Essential iOS Build and Release

Chapter 2. App IDs, Keys, and Certificates

The ultimate goal of the iOS build and release process is distribution of your app. Distribution includes installing an app onto an iOS device after compiling in Xcode, or packaging your app into a binary so that someone else can install it onto their device using iPhone Configuration Utility, iTunes, or an internal website (all forms of Ad Hoc Distribution). Distribution also includes the process of signing and packaging your app so that it can be submitted to the App Store (this process is appropriately titled “App Store Distribution”).

To load an app onto an iOS device, it must first be signed by either a Development or Distribution Certificate. To sign an app, Xcode accesses the certificate within the keychain through a Provisioning Profile. Prior to creating a Provisioning Profile, you must first have your certificate(s) in place, your application identifier (App ID) set up, and at least one iOS device added to your “Devices List” on the iOS Provisioning Portal website. In this chapter, we are going to focus on the creation of the App ID and the setup of the Development and Distribution Certificates; adding devices to your Devices List and creating Provisioning Profiles will be covered in Chapter 3.

If you already have an active iOS Xcode project (or have inherited one), the information in this chapter can be used to help you understand an existing App ID, or guide you through the initial creation of an App ID. We’ll also go over scenarios ...