Looking for PhoneGap Build alternative

cordova
1

I can build my (Bootstrap JQuery) app on PGB. But I need to find an alternative because of the iOS SDK 13 situation. With PGB I can:-
1 build for iOS and Android
2 build iOS without a Mac (except Transporter for submit (I use macincloud))
3 use a few cordova plugins

I thought the solution was AppFlow. But support has said this is not straightforward. still investigating.

I want to minimise code/config changes

so what are more options if appFlow is not suitable? I supect

  • get a Mac (or macincloud) and build locally
  • Capacitor (maybe)

If I build locally on a Mac do I need any Ionic at all or is Cordova enough?

Peter

2

Did you read my migration guide? https://ionicframework.com/docs/appflow/cookbook/phonegap-build-migration

Chris

3

Hey Peter, just to add a bit - check out the migration guide Chris posted and no, Ionic is not required. There’s just a couple of simple steps to get Appflow to recognize your Cordova app.

4

thanks for the link. I am working thru it. Unfortuanately got stuck at git. My git repo server is not github.com . I would have thought that if Ionic supports github.com then it can connect to any git repo. But I dont see how to do it. Do I have to (somehow) connect my repo with github.com ?

5

I created a private repo on github and made it a remote from my repo. I was able to link this to AppFlow. (Disapointed that I am foced to use github)

I got some build errors and ended up removing my cordova platforms and committing that which seemed to resolve the errors. I now get a .ipa file (no .apk for some reason??).

When I click on the .ipa in AppFlow from an iPAD, it downloads the file but does not install it. (The iPAD UDID is in the provisioning file). I cannot work out how to install the file so I have not been able to test it.

I should add that I am using a Developer certificate. Perhaps I should be using a Distribution AdHoc certificate??

6

If you are building a mobile application locally on a Mac and are not using Ionic, you will still need to use Cordova to package your application for deployment to mobile devices. Cordova is a necessary component for building a mobile application, but Ionic is an optional framework that can be used to streamline the development process. Whether or not you choose to use Ionic will depend on your specific development needs and preferences.

Just Like an ionic there are many other best Phonegap alternatives you can use for development such as Ionic, flutter, react native, swift, and more.