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Using the Build Tab in the Intel® XDK

November 4, 2014, 12:37 pm
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Contents:
  Legal Information
  Build Platform Categories
  Build a Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App
  Build a Legacy Hybrid Mobile App
  Build a Web App
  Installing Intel App Preview on Your Mobile Testing Device(s)
  Resources

Build Platform Categories

In the Intel® XDK development environment, once you have completed debugging and testing your HTML5 app, you can use the Build tab to make bundles you can submit to a variety of app stores. There are three types of app builds available, two for building mobile apps and one for building OS/browser-specific and web apps:

  • Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App Platforms creates a native app bundle suitable for submission to an app store for download and installation onto a mobile device. These apps use Apache Cordova* 3.x APIs. You can build for Google Android* (either the Crosswalk* run-time or standard Cordova run-time), Apple iOS*, and Microsoft Windows 8* platforms.
  • Legacy Hybrid Mobile App Platforms creates a native app bundle suitable for submission to an app store for download and installation onto a mobile device. These apps do not use Cordova 3.x plug-ins and APIs, but can use Cordova 2.9 APIs and legacy appMobi* container APIs. Build platforms include Android (legacy container run-time), Apple iOS Ad Hoc or iOS Production, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Tizen*, Amazon*, or Barnes and Nobles Nook* platforms.
  • Build as a Web App creates an HTML5 bundle you can submit to certain app stores (such as the Google Chrome* Web Store), or copy and host on a web server. Build platforms includes WebApp, Google Chrome*, Facebook*, or Mozilla Firefox*.
NOTE: The Intel XDK build service will NOT submit your app bundle to a store, but it does provide you with a bundle suitable for store submission. To submit your app to a store, you must do that outside of the Intel XDK.

How you specify your app settings depends upon which type of app you will build:

NOTE: HTML5 application bundles are standard ZIP files. If you are curious as to what is added to your app when a build is performed, you can "unzip" the app bundle and inspect its contents. However, if you modify the contents you will invalidate the application bundle signature; modifying a bundle after it has been built is not advised.

Build a Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App

After you specify the app settings using the Projects tab, you can choose from a variety of targets when building your app for a native operating system under Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App Platforms, including Crosswalk* for Android, Android, iOS, and Windows 8*.

The Cordova build targets are based on the standard Cordova CLI 3.x build system. These build targets are compatible with standard Cordova (aka Adobe PhoneGap*) build systems and support the core Cordova 3.x APIs; in addition, this build system also supports a subset of the Intel XDK APIs, via a set of custom intel.xdk Cordova plugins. These build targets do not support the appMobi* services APIs.

All build targets create a hybrid HTML5 app bundle that can be submitted to an app store and installed on a mobile device. The Crosswalk for Android container includes its own HTML5 runtime engine, based on the Crosswalk project (see Using Crosswalk). All other applications utilize the built-in WebView (aka embedded browser) that is part of the target mobile device firmware to execute (render) your hybrid HTML5 web app. For example, Android bundles use the Android browser WebView built into the Android device, iOS bundles use the Apple Safari* browser WebView built into the iOS device, and so on.

These targets use an intelxdk.config.<platform>.xml file included in your project to direct the build process and specify the plugins (APIs) required by your application. The Intel XDK automatically generates these configuration files based on your Projects tab settings during a build. Use the Projects tab and Understanding the Intel XDK Cordova Build Options for details on how to specify app settings for Cordova 3.x build targets.

After you specify the app settings using the Projects tab, click the button corresponding to the target you want to build. The Intel XDK uploads your project files to your account on the Intel XDK build server. Once there, the build server may request additional information to complete the build process. Always review the Build log - if needed, fix app settings in the Projects tab and rebuild your app.

In addition to the overview referenced above, please see these articles for information regarding the plugin names and the APIs they provide access to when you include them:

Viewing Complete Build Logs

For Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App builds, you can view a detailed build log by clicking a link on the final build screen. For example, if you forgot to specify some key Build Settings in the Projects tab, the detailed build log might provide some clues. To view the detailed build log, click the link (see the orange box below) to view the complete build log.

About the Crosswalk for Android Container

Information on how to build apps for the Crosswalk for Android container are described in Tutorial - Building and Deploying Crosswalk* for Android* Binary Apps. Like other Cordova 3.X build targets, this build target supports the core Cordova 3.x APIs and a subset of the Intel XDK APIs, but it does not support the appMobi services API. To help you choose the type of build for the Android platform, see Why Use Crosswalk for Android Builds?.

