Creating an iPhone app without Xcode

Question

Is it possible? If so, I would like to try this if only to learn more. Xcode seems to do so much automatically I would like to know what it really takes to make an iPhone app without all the setup being done for me in advance.

I realize this may be asking a lot, so if you feel like painting with broad stokes go ahead. I would like to just get an initial grasp of what would be needed to do this.

Ideally I would want to keep the option of running the app in the simulator or on my phone. (How else would I be able to test and debug?).

Thanks!

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EDIT 1

From some of the responses we've got I see my intention needs to be clarified. The idea is to learn more about what Xcode provides in the process of developing iPhone apps. I don't want to necessarily circumvent Xcode, I just want to know what it actually does.

Maybe a list of some sort could be a place to start. Something like: to avoid using Xcode you would need to figure out how to create targets, code sign, etc.

I hope this helps.

Answer 1

All wrong...Xcode simply builds a binary plist of the nibs and allows you to call them as objects...you can do the same thing using GCC alone...

1. Create a main.m, RootControlViewer.h, RootControlViewer.m, and AppNameApplication.h
2. delegate...
3. Create a makefile...
4. include the necessary compiler flags, destinations to the frameworks and needed include files...

5. And from the shell enter "make" and you have application.app generated...

6. Place them in a payload folder...

7. zip and rename zip to IPA...
8. then use the sign command to sign the package...

I've been working on an XCODE clone for windows, Mac, and Linux... :-) all controls are generated in pure code (no nibs) and I've already completed the interface builder and can create working installable apps...am currently writing an "interpreter" to be used so that the syntax will be more "BASIC" like and when you press build..all code is converted to obj-c...built using gcc...and ready for deployment :-)