Preparation

You need to make below preparations for developing and deploying an iOS app. If you want to know details on each preparatory step, please see the guides provided by Apple.

• Create your Apple account (Apple ID)

• Enroll in the Apple Developer Program

  You may need a DUNS (data universal numbering system) number to enroll as an organization.

• Request signing certificates

  Create a certificate signing request (CSR) and certificate (.cer) file.

• Register your App ID

• Register devices

  You need to register your devices to test your app developed with Xcode by downloading it from iTunes.

• Create a provisioning profile

If you have developed your application with Nexacro Studio and want to launch it on a device, you need to build your application in the form of an installable app. To this end, you need Xcode and the iOS SDK.

App Project Development and Build

This section goes over the steps for developing application projects for iOS on Xcode. Before starting an app project, ensure that archive files created by an application developed on Nexacro Studio already reside on a designated path.

Creating Projects

You need to create an iOS project for the applications you develop with Nexacro Platform, and configure the basic environment. Create a new project by selecting:

File > New > Project

Select the Single View Application item when prompted with Choose a template for your new project.

Enter the Product Name and other related information. Click the Create button after specifying a location where the project will be created.

Nexacro Platform Library Settings

Nexacro Platform library files are set up to create an optimal environment for your iOS project. Select a project and add a "Frameworks" folder.

Nexacro Platform libraries are provided in the nexacro14.framework.zip file. When unzipped, the libraries are moved to the frameworks of the newly created project.

Additional Library/Framework Settings

You can configure additional libraries and frameworks required for using APIs on iOS. When you select the Frameworks folder under the project and then select TARGETS, you will see Build Phases on the top of the screen. Select the relevant tab and then select Link Binary With Libraries. You can see the added Nexacro Platform libraries.

Add 14 items by clicking + button on the button. The items to be added are as follows.

Resource Settings

The various resources to be used with project application must be configured, such as images, icons, messages and layouts.

Icon Image Settings

You can specify an icon and splash image for your iOS app. You can use existing files. Select the project, choose your target and then click the General tab on the top.

Click the arrow button to the right of App Icons Source, which is located under the "App Icons and Launch Images" section, and drag app icons to the image wells that match their resolutions in the project navigator.

The below table presents the image sizes for each icon type.

Splash Image Settings

Create a folder in the project and add images in it for the use of splash images. If the image is simple, you can use just one size (750px x 1334px) for all types instead of creating multiple images for each resolution.

Create an asset catalog in Xcode for the use of splash images.

Editor > Add Assets > App Icons & Launch Images > New iOS Launch Image

Select a file that matches in size or create a file sized in 750px x 1334px. Then, drag the file to image wells in the project navigator.

Select the project, choose your target and then click the General tab on the top. Click the Use Asset Catalog button next to Launch Images Source and then click [Migrate] in the dialog that appears. Select the newly-created asset catalog from the list of launch images sources and then remove the value of Launch Screen File.

Message Settings

Message setting configures messages used for running apps.

1. Create a new file under the Supporting Files folder by selecting the folder and clicking New File on the context menu.

2. Select String File among the listed templates.

3. Enter the file name as Localizable.

4. Select the created file and click the Localize button in the right window and select your desired language.

Select the project and then the Info tab to see the selected language added to the Localizations item. You can add languages to the project folder by selecting the + button at the bottom.

Revise the created Localization.strings file as follows. Revise the added languages appropriately, as well.

"needupdate" = "It is need to update.";
"loadingFail" = "First loading is fail.  \r\nPlease restart.";
"updateFail" = "Update is fail.  \r\nPlease restart.";
"notexist" = "Start file is NOT exist.  \r\nPlease restart.";
"BeingUpdated" = "Being updated.";
"wantreplace" = "There is a file of the save name. Do you want to replace? ";
"ok" = "OK";
"cancel" = "Cancel";
"move" = "Move";
"upper" = "Upper";
"filter" = "Filter";
"home" = "Home";
"nofilename" = "No File Name.";
"checkforupdates" = "Check for updates.";
"installforupdates" = "Install for updates.";
"downloadingforupdates" = "Downloading for updates.";
"force_close" = "Update is Completed.";

Modifying Code Files

Edit the AppDelegate.h, AppDelegate.m and main.m files as suggested here. These were generated when you created the iOS project.

AppDelegate.h

Edit the created application delegate, AppDelegate.h, so that it inherits the Nexacro Platform AppDelegate. Revise the related files so that the nexacro14.framework will run.

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import <nexacro14/NexacroAppDelegate.h>
#import <nexacro14/NexacroMainViewController.h>

@interface AppViewController : NexacroMainViewController
-(BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation;
@end

@interface AppDelegate : NexacroAppDelegate <UIApplicationDelegate>
-(NexacroMainViewController*)initMainViewController:(NSInteger)nView;
@end

AppDelegate.m

Part of the AppDelegate.m file defines a server URL where the start_ios.json file created on Nexacro Studio is distributed.

#import "AppDelegate.h"

@implementation AppViewController
-(BOOL)shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:(UIInterfaceOrientation)interfaceOrientation
{
    //return NO;
    return [super shouldAutorotateToInterfaceOrientation:interfaceOrientation];
}
@end

@implementation AppDelegate
-(NexacroMainViewController*)initMainViewController:(NSInteger)nView
{
    [[NexacroResourceManager sharedResourceManager]setBootstrapURL:@"http://172.10.10.10:8080/nexacro/start_ios.json"];
    return [[AppViewController alloc] initWithLoader:nView];
}
@end

main.m

Revise the main.m file under the Supporting Files folder as follows.

#import <UIKit/UIKit.h>
#import "AppDelegate.h"

int main(int argc, char *argv[])
{
    @autoreleasepool {
        return UIApplicationMain(argc, argv, nil, NSStringFromClass([AppDelegate class]));
    }
}

Build Environment Settings

Build Settings

Settings for some of the items in Build Settings should also be revised.

With the increase in the version of iOS, you may need to configure settings for allowing user permissions for certain features. Moreover, the addition of new features requires you to configure relevant settings. In addition, you need to set architectures according to the versions of iOS.

Info

You can check the settings of your app in the Info tab. Bundle name represents the name of you app while Bundle identifier is the ID value of your app.

Info.plist

Modify the Info.plist file. Add the "App Transport Security Settings" dictionary and then add the Allow Arbitrary Loads key under the dictionary. Set the value of the key to YES. Lastly, add the "View controller-based status bar appearance" key and set the value to No.

Add privacy-sensitive data classes to info.plist including location usage, camera and photo library.

Code Signing

When you use a simulator for testing, there is no need for authentication. However, an additional setting is required to connect to an actual device.

Set the Code Signing Identity property in Code Signing with an appropriate profile.

Configure a provisioning profile at "Provisioning Profile".

App Test

You can test an application directly by connecting the iOS device to a PC using a USB cable, or by connecting the device to a simulator.

1. Install an appropriate profile on the device by selecting the target.

Execute the test Xcode by clicking the run icon on the top of the screen or accessing Product > Run.