Are you a web developer, but with dreams of making apps too? Perhaps youve already tried using Xcode. Its quite confusing, isnt it? If you dont know the difference between an AppDelegate and a ViewController, thats OK. Thats what the "Wrapping" app is all about. It eliminates much of the tedium and difficulty required to port your HTML app to an Xcode project.
Its as easy as five simple steps...
Step #1 – Enter your App Name.
Step #2 – Enter your Company Name. If you dont have a company name, simply put your name.
Step #3 – Enter your "Bundle Prefix". This is typically the reverse order of your companys website / domain name. As an example, the "Bundle Prefix" for http://photics.com would be... com.photics ...this is a way of identifying your app. The "Bundle Prefix" should be unique to your company.
Press the "Start Wrapping" button for the next part.
Step #4 – Pick your HTML folder. Make sure it has an index.html file at the root level. This part is up to you. "Wrapping" is the box, your HTML is like the gift that you put inside. Your web project should make sense in the app world. That means it should be responsive. It should be functional on the target platform.
Step #5 – Pick your "App Icon". This should be a 1024x1024 image, in PNG format. It can be larger than that, but the image resolution must be square. The source file is used to automatically create the necessary app icons.
Thats it! A folder should appear with your Xcode project. Its neatly wrapped together. The "Wrapping" app might not solve all your Xcode problems, but its a tremendous timesaver and an easy way to get an html-to-app project started.
CAUTION – You might need to customize certain things in Xcode, like your Application Category for the Mac App Store. Also, theres no guarantee that Apple will accept your app on their App Store.
The "Wrapping" app can be a great starting point. If youre new to App Development, this app can be a huge investment. It could take you hours or even days to recreate what "Wrapping" does in seconds – especially if youre new to Xcode. Sometimes the frustration can be so great that projects might go unfinished. Does that sound like you? Maybe "Wrapping" is an ideal app for you!
Technical – The "Wrapping" app is essentially a "WKWebView" to display your web content. This is especially useful when all of the content is local. The app can be self-contained without a lot of fuss. You can leverage your HTML / CSS / JavaScript expertise in the app world.
If you want to see two examples of whats possible with the "Wrapping" app, "Circles with Grandma" and "Cabling" use this approach. (Its on the App Store.)
If you use Tumult Hype, the "Wrapping" app is a great companion. Hype is an outstanding web design application, a great reason to own a Mac, but the projects dont export to Xcode. With the "Wrapping" app, a Tumult Hype project can go further faster!
Did the "Wrapping" app help you? Did you make your own app with this app? The review section is a great way to promote your new app while letting the world know your opinion of the "Wrapping" app.
Version 1.x of the "Wrapping" app exports to macOS and iOS.
App development is hard. Thats why you need the "Wrapping" app!
