[DUG] iPad App development

[Jeremy North]

* You need a Mac. You can't virtualize OS X under any OS other than OS X
and it must be Lion.
* You need to get the developer license for $99 to transfer to an actual
device.
* SQLite is generally the recommended database.
* Indy currently doesn't work under iOS, although there are plans to make
it. Not sure of the roadmap.
* You can get an Enterprise license to allow distribution within your
company, however most companys put the apps on the app store for free. The
app is useless without valid login and connection details, which would only
be available to people that have purchased the option (for ipad/iphone
connectivity).
* For updates you resubmit to the app store. I'm not sure if you can update
automatically when deploying inhouse.

You also have to use Mac to compile the final application using XCode and
the Free Pascal Compiler. Once you step outside the bounds of FireMonkey
and use iOS specific classes (using the iPhoneAll unit) continuing to work
under Windows in the IDE is harder and time consuming.

You can actually compile the iOS project on windows and run and test there,
the FireMonkey iOS units have different filenames than the regular
FireMonkey units. I think this is because FPC doesn't support dotted
filenames.

Rumour has it that Embarcadero are working on their own ARM compiler which
will remove FPC from the equation, but I don't think you'll ever see the
day where final packaging can be down without using XCode.

I've created some iPad applications, one a prototype for a new UI for a
company, and it demos pretty well. FireMonkey is still just a baby and
needs constant attention (RE: 4 Updates for XE2 which hopefully another to
come).

Using sencha touch (new version released 5 hours ago - got an email) and
doing a web app instead might also be a viable alternative. Personally I'd
rather native apps and not web apps, but bother have advantages and
disadvantages.

cheers,
Jeremy

On Thu, Mar 8, 2012 at 1:48 PM, Robert Martin <rob at chreos.co.nz> wrote:

> Hi
>
> We have a request for an iPad app (our first).  As an owner of XE2 I
> believe we have the tools for this.  However I do have some question...
>
> 1) Is Mac OS required.   I understand there is an emulator to test apps
> but do we actually need to buy a Mac to do this work? (would add a
> significant cost to the project).
>
> 2) What database would we use, our data is in Firebird but I believe
> their is no embedded FB for IOS.  Is there a standard / built in DB that
> we would use and populate data from say XML recieved via Http?
>
> 3)  I assume I can use http(s) for communication, can I also use FTP?
> What components would I use (Indy ?)
>
> 4) what about deployment?  I have used App store but how do we ship out
> our app, we wouldn't really want to put it out on app store.
>
> 5) what about updates ?
>
> Does anybody have any recommended sites?
>
> Thanks
> Rob
>
>
> p.s. yes I have only just started looking into this !
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