How to Test Win 8 Cordova Build on Phone

[phil_J_]

Hope someone can help - think this may be easy

I've built my App using the Cordova Build option, and had the package emailed to me on my Win 8 mobile. Download and can see a zip file there.

How do I now get this 'installed' onto the phone to test . Tapping on it does nothing....should I have an unzip or install App present? 

Sorry if I've missed something but can't find in Docs.

Thanks

Phil

ps - Just to confirm - do I need to have an Apple Developer Account (at a cost) before I can test  on an iPhone?

[John_H_Intel2]

To test your build on a windows phone, you need to download the binary on a computer, then open "Windows Phone Power Tools" and from there you can pick the binary and install it on the phone.

To build your app for iOS, you do need a developer account. To simply test your app, you can use App Preview. It will provide you a close view of your app, however if you do use 3rd party plugins, they will not work with app preview. For this, you must build your app.

[phil_J_]

Thanks for that John. I don't have a Win 8 PC - can these tools be downloaded on a W7 machine? Can't seem to find a download for them

Phil

[PaulF_IntelCorp]

Phil, I believe the Windows Phone Power Tools are an add-on to Microsoft Visual Studio (that is, you need VS in order to use those tools). So whether or not you can use a Windows 7 machine depends on whether or not you can install the version of VS that those tools require. If it turns out they need Win8, you can install Win8 in a virtual machine on your system, it works quite will in that environment. Make sure you've got enough disk space for the VM to install the VS tools!

[John_H_Intel2]

The tools did work on my old Windows 7 machine, but I had VS installed.

[phil_J_]

Thanks John. do you have a link to the tools you downloaded, there seem to be different versions.

phil

[John_H_Intel2]

The tools were Visual Studo, 2012 I think. I no longer have that computer, so thats just a guess ;)

You should be able to google where to get them.

[Pamela_H_Intel]

Phil - addressing your P.S. in your original post:

Apple no longer requires a developer's license if you are only testing - that was announced at WWDC in June, though I haven't gone through the process myself. Supposedly you only need to sign in with your AppleID.

[Pamela_H_Intel]

Phil,

Here is the page that discusses Apple's free provisioning: Read under the heading "Launch Your App on Devices Using Free Provisioning" https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/ios/documentation/IDEs/Conceptual/AppDistributionGuide/LaunchingYourApponDevices/LaunchingYourApponDevices.html

Note: some capabilities are not available (but as far as I can see they are related to sales type functionality - so you would not be able to test things like In-App purchases).

[phil_J_]

Pamela H

Had a look at that link but appears that you have to be in Xcode to do it....

...any other ideas or do I need to spend some money....

[John_H_Intel2]

You are going to have pay apple sometime if you plan on submitting to the app store, so its either pay them now, or pay them later :)

[Pamela_H_Intel]

Phil,

Oh, darn. Though Xcode is free, you need a Mac to run it, and it looks like you are correct - it appears you can't create an .ipa file so you have to be wired to the Mac. That is sad news.

So I guess your options are:

1. get access to a Mac,
2. get the license, or
3. delay testing . . . though it's frustrating not to be able to test, if you want to put off getting the license, you could wait until you are almost ready to put your app in the App Store, then pay for the license, then test.

Good luck!

[John_H_Intel2]

I am going to highly recommend not waiting till the last minute to start testing with an ipa on an actual device. The XDK is a great emulator, but there are minor differences you will see in functionality with it and on device.

[phil_J_]

Thanks John - will go for it ...what's $79 ..!! (About £51.42 haha)