How do I install and configure the MvvmCross.Plugin.Email plugin

Step 1: Install the Plugin

To use the MvvmCross.Plugin.Email plugin, you need to install it in both your Core project and platform-specific projects (e.g., iOS, Android, Windows). You can install it using NuGet Package Manager in Visual Studio.

1. Open your project in Visual Studio.
2. Right-click on your Core project and select Manage NuGet Packages.
3. Search for `MvvmCross.Plugin.Email`.
4. Select the package and click Install.
5. Repeat these steps for each platform-specific project.

Alternatively, you can install it via the Package Manager Console:

bash
Install-Package MvvmCross.Plugin.Email

Or using .NET CLI:

bash
dotnet add package MvvmCross.Plugin.Email

Step 2: Ensure Plugin Loading

In MvvmCross versions 6 and above, plugins are loaded automatically during app setup. However, if you're using an older version or encounter issues, ensure that the plugin is loaded correctly.

For MvvmCross 6 and later, the `LoadPlugins` method in your Setup class should handle plugin loading automatically. If you're upgrading from an older version, refer to the MvvmCross documentation for guidance on updating your plugin loading mechanism.

Step 3: Use the Email Plugin

To send an email using the plugin, you'll need to resolve the `IMvxComposeEmailTask` interface and call its `ComposeEmail` method.

Here's an example of how to use it:

csharp
using MvvmCross.Plugin.Email;

public class MyViewModel
{
    private readonly IMvxComposeEmailTask _emailTask;

    public MyViewModel(IMvxComposeEmailTask emailTask)
    {
        _emailTask = emailTask;
    }

    public void SendEmail()
    {
        _emailTask.ComposeEmail(
            "
 <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 var prefix = 'm&#97;&#105;lt&#111;:';
 var suffix = '';
 var attribs = '';
 var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '=';
 var addy61914 = 'r&#101;c&#105;p&#105;&#101;nt' + '&#64;';
 addy61914 = addy61914 + '&#101;x&#97;mpl&#101;' + '&#46;' + 'c&#111;m';
 document.write( '<a ' + path + '\'' + prefix + addy61914 + suffix + '\'' + attribs + '>' );
 document.write( addy61914 );
 document.write( '<\/a>' );
 //-->
 </script><script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 document.write( '<span style=\'display: none;\'>' );
 //-->
 </script>This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 document.write( '</' );
 document.write( 'span>' );
 //-->
 </script>",
            string.Empty, // CC
            "Email Subject",
            "Email Body",
            false // Is HTML
        );
    }
}

Alternatively, if you don't have it injected, you can resolve it from the IoC container:

csharp
var emailTask = Mvx.IoCProvider.Resolve();
emailTask.ComposeEmail(
    "
 <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 var prefix = 'm&#97;&#105;lt&#111;:';
 var suffix = '';
 var attribs = '';
 var path = 'hr' + 'ef' + '=';
 var addy28476 = 'r&#101;c&#105;p&#105;&#101;nt' + '&#64;';
 addy28476 = addy28476 + '&#101;x&#97;mpl&#101;' + '&#46;' + 'c&#111;m';
 document.write( '<a ' + path + '\'' + prefix + addy28476 + suffix + '\'' + attribs + '>' );
 document.write( addy28476 );
 document.write( '<\/a>' );
 //-->
 </script><script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 document.write( '<span style=\'display: none;\'>' );
 //-->
 </script>This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
 <script language='JavaScript' type='text/javascript'>
 <!--
 document.write( '</' );
 document.write( 'span>' );
 //-->
 </script>",
    string.Empty, // CC
    "Email Subject",
    "Email Body",
    false // Is HTML
);

Step 4: Platform-Specific Considerations

- Windows UWP and WPF: The implementation is simplistic and uses `mailto:` URL requests. This means it will open the default email client on the user's device but won't handle sending emails programmatically without user interaction[1].
- iOS and Android: These platforms typically handle email composition more robustly, allowing for more control over the email sending process.

Additional Notes

- The MvvmCross.Plugin.Email package has been deprecated and is no longer maintained. Consider using newer alternatives or custom implementations for more robust email handling[4].
- Always ensure that your project references the correct versions of MvvmCross and its plugins to avoid compatibility issues.