How do i build an IPA file for my iOS app with Xamarin for Visual Studio 2013

Question

How do I generate an IPA file from visual studio 2013 for my Xamarin iOS app? I'm using Xamarin Forms 1.3.4.

I've done it before for my hello world app in forms 1.3.0 and published it to testflightapp, but now that I've updated my Xamarin for Visual Studio to the latest version today I seem to be having a problem.

I'm able to run my app on the simulator and/or physical device and everything works. But when I try to "Show the IPA file on the build server" I get this error.

"Error 4 Failed to show the IPA file in Finder on build server Xamarin.iOS Extension 0 0"

I've selected the "Ad Hoc" build configuration and that builds fine. I do get a zero byte IPA file in my local \bin\iPhone\Ad-Hoc\ folder.

I don't recall if i'm supposed to publish, deploy, or just build to get the IPA file to be generated.

When I build it builds clean. When I deploy it says "deploying myapp" in the Xamarin log. When I try to publish, I get this error:

Error 5 Invalid value for 'TargetFrameworkVersion'.

I've only been able to recover from that by following the suggestions on this discussion.

http://forums.xamarin.com/discussion/10472/error-invalid-value-for-targetframeworkversion

i.e. generate manifests to false.

-Randy

Answer 1

Just build in AdHoc or AppStore version and an IPA is generated.

Then go to the bin folder of the project and there it will be :)

Answer 2

Found it after hours

In visual studio 2015, set solution configuration to 'debug' and solution platform to 'iPhone'. Under solution configuration, I didn't find any Ad-hoc option.

Goto 'your_ios_project.iOS' properties-->ios Bundle signing, change identity from 'developer(automatic)' to 'iPhone Developer:xx..x(xx..)'

Build the iOS project. After the build succeeds the IPA file gets generated both in your windows bin folder as well as in the MAC.

Answer 3

I have also struggled with creating IPA file for my iOS app and what I found in Visual Studio for Mac but also checked in VS2017 on win, just right click on project (or select Build -> Archive for Publishing) and there you have option to create an archive which can be later Signed & published (choose ad-hoc for creating the package on your local drive).