If you are developing iOS app, you must be familiar with the fact that you need iOS (Macintosh machine) to run xcode. As it is very costly as compare to Windows Machine, I found many developers asking this question “How to create iOS apps on Windows Machine?” There is no official windows software for developing iOS apps on Windows and I do not think they will appear.
This article will describe unofficial ways of creating iOS apps on Windows platform. You will learn how to compile your iOS apps on official apple software by using flash iphone packager, airplay SDK or by sending that code to someone to compile it.
Here we go with the list of few tools you should use for creating iOS apps on Windows:
AirPlay SDK
Airplay SDK lets you create your own games and sign your apps on Windows. This is a great solution for both 2D and 3D games and apps due to the free offer from independent developers. Both these two variants can compile a standard iPhone code right on your Windows. Mind that many apps available at the App Store created with the help of this programs.
Flash CS5.5
A very good solution works together with Flash iPhone Packager. This iOS packager will let you compile apps on Windows. It works well but don’t expect that high-demanding games and Paper vision will launch on it. In addition, you can create iOS flash apps in the environment that differs from the official one by Adobe. You may compile apps with the help of a Flex compiler and pack them as long as you follow ASME instructions.
Unity 3D
Unity 3D is a gaming engine and editor that uses Boo and C#. This engine works on both, windows and iOS platform. Unity is a cross-platform game engine and IDE developed by Unity Technologies, targeting web plugins, desktop platforms, video game consoles and mobile devices.
Stonetrip S3D
This is a gaming engine and editor that uses LUA and it works on Windows. This gaming engine lets you create apps and games on Windows, but for compiling and testing, you will need a Mac. ShiVa 3D game engine with graphical editor to create applications and games for Windows, MacOS, Linux, iPhone, iPad, Android, Palm WebOS and Wii.
Appcelerator Titanium
Appcelerator Titanium is the most popular platform that allows developers to create rich native iOS, Android, hybrid, and mobile web apps from a single JavaScript-based SDK. The Titanium cross platform mobile application SDK empowers you to choose the right way to reach your end users on android, iOS, hybrid, and any other device.
Dragonfire SDK
This list is not proper without Dragonfire SDK; This platform is the most popular SDK which allows developers to create application using their own SDK on windows. Once you are ready with your code, just upload them on their server for compilation. You can download compiled file from their server to apply for App Store inclusion.
There are numbers of application offering platform to develop iOS application on windows machine but most of them are not tested or paid. I observed that the platform offering iOS development SDK are simplified version of most popular platform like Dragonfire or Airplay SDK.
Just try listed SDK and Platform on your windows machine and share your feedback on benefits and difficulties you find while developing iOS apps. This will help other users to start implementing this development environment.
Do you know more ways to create iOS apps on Windows platform? Share with us via comments below.
