OK, fine, the title is a little clickbait sounding. The truth is: I do use Xcode on my iPad, but it’s probably not what you’re thinking. In this post, I want to tell you about my love affair with the iPad Pro and my experience using it as a development machine.
- Xcode Ipad Os
- Xcode Build Application For Mac
- Xcode For Ipad
- Run Xcode On Ipad
- How To Build Ipad Apps With Xcode Tutorial
The Backstory
Ever since the introduction of the iPad Pro, I have dreamed of having Xcode on iOS. The iPad Pro is my main computer when I am not doing development work. In fact, this post was typed on my iPad Pro 10.5” while simultaneously watching DirecTVNow in a PIP window – something that would’ve been unheard of a few years back. After all, most people confuse the iPad with a media consumption device and not a full-fledged computer that you can also do serious work on.
Update: this article and git repository attached have become #1 in Google for everyone who wants to build a chat or messaging app in swift ui, so, when Apple released the official XCode 11+ and macOS Catalina in October, I decided to update the whole article for everyone who reads it for the first time. Download and Install XCode 11+. Create a Project Launch Xcode, then click 'Create a new Xcode project' in the Welcome to Xcode window or choose File New Project. In the sheet that appears, select the target operating system or platform and a template under Application. In the following sheets, fill out the forms and choose options to configure your project. Download Xcode from the Mac App Store here if you haven’t done so yet, you need Xcode 7 or later.
There’s no doubting the power, the portability, or the performance of the iPad Pro, and while I will likely be using my Mac Pro for many years to come for my main development machine, I would still like the ability to take my iPad Pro while on the go to edit code and work on projects.
Yes, there’s Swift Playgrounds and that app is a step in the right direction, but it’s far too limited to do what iOS developers need on a daily basis. There’s no support for Xcode project files, no DVCS support, no Storyboard support, the code completion is far too limited, and the list goes on.
So, what’s an iOS developer who uses an iPad Pro as their main portable machine supposed to do? Well, just like we’re used to doing on iOS, I had to find a way to use Xcode on my iPad.
Before we begin, I want to preface this by saying that while this setup does work, it is far from being usable for a main development machine. I use this setup when I need to leave the house, but don’t need to do Xcode work that’s extremely involved. In other words, this is excellent if you want to go on vacation, or just need to take a trip across town and need to be on call for anything urgent. I would not use this process for writing an entire iOS app, although that could certainly be done.
The Software
Next, let’s talk software. As you probably guessed, I’m not actually running Xcode on the iPad itself. I’m using Parallels Access, a $20/year Remote Desktop app (there’s a free trial available) that lets you remotely access a Mac running Xcode. Parallels does what most other remote desktop apps don’t, and that’s the ability to resize the screen you’re viewing to take up the same size as the iPad. Parallels Access is also extremely fast and responsive compared to most VNC apps. While on the same local network as my Mac Pro, there’s no noticeable lag; on cellular, the lag is barely noticeable, even when working with features like code completion and drag and drop.
Xcode Ipad Os
Parallels Access also allows you to use key combos on the iPad Pro to the connected Mac, meaning that you don’t have to re-learn any shortcuts that you might already be used to on the Mac and Xcode. Audio is also routed right to iOS from the Parallels agent on the Mac.
If you’re like me and use iOS as your main computing platform when not doing development tasks, then this might be a workflow to try out, especially if you like the portability of the iPad compared to a 15” MacBook Pro. But be warned, this will only make you yearn for Xcode on the iPad even more.
In addition, one of the benefits of this setup is testing on the same device you’re developing on. Assuming you have your iPad Pro connected to the same local network as your Mac, and you have enabled Xcode wireless debugging for the device, then you can target your iPad as a device to Build & Run on. Making it a seamless experience to test on the same device you’re using to do the development.
The Hardware
As I mentioned above, I primarily use the 10.5” iPad Pro that was released in 2017. This device seems to provide the greatest portability, plus power. It does sacrifice on screen size a bit over the 12.9” iPad Pro, and I do plan on upgrading to a larger display sometime in the future. I also have a cellular plan on my iPad Pro, allowing me to connect back to my Mac Pro via Parallels Access without having to hunt for a wireless access point.
There’s also one minor (ok, a little major) detail that I forgot to tell you about Parallels Access: It has mice support on iOS. That’s right, you can connect a compatible mouse to the iPad Pro and use it inside of Parallels Access. For me, this was the deal breaker with using my iPad Pro for development. However, after connecting up the mouse to use in Parallels Access, I can easily work with Storyboards. Granted, the compatible mouse (SwiftPoint GT) can be a little cramped for most users, it works and works well. The mouse can also be recharged by the iPad Pro with a USB type A dongle.
