How to find build output for iOS Simulator?

Stan Logan 171

We build our Xamarin Forms apps from Visual Studio on Windows with a paired Mac.

In addition to the normal .apk and .ipa files, we would like produce a build artifact that is suitable for use with the iOS Simulator, so that other people can acquire it, and install and run on the Simulator.

As I understand it, the Simulator needs a "myAppName.app". I am not even sure if this is a file or folder. If I run a build for the iPhoneSimulator configuration, does the necessary file/folder exist on the PC?

In ...myAppName.iOS\bin\iPhoneSimulator\Release, I find a "myAppName.iOS.app" folder, but that won't run in the simulator.

If the proper output only exists on the mac, can someone point me to the correct location?

Information has been hard to find on this, so I may be trying to do the wrong thing. All input is appreciated.

Stan Logan 171 Reputation points

2021-03-22T18:14:58.377+00:00

Sorry, just a little bump here - hopefully another set of eyes might see the question.
Cole Xia (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 6,751 Reputation points

2021-03-23T09:42:56.997+00:00

Unfortunately there is no output file for iOS Simulator to let other user run it on the Simulator .

We can only create IPA file for real device , and then deliver the file to other test users ,check the docs here .
Stan Logan 171 Reputation points

2021-03-23T11:46:34.273+00:00

Thank you for your reply.

I understand that we are doing something a little out of the ordinary, but I have several indications that your answer is not correct.

Most significantly, a colleague of mine (currently on vacation) has already successfully done this - my problem is that I can't figure out which steps produced the output, and where it is located. Secondarily, it seems that if an app can be run on the simulator at all, the appropriate build output for the simulator must exist - otherwise there would be nothing for the simulator to run.

If anyone else has explored this, please chime in. I will have the info in a week or so when my colleague returns, but I need the info sooner if possible. If no one else responds, I will update this with the solution when I have it.
Cole Xia (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 6,751 Reputation points

2021-03-24T09:45:30.393+00:00

I copy myAppName.app file to another mac ,and install it via simulator , but the error happens and shows that information lost in info.plist , maybe it could be installed successfully If we fill the info.plist with missing key/value manually.
Stan Logan 171 Reputation points

2021-03-24T15:57:09.577+00:00

Thanks for looking into this. At this time, we don't even need to run this on a different mac (it can be the same mac we built on) - but we need different users who are not developers to come in and run specific versions.

We build on Windows, and I haven't been able to copy the 'myAppName.app' folder that is created on the PC and make that work on the Mac. Is there a different copy of the 'myAppName.app' folder produced by the Windows build process that resides one mac?
Cole Xia (Shanghai Wicresoft Co,.Ltd.) 6,751 Reputation points

2021-03-25T09:49:17.227+00:00

I will keep researching on this issue and get you back when I managed to make it .

Accepted answer

Stan Logan 171 Reputation points

2021-03-26T18:41:21.57+00:00

Hi All,

Here is what we have found - if you build on Windows in the iOS/Debug/iPhoneSimulator configuration, a working simulator version of your app should be found on the paired mac, at the following location:

/Users/YOURBUILDUSERNAME/Library/Caches/Xamarin/mtbs/builds/YOURAPPNAME.iOS/SOMEIDENITIFIER/bin/iPhoneSimulator/Debug/YOURAPPNAME.iOS.app

where the information in all caps will be replaced with the information specific to your situation.

It does appear that once you have this output, you can transport it to another mac and successfully run it in a simulator there.
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How to find build output for iOS Simulator?

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