Distributing an app

[cwkalish]

Hi. This may be more of an Xc ode question but...
How can I distribute iOS standalones to "testers"? I've been loading apps on each device I want using Xcode's organizer. I understand it is possible to email someone an app (as long as they have the provisioning).
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/ ... tions.html

I think I need to create a .ipa file (is that just a zipped archive of the .app renamed w/ .ipa extension?)

Thanks for any pointers.
-Chuck

[Simon]

I've used this:
http://www.diawi.com/index.php
Just zip up the .app and post it and the .mobilprovision file.
Works great.

Simon

[Randy Hengst]

I use AirLaunch by HyperActive Software...

http://www.hyperactivesw.com/airlaunch/index.html

be well,
randy

[endernafi]

http://testflightapp.com/ is an alternative...

Best,

~ Ender Nafi

[pkocsis]

I'm trying to use testflightapp.com….

1) I've got the UDID's of the test phones identified in the certificate and built my app. Obviously, this creates a .app file
2) Now what? testflightapp wants a .ipa file (which, as far as I can tell, is a .zip (.zip renamed to .ipa) file containing the .app and a .mobilprovision file?

2A) am I correct in #2? What/where/how do I get/create the .mobilprovision file?

3) Is there an easier way (free) I can send my .app to one of my testers with instructions to them on how to get it installed on their iPhone? (I've been trying to get the .app on my own test iPhone with iTunes but can't seem how/where to drag/drop it. I want to test this so that I can tell my testers how to install the test app)

4) Is there some LiveCode documentation that I have missed on how to package up and send a test app to a user with instructions on how they get it on their iPhone?

Confused……TIA!!

EDIT: found this in another thread:

But if you want to use testflight, then here is the recipe:
* Open iTunes
* Navigate to apps in iTunes
* Drag-drop your .app file into iTunes
* Right-click on your app in iTunes
* Click Show in Finder
Voila, there's your .ipa file ready to upload to test flight

A) where do I drop it (whenever I drop it, it doesn't "drop" and just animates back to the finder from which I was dragging it from)
B) have things changed with iTunes so that I can't do the above anymore? (that post was in May of 2013)

Again, thanks for any help!

[Nakia]

Hi,

I use MergTestApp together with Test Flight App and it couldn't be any easier..
Give it a shot, I think MergTestApp is well worth it alone!

http://mergext.com/plugins/mergtestapp/


Cheers

[robl]

I agree with Nakia. mergTestApp is great for uploading builds to TestFlightApp.com and I use it as my primary distribution tool for LiveCode iOS projects. It automates the building of the IPA bundle/zip file and uploads it to the site, ready for your users to install. You can build an IPA yourself -- check http://forums.runrev.com/viewtopic.php?f=49&t=15091 .

[endernafi]

EDIT: found this in another thread:

But if you want to use testflight, then here is the recipe:
* Open iTunes
* Navigate to apps in iTunes
* Drag-drop your .app file into iTunes
* Right-click on your app in iTunes
* Click Show in Finder
Voila, there's your .ipa file ready to upload to test flight

A) where do I drop it (whenever I drop it, it doesn't "drop" and just animates back to the finder from which I was dragging it from)
B) have things changed with iTunes so that I can't do the above anymore? (that post was in May of 2013)

Yep, that was my post from months ago; but it still works.
I've uploaded a 20-second screencast to Vimeo:
https://vimeo.com/83995688
It's private to keep irrelevant eyes off;
password: runrev

It's a pretty straightforward process actually:
* Save your app as a standalone from Livecode's file menu.
* Drag-drop the .app into iTunes.
* Do whatever you need with the .ipa file.

But an image or sometimes a video is worth thousand words


I didn't use MergTestApp, but you should give it a chance.
Monte is really good at what he's doing.
Jacque's AirLaunch works fine, too.


Hope it helps,

~ Ender Nafi

[Gage]

Hello!

I know this is an old thread, but it was relevant for me just now, so I wanted to reply with a question.

I just used the process Ender described to upload the file to Test Flight, and it worked great! Thank you!

However, I went to repeat the process for another .app file, and when I went to drag & drop it into iTunes, it told me that an existing app of the same name was already there, giving me options to Replace the existing app or Do Not Replace (Cancel). Wierdly, the two .app files are entirely different standalones created with entirely different stacks with different names and even different Provisioning Profiles.

I proceeded anyway, and when I got to the point where I was installing the second app on my iPhone test device from TestFlightApp.com, it also overwrote the app I had already installed on the device.

Anyone have any idea why these apps might be seen as identical?

Thanks!
Phil E.

[jacque]

The app ID determines how iOS identifies it. You probably used the same ID for both apps. Change one of them in standalone settings.

[Gage]

Jacque, thanks for your response! I used what I believe to be a wildcard App ID, (i.e. com.yourcompany.* ). I was under the impression that this would make it usable for multiple apps, rather than just one.

Can you tell me where my thinking is misguided so I can avoid this error?

Thanks again!

Phil E.

[jacque]

That works for certificates but each app needs its own. So change the asterisk to the name of the app, like:

com.company.app1
com.company.app2

When you update an app, iOS uses that as the identifier so it knows which app you're talking about. If they are all named "*" then it has no idea what to update.

[Gage]

Perfect, then I should be all set! Thank you!

Cheers,
Phil E.