 6 yearsI didn't claim anywhere I wanted to use XAML Designer with Xamarin! When I chose the menu "XAML Designer with Encoding", so I then did not use the designer (that I minimized). I used only coding.
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Admin about 6 yearsThe XAML Designer code editor's intellisense is for WPF, not Xamarin so would no use editing Xamarin Forms XAML due to a large difference in tags and syntax. So my original statement is correct.
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Stefan Babos about 6 yearsYou're right, but not entirely. When create WPF, the XAML begins, for example: <UserControl x:Class="..." xmlns="schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml/presentation" xmlns:x="schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2006/xaml" xmlns:mc="schemas.openxmlformats.org/markup-compatibility/2006" With Xamarin XAML begins: <ContentPage xmlns="xamarin.com/schemas/2014/forms" xmlns:x="schemas.microsoft.com/winfx/2009/xaml" x:Class="XamlSamples.MainPage"> So when the XAML interprets namespaces, it can edit it.
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Emil over 5 yearsbest solution. no need to install any extension. Only you need to indicate that "right click on a xaml file on the solution explorer, not on windows explorer"
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Emil about 5 yearswe are on Vs 2019 after 5 years and this problem still exist. shame on you microsoft. instead of making collectionview and other things, concentrate on big things
