Documentation missing instructions for running on device via static bundle

[brentvatne]

If anyone wants to improve on these instructions and add them to the docs, feel free, I can do it later if nobody else jumps on it - I just wanted to document it somewhere for now.

• Open iOS/AppDelegate.m
• Comment out jsCodeLocation = [NSURL URLWithString:@"http://localhost:8081/index.ios.bundle"];
• Uncomment jsCodeLocation = [[NSBundle mainBundle] URLForResource:@"main" withExtension:@"jsbundle"];
• Start up the packager with npm start and then run curl http://localhost:8081/index.ios.bundle -o main.jsbundle - if this fails (as it did on my machine) add the --ipv4 flag to the end of it.
• In XCode, right click on your project directory and click Add Files to "Project Name Here" - choose the main.jsbundle file that you generated.

You can now run the app on a device (either via usb or TestFlight) without needing to have a server running.

[stolemotion]

Thanks man, I was wondering why it wouldn't run. For anyone else seeking an answer to "Could not connect to development server" look here.

[freshteapot]

Worth noting, (at least unless I am missing something) if you go down this path, you will have to run the curl step, every time. If you want to see your changes.

[magus]

I dug around and got all the way to the last step before I had to start sifting through issues, thanks for outlining the steps, now it can actually find the bundle file 👍

[drkibitz]

Just noting here, nothing is requiring you to run a node server, could also just serve a static bundle. Could also make the URL a debug app setting.

[AgtLucas]

Thanks!

[jonaswindey]

Does this mean that we can host the whole bundle on a remote nodejs server, and always load the bundle (the react part) over http from the client? This would be great to deploy new features without having to rebuild the ios app. Is this realistic or doesn't Apple allow dynamic app functionality like that?

[AgtLucas]

@jonaswindey

As far as I know, this is impossible, Apple doesn't allow this.

[jonaswindey]

https://www.meteor.com/blog/2014/10/02/Apple-hot-code-push-mobile

This could be great if we could update all our React logic dynamically without the clients having to be updated.

[magus]

It'd be great to verify whether a remote hosted bundle would work or not. It seems like it should work, you ship one version with the app, and save/update the local bundle based on some remote bundle. Updates to any wrapped native modules would still require an app store update though.

[jordpo]

Awesome- thank you!

[bradoyler]

FYI. The instructions are "available" @ https://github.com/facebook/react-native/blob/master/Examples/SampleApp/iOS/AppDelegate.m#L31

But I def had to add the step:

• In XCode, right click on your project directory and click Add Files to "Project Name Here"
• choose the main.jsbundle file that you generated via curl command.