Build and test iPhone/iPad apps without a Mac

http://trigger.io/cross-platform-application-development-blog/2012/06/13/new-features-test-iphone-ipad-apps-on-windows-and-linux-embed-media-players-and-widgets-updated-toolkit/

by amirnathoo • 14 years ago

126 21 14 years ago

trigger.io

Cushman• 14 years ago

This + RubyMotion is getting dangerously close to Heroku for apps. Not sure what that means exactly, but I'm super excited.

samstave• 14 years ago

It means a big exit.

creamyhorror• 14 years ago

I think you can also build and test iOS apps on Windows with this iOS Build Environment (but you need a jailbroken device):

http://www.pmbaty.com/iosbuildenv/

It lets you code in MS Visual Studio and compile to a .deb/.ipa. Then you transfer it to your device and run it. A bit hacky, admittedly. In the end you still have to sign and submit the app on a Mac, but at least the development is all done on Windows.

I also came across Dragonfire-SDK and one or two other iOS remote compilation/signing services, but this looks like it'll work better for coding directly in Obj-C.

exim• 14 years ago

iosbuildenv looks interesting, but it doesn't come with a simulator. You can only see the actual running app on the device.

conradev• 14 years ago

Huh, I'll have to check the licenses on some of the software included, and see if they allow for the code to be sold as part of a package.

josephcooney• 14 years ago

Yes. Maybe they're trying to be cute with the 'donation' angle, "hey, we're not selling....we just require a donation of a fixed amount".

kogus• 14 years ago

You can also use Delphi on Windows of all things.

http://www.itwriting.com/blog/4841-hands-on-with-delphi-xe2-...

rogerbraun2• 14 years ago

You can also do this with Adobe Air. It's also free. Take a look at http://www.flashdevelop.org/.

dugmartin2• 14 years ago

I wish mobile AIR development would get more traction in the developer community. I'm building games with it (using FlashDevelop) and it is great. The best part is that since at its core it is just a SWF I can also run the game over a (Flash enabled) browser.

rogerbraun2• 14 years ago

I am actually doing games, too. When we started our current game, we looked at the options for multiplatform development and found Air. I was really surprised by the (technical) quality of the system. It's easy to set up, easy to program and has really good performance. I now wonder why I have never really heard about this.

primitur• 14 years ago

Here is my new, awesome, cross-platform development methodology: use a MOAI host for iOS, Android, Windows, OSX, or Linux (your pick), which simply takes its sources from http://somewhere.at/project.zip or thereabouts. Code on a local workstation (Windows/OSX/Linux), test the app, deploy immediately to a local Android or iOS device for testing.

http://getmoai.com/

Simply kicks ass.

TazeTSchnitzel• 14 years ago

This is hardly a new or innovative service, these guys have done it for over 2 years now (IIRC):

http://dragonfiresdk.com/

lnanek2• 14 years ago

PhoneGap has a remote build service like in this announcement too. I can only say this article is about catching up to others...

jamesbrady• 14 years ago

You mean PhoneGap Build? It's actually a bit different, because you have to send up your whole app to their server, where a compile and package is done and the fully-baked app is returned.

Useful in some situations, to be sure, but this approach means you still get all the benefits of the Trigger toolchain - builds are done in seconds rather than minutes.

reedlaw• 14 years ago

Any instructions for Linux?

amirnathoo2• 14 years ago

Working on it, can you email support@trigger.io and we'll email the draft when it's ready.

avojro• 14 years ago

Do trigger.io apps have the same speed/responsiveness issues that people usually experience with PhoneGap?

amirnathoo2• 14 years ago

You have to write your apps in the right way for mobile and we've blogged about ways to do that:

http://trigger.io/cross-platform-application-development-blo...

We've also done benchmarks of our native bridge vs phonegap showing it to be 5x faster on Android:

http://trigger.io/cross-platform-application-development-blo...

Build and test iPhone/iPad apps without a Mac

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