doc-dev-guides

iOS Dev Guide

Supported Browser Targets

The goal is to have full coverage against all modern iOS versions against all devices; however, we select a reasonable subset which we believe will have a high likelihood of full interoperability across modern devices.

The following iOS versions and devices are targeted.

iOS Versions

  • iOS 9.3

  • iOS 10.3

  • iOS 11.1

Device Targets

  • iPhone 7

  • iPad 5th Generation

Development Setup Overview

Mac OSX

To work on Slate with iOS, we recommend using a software program on the Mac by Apple called Simulator. Simulator allows you to emulate different iOS devices and different versions of iOS on a Mac.

Windows or Linux

We do not currently have instructions on developing for iOS using Windows or Linux.

Steps for Developing on iOS with a Mac

  • Setup

    • Install Xcode

    • Open Xcode

    • Open Simulator from Xcode

    • Pin Simulator to Dock (recommended)

    • Add more iOS versions

  • Development

    • Open Simulator

    • Start a Device in Simulator

    • IMPORTANT! Disconnect Hardware Keyboard

    • Debugging in Mac Safari with Simulator

    • Tips and Tricks

Setup

Install Xcode

Simulator is part of Xcode so you will need to install Xcode to get access to Simulator.

If you don't have Xcode installed already, install it now by following these instruction.

  • From your Mac, open the App Store. One way to do this is to type CMD+SPACE to open Spotlight then type app store.

  • From the App Store window, type xcode in the search box near the top of the window.

  • In the search results, you will see Xcode. Next to Xcode, there is a button that says GET. Click the button. Do not click the drop-down arrow.

  • The word GET will change to INSTALL APP. Click this button.

  • You will need to enter your Apple ID and Password to continue with the installation.

  • The button will read INSTALLING during the installation process.

Open Xcode

To start using simulator, first open Xcode:

  • Clicking the OPEN button from the Search Results in the app store (as shown in the previous screenshot under Install Xcode)

  • If you already had Xcode installed or have closed that window, you can type CMD+SPACE to open Spotlight and then type xcode and select it (see screenshot below)

NOTE: You will be required to enter your password the first time you use Xcode in order to continue.

Open Simulator from Xcode

To open Simulator from Xcode

  • Open the Xcode menu

  • Select the Open Developer Tool submenu

  • Select Simulator

Once you open Simulator from Xcode it will open a default device with a default iOS version. The device/version at time of writing is the iPhone X at iOS version 11.2.

Pin Simulator to Dock (Recommended)

We recommend pinning Simulator to the Dock so that it is easier to access. By pinning, you don't have to open Xcode in order to run Simulator.

To Pin Simulator

  • CTRL-click or RIGHT-click Simulator in the Dock.

  • Select Options

  • Select Keep in Dock

Add More iOS Versions

By default, Simulator doesn't install every iOS version. Follow these instructions to install older iOS versions in order to support our browser targets.

  • Open Xcode (follow the instructions under the heading Open Xcode earlier in this document if you are unsure how)

  • From the Xcode menu select Preferences...

  • Open the Components tab and select the iOS Simulator versions to install. Our current iOS targets are:

    • iOS 11.1 Simulator

    • iOS 10.3 Simulator (shown as 10.3.1)

    • iOS 9.3 Simulator

Development

Open Simulator

When starting a development session on iOS, you must first open the Simulator.

  • If you followed the instructions in Pin Simulator to Dock above, then you can open Simulator by clicking the Simulator icon in your dock.

  • You may also be able to open simulator by clicking CMD+SPACE to open Spotlight and typing simulator and selecting it if it shows up. It may not be recognized in your system yet so this might not work immediately.

  • If you haven't pinned Simulator and it doesn't open using Spotlight, you will have to open it from Xcode. Follow the instructions under the heading Open Simulator from Xcode above in the Setup section.

Start a Device in Simulator

To start a Device:

  • Click the Hardware menu

  • Select the Device sub-menu

  • Select the iOS version you wish to start (try iOS 11.2 to start)

  • Select the specific device (try iPhone 8 to start)

After starting the device, you will see a working simulation of the device on the screen.

Open the Safari app on the device by clicking the Safari icon (it's the blue circle that looks like a compass in the lower left of the screen).

Once Safari is open, enter the URL you wish to work on. For now, try entering slatejs.org to visite the Slate Examples page on the Internet.

IMPORTANT! Disconnect Hardware Keyboard

In order to test iOS with Slate, you must disconnect the hardware keyboard.

If you do not do this, the virtual keyboard that usually appears on iOS when you are editing will not appear. iOS will behave as if a hardware keyboard has been attached to the device.

It is important to display the virtual keyboard because some important bugs and edge cases do not present themselves when a hardware keyboard is attached.

To disconnect the hardware keyboard in Simulator

  • Open the Hardware menu

  • Select Keyboard from the sub-menu

  • Make sure Connect Hardware Keyboard is unchecked

  • If it is checked (like in the screenshot below) then click it to toggle it off.

  • If it is already unchecked, then exit the menu.

You can confirm that you have successfully disconnected the hardware keyboard by clicking in the editor from the SlateJS Examples site at http://slatejs.org. You should see the virtual keyboard appear as in the screenshot below.

Debugging in Mac Safari with Simulator

By itself, the Simulator will not show you any debug information.

To get access to the console and use other debugging tools, open Safari on your Mac. Note that this is not Safari on your iOS device which you have already opened.

The easiest way to open Safari on your Mac is one of these two ways

  • Type CMD+SPACE to open Spotlight and type safari.

  • Click the Safari icon that is probably in your Dock which is probably at the bottom of your screen

Once you have Mac Safari open, you can use it to debug iOS Safari in the Simulator.

  • From the Mac Safari menu, select Develop

  • Select Simulator

  • Select the iOS Safari session you want to debug. In the screenshot below, I've selected slatejs.org.

  • This will open up Web Inspector for that session which will give you many debugging tools.

Once you've opened up Web Inspector, you will see a screen like this

Tips and Tricks

There are a few tips and tricks that I've found useful.

  • Use CMD+LEFT and CMD+RIGHT to rotate the device in Simulator. Useful for testing in both horizontal and vertical orientation.

  • If you need to enter a URL into Safari in Simulator, you can COPY the URL from any Mac program. Click in the address bar in Safari in the Simulator and then select PASTE. This can save you time from typing long URLs using the virtual keyboard.

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