Final Thoughts
Free pokie games no download. Overall this setup has been fairly smooth over the past few months that I’ve been using it. I can only hope that Apple is working on a native solution for getting Xcode in at least some form on the iPad.
If there’s one complaint that I have, it is there’s not more native mouse support in iOS. Why should I have to buy a custom mouse that connects to some software? Why can’t I just connect my Magic Mouse to my iPad and let the software decide if it knows what to do with it.
I will continue using this setup until Apple does release an official solution, but overall I am happy with this setup for allowing me to perform basic iOS development and the ability to submit builds right from my iPad.
Update: The post is updated to make it compatible with Xcode 5 and iOS 7.
Update #2: You can now refer to this sample chapter of our Beginning iOS 9 Programming with Swift book to learn what you need to start iOS programming.
Xcode Build Application For Mac
So far over 600 6000 readers have signed up the free iOS tutorials. First, thanks for those joining our community. Before we begin to talk about iOS programming, let’s go through the tools you need to build your first app.
1. Get a Mac
Yes, you need a Mac. It’s the basic requirement for iOS development. To develop an iPhone (or iPad) app, you need to first get a Mac with Intel-based processor running on Mac OS X version 10.8 (or up). Probably you still own a PC, the cheapest option is to purchase the Mac Mini. The retail price of the entry model is US$599 (if you purchase via Amazon, the used model starts at US$490). You can pair it with the monitor of your PC. The basic model of Mac mini comes with 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB memory. It should be well enough to run the iOS development tool smoothly. Of course, if you have more budget, get the higher model or iMac with better processing power.
2. Register an Apple Developer Account
Don’t mix this up with the paid iOS Developer Program that we’re going to talk about in later section. Everyone can register as an Apple developer for free. By registering the developer account, you’re allowed to download Xcode, access documentation of the iOS SDK and other technical resources such as development videos.
You can go to Apple’s developer website for registration. The registration process is very straightforward. Simply create an Apple ID (if you don’t have) and fill in your personal profile.
3. Install Xcode
To start developing iPhone and iPad apps, Xcode is the only tool you need to download. Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) provided by Apple. Xcode provides everything you need to kick start your app development. It already bundles the latest version of iOS SDK (short for Software Development Kit), a built-in source code editor, graphic user interface (UI) editor, debugging tools and many more. Most importantly, Xcode comes with an iPhone (or iPad) simulator so you can test your app even without the physical devices.
To download Xcode, launch Mac App Store on your Mac. If you’re using the latest version of Mac OS, you should be able to open the Mac App Store from the icon in the dock. In case you can’t find it, you may need to upgrade the Mac OS.
Xcode For Ipad
In the Mac App Store, simply search “Xcode” and click “Free” button to download it.
Once you complete the installation process, you’ll find the Xcode folder in the Launchpad.
Run Xcode On Ipad
At the time of this writing, the latest version of Xcode is 5.1.1, which adds the support of iOS 7.1. For the upcoming tutorials, they’ll be based on this version. Even you’ve installed Xcode before, I suggest you to upgrade to the latest version if you’re planning to follow our tutorials.
4. Enroll in iOS Developer Program (Optional)
How To Build Ipad Apps With Xcode Tutorial
A common question about developing iOS app is whether you need to enroll in the iOS Developer Program. The short answer is “optional”. As mentioned earlier, Xcode already includes a built-in iPhone and iPad simulator. You can develop and test out your app right on your Mac.
Without joining the iOS Developer Program, however, the simulator is the only mean to run your apps. You can’t deploy and test the app on your device. Needless to say, you’re not permitted to submit your app to App Store. Slots in vegas. In other words, you can’t sell your app!
The simulator is powerful, however, it doesn’t simulate all features of iPhone. For instance, it doesn’t come with the camera or video capture feature. Good piano games. So if you’re building a camera app, the only way is to test it on a real iOS device. In other words, you have to join the iOS Developer Program!
So should you enroll in the program now? The iOS Developer Program costs US$99 per year. If you’re a new comer and just start exploring iOS development, you can rely on the simulator to test out your app first. How to make a reaction video on movie maker. You can wait until you have a solid plan to distribute your apps on App Store before enrolling in the program.
That’s all for today. Take some time to register your developer account and install Xcode. Once you’re ready, check out the next post and start to build your first app.
Got a question? Leave me a comment or ask it at our AppCoda Community Forum.