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iOS & Swift

iOS App Distribution & Best Practices

Dec 10 2020 , Swift 5.3, iOS 14.2, Xcode 12.2

Learn the best practices of the Apple Developer Program, generating the various certificates needed, configuring your app and submitting an app to the App Store for approval, both manually and through automated processes through automated pipelines. Learn to use Apple TestFlight to add internal and external testers and receive feedback and crash reports. **Note**: This book is in early-access release. Estimated full release date: Winter 2021. By Pietro Rea & Keegan Rush.

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Who is this for?

This book is for beginner to experienced developers who want to know the best and most common workflow to releasing an app to the App store, as well as limiting frustration by troubleshooting and debugging common issues and problems associated with distributing apps.

Covered concepts

  • App Store quick start
  • Provisioning, code signing and entitlements
  • Distribution channels and TestFlight
  • App Store Connect
  • Build customizations
  • Build automation
  • Continuous integration

Learn how to sign up for Apple Developer Program, generate the various certificates needed, configure your app and submit an app to the App Store for approval, both manually and through automated processes through automated pipelines. You’ll learn how to use Apple TestFlight to add internal and external testers and...

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Before You Begin

This section tells you a few things you need to know before you get started, such as what you’ll need for hardware and software, where to find the project files for this book, and more.

i
What You Need
ii
Book Source Code & Forums
iii
Early Access Edition

Section I: iOS App Distribution & Best Practices

Begin your journey into learning the best practices of the Apple Developer Program, generating the various certificates needed, configuring your app and submitting an app to the App Store for approval, both manually and through automated processes through automated pipelines. Learn to use Apple TestFlight to add internal and external testers and receive feedback and crash reports.

1
The App Store
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Getting started with the App Store release, here's a recap of what the App Store does, and the role it plays in the distribution of apps. Review the lifecycle of an app from inception to production, and how various topics in this book tie together to help you navigate Apple's release of process.
2
Your First App in the App Store
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This chapter will walk you from a zero account to creating, building and archiving your first app. You'll wrap it up by code signing and uploading your first app to App Store Connect, all from within Xcode.
Submitting Your First App for Review
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Learn the intricacy of App Store Connect and how to prepare your App Store page.
Code Signing & Provisioning
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Learn code signing and provisioning profiles in depth, including common errors and situations such as certificate distribution and APNS, as well as troubleshooting missing files and certificates.
Internal Distribution
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Learn about internal distributions, such as ad-hoc and enterprise, outside of App Store, their differences and more.
TestFlight
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TestFlight is an Apple product that makes it easy to invite users to test your app before you release them to the App Store.
Preparing for Review
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Learn to follow the App Store guidelines, as well as the pesky details of submissions such as metadata, advertising identifiers, and various release phases, You'll also learn what can go wrong, why your app may not be approved, and how to dispute Apple's decision.
App Approved! (Now what?)
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Learn the differences between manual and automatic release, clearing App Store reviews, responding to customer review, and how to handle App Store Connect features like crash reports, analytics, trends and other features.
Additional Capabilities
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Learn the ins and outs of entitlements and how they affect the release process. You'll continue to add capabilities to the sample app to learn push notifications, as well as how to generate and upload a certificate.
10
Build Customizations
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Learn how to customize a build using targets, build settings and schemes. Understand how they work together, and the different levels of inheritance in build configurations.
Advanced Build Configurations
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Learn how to refactor build configurations out of the Xcode project to increase visibility and improve maintainability.
Managing Secrets
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Learn how to store secrets, such as API tokens in build configurations, swap them for different build types and use them in the code.
Build Automation
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Learn how to build, archive, export and upload your app to App Store Connect, all through the command line and automate this process using Xcode toolchain.
Introduction to Fastlane
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Learn how to use fastlane to build a fully automated pipeline that runs tests, creates certificates, provisioning profiles and push notification certificates, and goes as far as uploading builds to Test Flight and submitting to App Store review, along with screenshots and metadata.
Continuous Integration
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In this chapter, you'll learn how continous integration helps you run teams smoothly.
Publishing in the Real-World
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Learn the foundations of scaling your apps and gain other insights from real-world developers and their own app distribution experiences and practices.
Where to Go From Here?
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Gain an introduction into promoting your app, building a landing page, developing an App Preview video and leveraging user research and interviews.