Deploying a python App for iOS, Windows, and macOS

 In our previous blog, we learned how to deploy a Python application on Android devices. But there are a few other operating systems that we have left out, and in this article, we will discuss how to deploy Python applications on those operating systems. To make it very clear, let me tell you that, in this article, we will learn to deploy a Python application on iOS, Windows, and Mac operating systems. 

Deploying your app for iOS, Windows, and macOS can be a daunting task, but it doesn't have to be. By following best practices for each platform, you can ensure that your app is ready for the world.

1. Deploying a python App for iOS:

Deploying a Python app on an iOS device works a little bit differently than deploying it on an Android device. It's a little complex, and you have to refer to Kivy Framework’s official packaging documentation to stay updated. 

Run the below-written command on your device before packaging your application. 

Here is how you can install your Python application for iOS on your Mac:

brew install autoconf automake libtool pkg-config $ brew link libtool $ sudo easy_install pip $ sudo pip install Cython==0.29.10

Once the above package is successfully installed, we'll use the following commands to put together the distribution:

$ git clone git://github.com/kivy/kivy-ios $ cd kivy-ios $ ./toolchain.py build python3 kivy

If you get an error message that says iphonesimulator can't be found, then check out this answer on StackOverflow for some potential solutions to the problem. After that, give the commands another shot.

Other than this, you might also encounter SSL errors. In this case, check for Python’s OpenSSL setup. You probably don’t have Python’s OpenSSL setup on your device. You can easily fix this by using the following command. 

$ cd /Applications/Python\ 3.7/ $ ./Install\ Certificates.command

Try running the second set of code again to run the toolchain.

You can use the toolchain script to make your Xcode project once you've made sure that all of the previous commands have been run correctly. Before beginning the Xcode project, you need to rename the entry point for your main application, which should be named main.py. To get started, run the command that is listed below.

./toolchain.py create <title> <app_directory>

Your Xcode project ought to be located within a directory with the name title, and this directory should exist. You are free to open up that project in Xcode at this point and continue working on it there. 

Take note that in order to upload your application to the App Store, you will first need to register as a developer with Apple by visiting their website (developer.apple.com) and then pay the company's yearly fee. Only then will you be able to do so.

2. Deploying a python App for Windows:

Here we are utilizing PyInstaller to deploy the python app on windows. So, Let's start with installing PyInstaller using pip on our Windows device:

$ pip install pyinstaller

Then, use this command to package your application:

$ pyinstaller main.py -w

The aforementioned command will create a few files, including Windows executable files. Also, we have used the -w argument in the code to tell PyInstaller that this is a windowed application and not a usual command-line application.

You can also pass the --onefile argument in addition to the -w argument if you'd prefer for PyInstaller to create a single executable file.

3. Deploying a python App for macOS:

Deploying a Python App for Windows and Deploying a Python App for macOS are similar. We can do it simply by using PyInstaller.

First of all, we have to create a Mac executable using Pyinstaller, just like we did for Windows. 

Simply run the below command on your macOS device to create an executable.

$ pyinstaller main.py -w --onefile

If you do this, a single executable file will be created in the dist folder. The name of the Python file that you gave to PyInstaller will be carried over into the name of the executable. Check out the packaging page for Kivy if you're using GStreamer in your application and want to learn more about how to reduce the size of the executable file, or if you're interested in reducing the overall file size of the application.

Final thoughts:

The process for deploying an app for iOS, Windows, and macOS is relatively straightforward, and can be accomplished with relative ease. By doing the things listed above, Python developers can make sure that your app is ready to launch on iOS, Windows, and macOS. Since we have already written the code using the Kivy Python Framework in our previous blog, we only mentioned the steps to deploy the apps here.