Do I need xCode to build/publish iOS apps to AppStore using Free version of Corona?

Solar2D General Questions/Discussion
#1

Hi All,

I’ve been attempting to download xCode a few times but each time it keeps failing halfway through.  I dont know exactly the reason and I have followed solutions of similar cases, but to no avail.  To date, I have attempted up to 4 times, and it’s no jhoke.  The file is about 4.3Gig in size!!!  

So anyway,  all this while I’ve been developing/Testing apps in WIndows, but now that I have finally successfully published my first ever mini game app to Google Play (and started to make humble revenue from ads in it’s first 5 days),  https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gmail.santiagoluib3.ThruBlu&hl=en    all I basically need to do now is build/test/publish a version for iOS in App Store.  I have run through the this -   https://docs.coronalabs.com/guide/distribution/iOSBuild/index.html#copy-to-device  and the only mention of xCode is being one of the 3 methods to copy my app to an iOS device for testing.   So for publishing to App Store, do I need xCode?  

Any comment on this?  

thanks,

Santi

#2

You need Xcode installed to build for Apple’s App Store. While you don’t need to actually use Xcode, Corona uses Xcode features behind the scenes to construct your app.  

Do you have enough disc space to download the file? You probably need about 15GB free (or more) to actually install it. If you have a laptop, you might want to try an alternate Internet connection at a coffee shop, etc.

Rob

#3

Hi Rob.   Thanks for your quick response.

And so I need xCode.  And yes, I have more than 600GB of free HD space on my iMac.    My laptop is Windows.  

Can I actually download xCode in WIndows and copy it later on the iMac for installation?  That way I can follow your suggestion to go somewhere with a more stable/fast internet connection using my laptop.

(I also must correct my earlier post about the mention of xCode in the coronalabs link.  It was mentioned a few times, not just on the copying of the app to the device. My apologies for that.)

cheers

Santi

#4

They also have mirrors where you can download it directly.

https://developer.apple.com/download/more/

#5

Thanks Alex.  

Should I get xCode 8?  

The documentation states that  “The versions of Xcode and the iOS SDK must specifically match. For example, if building for iOS 9.0, you must use Xcode 7.0.”    

What do you say on that?

Thanks,

Santi

#6

Corona SDK usually has the current iOS SDK as the only choice, but as beta versions arrive, we allow you to use both and then for some time after a new OS SDK comes out of beta, we allow you to choose.  This is done through daily builds. If you look at build 2906, the previous public build we had iOS 9.2 and 9.3 SDKs.  The current public build 2949 has both 9.3 and 10.0 available. At some point we will drop the 9.3 (not any time soon).

You need whatever version of Xcode that matches the iOS SDK you want to target. For instance if you want to build against 10.0 you will need Xcode 8.0. If you want to use iOS 9.3, you will need Xcode 7.3.  What’s the difference? For Corona SDK there probably isn’t much. You will get things like native dialogs being done in the iOS 10 style instead of iOS 9. But there isn’t any real feature differences between the two that Corona SDK customers will be able to take advantage over.

Now if you’ve upgraded your iMac to macOS Sierra you will need a newer daily build to work and at that point you may as well go all in on Xcode 8.

Rob

#7

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the feedback.

Here’s my situation: 

My iMac  =  El Capitan 10.11.6 

xCode     = 8

Corona SDK =  2949

Will I run into problems?  I would most likely target iOS 10 as this is what most iPhone users have running on their devices.

Thanks.

#8

That setup should be fine for now. When Apple introduces iOS 10.1 and we include it in Corona, you will need to get Xcode 8.1 if you don’t want to use 10.0. At some point we will likely remove 10.0 and only have 10.1, then 10.2 beta will come out. It’s an ever-rolling situation with Apple’s SDKs.  Then when macOS 10.14 comes out, 10.11 may become too hard for us to support, but that’s a couple of years away.

Rob

#9

You need Xcode installed to build for Apple’s App Store. While you don’t need to actually use Xcode, Corona uses Xcode features behind the scenes to construct your app.  

Do you have enough disc space to download the file? You probably need about 15GB free (or more) to actually install it. If you have a laptop, you might want to try an alternate Internet connection at a coffee shop, etc.

Rob

#10

Hi Rob.   Thanks for your quick response.

And so I need xCode.  And yes, I have more than 600GB of free HD space on my iMac.    My laptop is Windows.  

Can I actually download xCode in WIndows and copy it later on the iMac for installation?  That way I can follow your suggestion to go somewhere with a more stable/fast internet connection using my laptop.

(I also must correct my earlier post about the mention of xCode in the coronalabs link.  It was mentioned a few times, not just on the copying of the app to the device. My apologies for that.)

cheers

Santi

#11

They also have mirrors where you can download it directly.

https://developer.apple.com/download/more/

#12

Thanks Alex.  

Should I get xCode 8?  

The documentation states that  “The versions of Xcode and the iOS SDK must specifically match. For example, if building for iOS 9.0, you must use Xcode 7.0.”    

What do you say on that?

Thanks,

Santi

#13

Corona SDK usually has the current iOS SDK as the only choice, but as beta versions arrive, we allow you to use both and then for some time after a new OS SDK comes out of beta, we allow you to choose.  This is done through daily builds. If you look at build 2906, the previous public build we had iOS 9.2 and 9.3 SDKs.  The current public build 2949 has both 9.3 and 10.0 available. At some point we will drop the 9.3 (not any time soon).

You need whatever version of Xcode that matches the iOS SDK you want to target. For instance if you want to build against 10.0 you will need Xcode 8.0. If you want to use iOS 9.3, you will need Xcode 7.3.  What’s the difference? For Corona SDK there probably isn’t much. You will get things like native dialogs being done in the iOS 10 style instead of iOS 9. But there isn’t any real feature differences between the two that Corona SDK customers will be able to take advantage over.

Now if you’ve upgraded your iMac to macOS Sierra you will need a newer daily build to work and at that point you may as well go all in on Xcode 8.

Rob

#14

Hi Rob,

Thanks for the feedback.

Here’s my situation: 

My iMac  =  El Capitan 10.11.6 

xCode     = 8

Corona SDK =  2949

Will I run into problems?  I would most likely target iOS 10 as this is what most iPhone users have running on their devices.

Thanks.

#15

That setup should be fine for now. When Apple introduces iOS 10.1 and we include it in Corona, you will need to get Xcode 8.1 if you don’t want to use 10.0. At some point we will likely remove 10.0 and only have 10.1, then 10.2 beta will come out. It’s an ever-rolling situation with Apple’s SDKs.  Then when macOS 10.14 comes out, 10.11 may become too hard for us to support, but that’s a couple of years away.

Rob