Do I need Xcode (and Mac) to develop an Ionic app for iOS?

Question

I want to develop an Ionic App for Android, iOS and the Windows Store. I am currently using my HP Windows 10 laptop next to the Cloud9 IDE .

Do I need to purchase a Mac (old Mac mini, old Imac) in order to use Xcode to create / compile an iOS application?

Answer 1

Here are some points you need to know.

Do you need a Mac to create a Cordova app for your app?

Answer: Theoretically, no, since Phonegap (Adobes Cordova) has remote collectors that you can use to create a package of your iOS application. But this remote service is paid.

So should I use Adobe Phonegap Remote Builder?

Answer: I would not use it. A remote auto builder will never be as good as you control the actions of what is created or displayed on your application.

So is it better to buy a mac?

Answer: Yes.

Do I need an iPhone or iPad too?

Answer: No. As mentioned earlier, you can test your application using the Xcode emulator (including iPhones, Ipads, etc.). Only buy an iPhone if you want to make sure that all the functions of your application work (given that the emulator will never be a real device).

Good alternative:. You can create a Mac virtual machine and try to master it (if your Windows machine is really good). Problem: It will be very difficult to test your application using a real iOS device using a virtual machine. We will mainly work with Xcode emulators.

Answer 2

Yes, you will also need an Apple Developer account, as well as the likelihood and iPhone / iPad for testing.

Answer 3

No! . You can develop applications using the Ionic Framework for Cordova / Phonegap, although you will need an Apple developer account to publish the application to the AppStore.

@Del - a physical device is not required to test the application. You can use the device simulator in xCode.

Answer 4

No. Xcode only works on OS X, but you can install OS X on a PC not sold by Apple if you choose the right components, which are usually much cheaper. (This is unofficially known as Hackintosh.)

This is not officially supported and not always straightforward; it also violates the OS X license agreement, so its legality may vary between jurisdictions.

You can find information about this at http://www.hackintosh.com and http://lifehacker.com/the-always-up-to-date-guide-to-building-a-hackintosh-o-5841604 , among other sites.

Answer 5

VMWare with Mac Image works well.