We are trying to put our app in the apple app store and would like to add in app purchases but unfortunately our app is not created with Xcode. We use an implementation of common lisp called CCL which includes an objective C bridge to access the Cocoa API. This is all fine and good except after reading through the StoreKitGuide I see that we are supposed to link again the StoreKit.framework in order to add a store to my app.
This presents a problem because we are not using XCode to create our app. Is it possible to add in app purchase to your app if we are not using in app purchases? I realize that most people on here will not be using common lisp but I was wondering if they could offer any insight into how one could enable in app purchases without Xcode.
Does (OBJC:LOAD-FRAMEWORK "SKRequest" :storekit) succeed? Or perhaps (OBJC:LOAD-FRAMEWORK "StoreKit" :cocoa)?
If not, you might have to create the interfaces yourself: http://ccl.clozure.com/manual/chapter13.5.html#Creating-new-interface-directories
If you use an Objective C bridge, them this bridge will need to be modified or updated to support the frameworks you require and whose support is not currently included on the bridge. Recompiling the bridge code likely will require Xcode plus the bridge source code.
Related
By the time I'm writing this, I'm working on a Xamarin cross-platform app (iOS,Android and Windows Phone), using Azure Mobile Services. There is interest of also developing Mac OS X version of this app.
Is there a way to use the Azure for the OS X app, because I can't find anything on the web? Please, be descriptive as possible :)
There is not currently Xamarin.Mac support in Mobile Services. If you look here (https://github.com/Azure/azure-mobile-apps-net-client/tree/master/sdk) you will see there is a Xam.iOS, Android, and Forms project.
You can add a feature request for Xam.Mac, or make an open PR that adds in a Xam.Mac project. I'd assume the main PCL component will work and its just a matter of adding the Mac specific wrappers where needed. I'm not sure how much dev work that would actually entail though to say if its feasible or not.
I am doing an iOS app, and I have bought the BLEduino, which is an arduino with BLE technology built-in. The question is, do I need to program something in BLEduino? Can I just turn it on, so it can be discoverable, and then code in Xcode for my app to connect with BLEduino, and etc?
The BLEduino comes pre-loaded with the library firmware (i.e. that processes all BLE communication), and the sketch for the Console module (which interacts with the library). That is, you don't need to program anything into the BLEduino to get started. Thus, yes, plug it in, and it should be discoverable.
You don't need to program anything on the iOS side either to get started. You can use the BLEduino iOS app. The BLEduino platform (firmware library, sketches, iOS app) supports 12 different modules. Simply upload to the BLEduino the corresponding sketch for whichever module you want to use, and it will work with the provided app.
Additionally, the BLEduino app is completely open sourced. I would suggest you play with that before doing one from scratch. That way you can see how to use the BLEduino iOS SDK.
Lastly, if you definitely want to do something completely from scratch (i.e. without the BLEduino iOS SDK), then simply make sure that your CoreBluetooth code complies with the BLEduino BLE Profile, and packet structure.
Alternatively, you can upload your own BLE profile to the BLEduino. In that case, you define your own UUIDs, Characteristics, and packet structure.
There's additional information on the documentation, and forum.
After reading through the extensive App Store guidelines (mac app store specifically), I've noticed a contradiction....
On one hand, under functionality, it clearly states:
2.7 Apps that download code in any way or form will be rejected
2.8 Apps that install or launch other executable code will be rejected
Yet when you read up further about purchase types, it often refers to in App Purchase 'downloads' and I'm pretty sure I remember reading in the bundle development guide (specifically plugin development) that these could be considered as in app purchases?
in 2.7 and 2.8 above, do they refer to code that they haven't checked i.e myAppPurchase.bundle which wasn't submitted at the app submission time, or is this concrete that absolutely NO bundles checked or unchecked by apple can be downloaded at all?
So in short, should an app be created in it's entirety i.e. with all the 'in app purchase extras' or can it be done modular i.e. an in app purchase downloads an approved bundle from the app store?
Cheers,
A
Although you can download content for in-app purchase, you aren't allowed to download code for later incorporation into the application. There are some theoretical edge cases, as you might have your own interpreter and might be able to download some amount of interpretable code in that case, you cannot download native code which will be executed either as part of the application (plugin) or an externally launched application.
As for the question of why Apple would cover this in the docs, it's likely because its the way that OS X and iOS apps are stored in the file system. Until Apple decides to allow downloadable binary executables, we're stuck using Plugin bundles in OS X only, ditto for non-OS framework bundles, which would arguably be even more useful. In particular, we have some bundles that are iOS/OSX cross-platform that we have to statically link under iOS, which is a shame.
Apple's apparent take is that if we can load code dynamically, then it is an opportunity to circumvent their review process by downloading an offending code module after the initial (or subsequent) program load. Imagine, for example, an application that talks to a server to download code which violates one of Apple's guidelines. If the version that is making the request has not yet been "released" by the malicious developer, no code is returned, and it just looks like it's checking in for an informative message of some kind. However, once Apple approves the App, the developer tells the server to start sending back a dynamic library, framework, or plugin which is then executed at the appropriate time by the now-malicious code.
The difficulty is that to prevent this from happening (through dyld or similar), you need to either whitelist everything that can be loaded, or you need to just prevent its use by application code altogether.