Unlike Cordova and legacy Intel XDK built apps, the Crosswalk container includes a custom WebView for executing your hybrid HTML5 application. For this reason it is significantly larger than bundles built using the other build targets. This build option creates two processor-specific bundles (an x86 APK for use on x86 Android devices and an ARM APK for ARM* Android devices). Follow the instructions in Submitting Multiple Crosswalk APKs to the Google Play Store* to ensure that your Crosswalk application is available to the widest consumer audience. The store automatically delivers the appropriate APK to your customer's device.

For technical and legal reasons the Crosswalk run-time engine is only available on Android 4.x devices.

For details regarding which Intel XDK APIs are supported in the Crosswalk WebView, and which plugins must be selected to ensure your application has access to the appropriate APIs, please see Intel XDK Name Space API Plugin Details for Cordova Build Containers and the API Reference section of the Apache Cordova 3.X API Documentation.

Build a Legacy Hybrid Mobile App

You can choose from a variety of targets when building your app for a native operating system under Legacy Hybrid Mobile App Platforms, including Google Android (legacy container run-time), Apple iOS Ad Hoc or iOS Production, Windows 8, Windows Phone 8, Tizen, Amazon, or Nook platforms.

The legacy Intel XDK container builds are based on the original appMobi* hybrid HTML5 container and support the full Intel XDK API, the appMobi services API, and the standard Cordova 2.9.0 API.

After you click the button corresponding to the target you will build, the Intel XDK uploads your project files to your account on the Intel XDK build server. Once there, the build server may request additional information to complete the build process. These additional screens typically require an app name, icon and splash screen images, and any certificates needed to sign the app. In some instances, you may be required to have a developer's license to complete the build process. Also, in some cases the build process may ask you to copy files and/or keys from the build server for use with app store submission. If the Build reports errors, you may need to fix app settings in the Build tab and rebuild your app.

Details regarding how to use the legacy Intel XDK containers are provided in the links below:

The Windows 8 build refers to applications targeting the Windows 8 "Modern UI" environment. The build named Windows 8 Phone targets Windows Phone devices.

NOTE: The Nook* and Amazon* build targets are minor variations of the legacy Android build target; use the Android build tutorial as a guide.

Build a Web App

This category creates an HTML5 bundle you can submit to certain app stores (such as the Google Chrome* Web Store), or copy to a web server. For web apps, there are fewer web app targets because there is less overhead required to put an HTML5 app on the web. These are mostly convenience builds that add manifest files and, in some cases, support libraries to your app bundle. You can "unzip" these bundles to see what has been added and to better understand what these builds do.

Click the button for your target of choice. This connects you to the build server and uploads your project to your account in the Intel XDK build server. Once the build server has your code, it will request any additional information needed to complete the process and add the internal infrastructure necessary to host your code as a web app on the selected platform.

See this tutorial for information about building a Google Chrome packaged app for the Google Chrome Web Store.

See this page for information about building a Firefox* OS web app in the Intel XDK.

Install Intel App Preview on Your Mobile Testing Device(s)

You can download and install Intel App Preview app on a testing device at any time the mobile device has internet access. You can find Intel App Preview in your app stores, such as the Apple App Store*, Google Play* Store, and both Microsoft Windows* stores. Search using the term "Intel App Preview".

For app platforms listed in the Build tab under:
  • Cordova 3.X Hybrid Mobile App Platforms or Build as a Web App, install and use Intel App Preview to test apps built using these categories.
  • Legacy Hybrid Mobile App Platforms, install and use Intel App Preview Legacy to test apps built using this category.
You can also use App Preview during earlier stages of app development. After you launch the App Preview mobile app and log into your Intel XDK account, use the toolbar at the bottom to:
  • Access the "cloud-stored" bundles built by the Build tab. To enable, tap Server apps in App Preview and select a previously built app to be run.
  • Preview your current Intel XDK project's app running on your mobile device or in a browser. To enable, use the Live Development Tasks pane in the Intel XDK Develop tab's Code view. If you choose to access your running app when your device and your development system are connected to the same WiFi network, tap Live Layout in App Preview.
  • Access apps when your device and your development system running the Intel XDK are connected to the same WiFi network. To enable, select WiFi in the Intel XDK Test tab and tap Local apps in App Preview.

Resources

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