How do I release updates to adhoc builds? - iphone

I want to release an update to my ad hoc build that exists on my various devices?
UPDATE: I don't mind doing it manually for each device my question is, how do I update the app's without deleting them first off the device. i.e. I want to keep the database on the device in tact...itunes doesn't allow this.

I guess you will have to install a new build on every device via iTunes.
Or you can try TestFlight, it's a great tool. And you can just install a new builds from the device itself. And if you include TestFlight SDK you will be able to get all the sessions and all the crashes of that app(with stacktrace).
Update: use TestFlight. You don't have to delete the app in order to install a newer one. I use Core Data and NSUserDefaults and after installing a newer build nothing is being lost. So I guess it's something you are looking for.

I f you use OTA to distribute your ipas than I think, you can just update those file on your server and if the bundleid and product name haven’t changed, and the bundle version and the CFBundleVersion short numbers are higher than the ones that are deployed, its should update the deployed apps. (I am not 100% sure about it though)...

Related

Test If Version update works fine

Some days back i had few problems regarding the version updates from iOS 4.0 to 6.0 . The entire database was cleaned when the new version was installed .
Is there any way I can test version update before submitting to apple ?
I tested version updates via
Hockey
AdHoc build installed via iPhone configuration utility.
Is there any other way i can test the things so i can be sure that the update will not have any problems?
You can test it via TestFlight service. It's a great tool and I use it often to test my updates.
On a fresh phone (or a phone that does not have your app on it), download the current version of the app from the App Store. Setup all the necessary data, create values in your database, etc. Then update your app in the phone via adhoc release or TestFlight. The key point is to have the most up-to-date public version of your app first.
Try out Crashlytics. It provides instant and detailed crash reports, right down the line # at which a problem occurred.
It negligible in size (a few hundred KB), but even works on release distributions! That means even if you miss a few bugs, you will be notified instantly the moment a crash occurs, rather than having to wait for the useless Apple Crash Reports to be published.
Hope that helps you out a bit.

iPhone app crash immediately after update

today my app update it has been released in the store, when updated or downloaded for the first time the app immediately crash on start.
I've tested the app on simulator and on device (the same where I've installed the update from the store) and I never experienced this problem.
My update it has been submitted with Organizer after the archiving, in the Distribute section.
Apple do not perform these types of controls before to release an app?
Anyone experienced a similar problem? I have no idea what could be the cause..
Thank you, Stefano.
Here's the best way to test a production build without deploying to the store:
Set your build Scheme to "iOS Device"
Do an Archive build
Select your archive and click Distribute
Choose "Save for Enterprise or Ad-Hoc Deployment"
Pick your code signing cert
After saving the ipa file, use Apple's iPhone Configuration Utility(*) to install it on your device
You should always perform two tests:
installing on a blank device after uninstalling your app *and any profiles in Settings -> General -> Profiles"
installing over the top of the previous version of your app, to make sure any files/preferences/etc are properly converted to the new format
(*) the iPhone Configuration Utility is mostly used for enterprise app deployment, but it's also useful for developers and is available as a free download for mac and windows at support.apple.com. You can also use iTunes instead, but it's convoluted.
As for why your app is crashing? No idea... it could be anything. Standard debugging advice applies.
The issue is related to the Framework. I had this exact error. It wasn't a case of logic as it was crashing before the AppDelegate was even called and my usage of NSMetadataQuery was much later in the life cycle than that.
It turns out that weak linking the Foundation framework was required.
Problem was solved by changing (under the Project Info in Xcode) the dependency option of the Foundation.framework from required to optional. Check for any such frameworks.
Try deleting any old versions of the app you have on your device, and reinstall. Also try on a different device, maybe with a different apple id to your developer account.
This happened to our app also, and apparently, other apps too.
Apple is aware of the problem and is currently working on a solution.
see this article:
http://techcrunch.com/2012/07/05/apple-responds-to-app-crashing-issues-has-a-dedicated-team-working-on-a-fix/
If you are using core data & you have updated database in your latest version without versioning core data in that case app crashes on launch after update.

How to test an update process prior to release?

Is there a way to simulate the update of an app from Version 1 to 2?
I am not sure about what happens when I build & run an application in Xcode. I believe that when the app is already installed in the simulator, an update is happening just like it does when the user downloads a new version from the App Store. For example sqlite3 database files remain intact when I hit Bild & Run, while the binary of the app itself gets replaced.
So the question is: Is THIS already a safe way of testing update procedures? What are the alternatives PRIOR to releasing the app and getting dozens of bad reviews?
Unless you change a saved file, it remains as it was. If you really want to test this, then just install the current/old version on a test device. Then build the new version onto the same device. This has the same effect as an update through iTunes for the users.
If you have a separate test team that doesn't have access to the xcode project, they can still test updates using the xcode organizer:
Install the old version of the app on your device and use it a bit to simulate real user behaviour
Install your provisioning profile on the device
Open the xcode organizer and drag the new copy of your app onto the device
That'll keep the existing data intact, allowing you to test the new app with data from the old version.

Check whether app updates work without submitting to App Store

I have an application already on the store and would like to release an update. Since my app deals with databases and I've had to change some parts of it, I would like to ensure that the update does not affect the existing functionality in any way once the user updates from the App Store.
What I did was this - install the first version of my app on my device. Changed the update's version in info.plist to 1.1 and run it via xcode (and install on my device). But what happens by doing this is some of the changes I made to the XIBs do not show up. It looks as if the app was only half-updated (if you know what I mean)
Is there any way to update an existing app programmatically without having to go through the app store and then find out it could lead to a disaster?!
Thanks for any help!
I would double check your build configuration. Between building the two versions of the app, I would recommend a "Clean All" just to be safe. The process you described works to verify updates. The only other alternative I can come up with is to create Ad-hoc distributions of both versions of your app, and install those.

Testing app upgrade on the iPhone

Say I have app version 1.0 released on the app store. Then I want to release version 1.1.
I will keep existing data that was copied out of the app bundle and into the app's sandbox. These are some XML config files and a sqlite db the user can write data to. These files could need updates that preserve their existing data.
What is the best way to test an upgrade scenario?
Is there any kind of delegate event that is only called on install?
Thanks.
I think testing with AdHoc versions that is dragged dropped in iTunes is a similar upgrade situation.
That's how I tested upgrading our Chess game, so it keeps old and current games on the device.
As for the files/DB I suggest they should contain some version number.
You can use TestFlight for beta testing or preproduction testing.. visit TestFlight.com for more information..