How to Make an iPad Version of an iPod App
You can convert an application you designed for iPod Touch and iPhone for use with the iPad using the Apple iOS Software Developer Kit. There are two ways to do this. You can create a new version specifically for the iPad, or change the original application to a universal app, which will work on all Apple iOS devices. Conversion may seem straightforward at first, but the adjustments required may be time-consuming. For example, graphics designed for a small screen may need to be replaced to accommodate the larger high-resolution screen on the iPad.
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Things You'll Need
- Apple iOS Developer Program membership
- Apple iOS Software Developer Kit
Instructions
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Create an iPad Version
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Familiarize yourself with the iPad and any new features available in the current iOS. Although the iPad uses the same aspect ratio as the iPod Touch and iPhone, its high-resolution screen is much larger. Graphics may not display as clearly on the iPad as they do on the smaller devices.
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Make notes of any design changes you may want to make for the iPad version of the app. For example, you may want to take advantage of the iPad’s larger screen by condensing multiple pages into a single page.
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Launch XCode and open the app you want to convert. Click the “Project” menu and select “Upgrade Current Target for iPad.”
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Expand “Targets” in the left menu by clicking it and select your app. Click the “Project” menu and select “Upgrade Target for iPad.” A dialog box will open and give you the choice between “One Universal Application” or Select “Two Device-Specific Applications.”
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Select “Two Device-Specific Applications.” Xcode then duplicates the files and folders for your applications and creates an iPad version of the app. Examine these files and folders in the "Groups and Files" menu. New files and folders include “-iPad” at the end of each name.
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Select the “-iPad” version of your app in the "Target" menu. Press “Command-R” on the keyboard to launch the iPad simulator.
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Test the application on the simulator and make notes of any errors you encounter. Rotate the iPad simulator and test it thoroughly in both the portrait and landscape orientation. It is unlikely that your app will convert without any problems. What these errors are and how you might correct them will depend on how the original app was written.
Convert to One Universal Application
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Launch XCode and open the application to be converted. Click the “Project” menu and select “Upgrade Current Target for iPad.”
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Select your app in the "Targets" menu. Click the “Project” menu and select “Upgrade Target for iPad” and select “One Universal Application” from the dialog box.
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Click the “Resources-iPad” folder in the "Group and Files" menu on the left side of the window. Note that there is a new file called “MainWindow-iPad.xib” in this folder. This file will be loaded when the app is downloaded to an iPad. An iPod Touch or iPhone will load the original “MainWindow.xib” file.
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Click the “Simulator” button in the top right corner and select the iPad simulator. Test the app in the iPad simulator and make notes of errors or problems you encounter. Be certain to rotate the iPad simulator and test it in both the portrait and landscape orientation.
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12
Make any adjustments to your application coding as needed. Any problems you encounter and how they are to be corrected will depend on how the app was written. You may have to adjust the code, for example, if the app does not rotate properly when you change to landscape orientation, or if the app does not occupy the full screen in the iPad.
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Test the app thoroughly on both the iPad and the iPhone simulators, if you make any changes to the app design, to ensure it operates properly on both devices. You can toggle between simulators using the "SImulator" button in the top right corner of the XCode window.
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