There's certainly the possibility that some kind of approved code whitelist could be used in the future, but until then, Apple has apparently chosen the route of just preventing the use of dynamic linking of non-system frameworks.
I am interested in developing an app for my new iPad purely for my own use. (well to start with at least)
Is there a way to develop an app without a mac?
Can I install the app only on my own iPad without having to sign up to the right to publish it when I might not even want to do that?
EDIT:
Could i use an old G3 powerbook for development? They can be picked up really cheap on ebay. Would something of that spec be up to running the xcode development environment?
I think the best option is to develop the application using HTML5 / Javascript and CSS, and use a service like appMobi or PhoneGap to compile it for IOS. They both have an online service that can make the build for you without needing you to own a Mac.
You have also the added advantage that you can compile your app not only for IOS, but for Windows Mobile, Android, Blackberry and even the good old web.
You have some Javascript libraries like JQTouch that allows you to easily implement the IPhone look and feel in your web app. Normally you can't access the native API from Javascript, but these solutions (appMobi and PhoneGap) offers a Javascript API that you can use to access Camera, GPS, Gyro, etc...
I think normally serious apps are coded for many platforms, and if you don't have the structure to pay to 4 different skill sets, it makes sense to code in HTML5, and from there you have a more future and device proof solution. Even if you "can" pay different developers to code in diffrent mobile platforms I would prefer to do it in HTML5.
Oh, and also take a look at applicationcraft.com, pretty cool online IDE (wysiwyg) connected to PhoneGap, really easy to develop prototypes. The generated HTML/Javascript is not very usefull to continue editing it outside their IDE (a bit complicated), but, again, for something very simple or a prototype it's something you must check out.
Good Luck
Is there a way to develop an app without a mac?
Officially, no. Realistically, unless you like wasting countless hours, no.
Can I install the app only on my own iPad without having to sign up to the right to publish it when I might not even want to do that?
No, you must be a paid developer in order to push to anything but the simulator.
xcode for windows.
http://ipodtoucher55.blogspot.com/2010/12/installing-ios-sdk-and-xcode-on-windows.html
Yes, you can develop without apple computer (using hackintosh).
And yes, you can install the developed app on your iPad without having to pay for developer program. There are a tons of guides over the internet about running (thus installing) apps on ios devices without developer program.
check this:
How can I deploy an iPhone application from Xcode to a real iPhone device?
You can develop for iOS without a Mac by using Adobe Flex. The Flex SDK is free and Open Source, and includes a compiler + packager. If you want an IDE, you can get Adobe FlashBuilder (not free, but with a free 90-day trial), which makes your development time much more productive.
You would not develop in C, C++, or Objective C, but in a combination of ActionScript (a dialect of Javascript) and MXML (markup language, mainly for rich GUI layout).
On the minus side: you have less control over what you can do (you can still do a lot) and you cannot use the iOS SDK directly.
On the plus side: it is very easy to develop great looking apps, and with very little changes, you can recompile them for Android, Blackberry Playbook, Windows, and Mac OS X.
You do not technically need a Mac to develop an app, unless you are serious about it. There are couple of solutions available to you for developing mac-less.
First, there are some services that port your HTML5 web apps into an iOS app, so you only need to write your code HTML5.
Second, if you dont want to buy a Mac, you can instead buy Snow Leopard or Lion, and build your own "hackintosh" (a windows computer hacked to run off the mac operating system).
Finally, you cannot make your app available for purchase in the App Store unless you are a paid developer. However, you could publish online as an HTML5 web application, or you could publish your app in a third-party app developer market (however you could only intall that app if you jailbreak your iPad).
Not sure how new this is, but Dragon Fire SDK is 100% Windows based (you do submit your code to them for compilation), but at no time are you required to own a Mac.
I want to update my developing knowledge from iOS to Mac for distributing my apps to Mac App Store.
What are the differences? What are the limitations?
For example, if I want to port my iPhone app that syncs contacts with social network the various NSRequest or ABAddressBook are the same? It changes only views and corresponding view controllers?
Does exists some sort of "adapters" from iOS to Mac to easily convert iOS apps to Mac?
In general, what challenges Mac apps arise respect to iOS apps?
Thanks
If you've gathered some experience you will get along with mac development in no time. Mac and iOS have many things in common, however there are some gotchas, not all of which are visible at first glance.
The most obvious difference may be the use of viewcontrollers - cocoa for mac knows viewcontrollers, however they play a different (and less important) role.
I think the best approach for you would be to take a quick look at the Cocoa Application Tutorial and the Cocoa Fundamentals Guide. Most of it will appear familiar to you. Other than that I'd suggest to not port that project over, but use it as a opportunity to learn mac dev and recreate it from scratch (if it is not too complex). Of course you can copy paste many of the logic stuff, no need to reinvent the wheel.
By the way, I started out developing for iOS too and I found it to be very easy to get used to cocoa mac.
As to your question regarding NSURLRequest (I think that's what you meant, theres no NSRequest in either platform), they are almost the same. Just look it up in the reference library. I found it very helpful to have the iOS and mac os reference library available at the same in my browser, so I could look up differences quickly.