Essential steps in creating a "native" Mac version of a Qt application?

Question

DrSomebody OP

Created Jan ’18

Replies 4

Boosts 0

Participants 3

Hi all,

Primary Question

What are the essential steps involved, when creating a "native" Mac version of a Windows application developed in Qt?

More Specific Questions

1. Once you have a Mac "out of the box", would one not have to start out by building or installing Qt for Mac, per

http://doc.qt.io/qt-5/osx.html ?

- I presume the next step would involve importing the source code for the application into Qt and building "natively" on the Mac side.

2. Would one also need to install xCode or Swift?

- If yes, for what (which steps) exactly?

3. How would one go about creating an installation package (packaged binaries of the application) for Mac?

- Would one use facilities provided by xCode or Swift?

4. How would one go about code signing the installation package?

Objective

Our goal is to create an installation package of our application, one that Mac users can install "natively" and run.

[This would be more convenient than running our application on Mac through a Windows emulator.]

Corresponding Build Chain on the Windows side?

1. We build our application from the source files in Qt (ver. 5.6.2).

2. We build the installation package using InstallShield.

- The application binaries, corresponding Qt dll's, examples, etc. are imported into an InstallShield project.

3. We code sign the installation package using a Windows application provided by StartSLL (startcomtool).

4. We upload the code-signed installation package onto our website.

- Users of our application download it from the website and install.

- So far on the Mac side, we have asked people to run our application through a Windows emulator.

- People have complained a little bit (found the Windows emulator a little inconvenient).

I may end up buying a Mac. But prior to such an investment, I would like to understand the key steps involved in the build process.

Boost

Answer 1

Claude31 OP

Jan ’18

I fear that question would have better chances to get answered on QT forum …

But already, yes, if you want to develop for Mac, you'd be better off (you need) to get a Mac and XCode environment.

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Answer 2

pmills OP

Jan ’18

Without pretending to answer your basic question(s) because I haven't touched Qt in many years, here are a few points.

1) Xcode is a development environment with an editor, compilers, debuggers, test tools, and a great number of other things; Swift is one of the languages it supports.

(What language interfaces does Qt provide? Objective-C? If only C++, life gets a little more complicated. What language is your Windows application using?)

2) When you say "importing the source code for the application into Qt", are you saying Qt has its own development toolchain?

3) Installation packages aren't completely unknown on Mac but often dragging the app bundle to the Applications folder is enough.

4) Xcode supports code signing, which is its own research project involving Apple developer accounts, certificates, provisioning profiles....

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Answer 3

pmills OP

Jan ’18

OK...I just looked at the Qt site and noticed the existence of "Qt Creator". It **may** invalidate the complications in my first two points.

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Answer 4

DrSomebody OP

Jan ’18

Dear Claude and P.Mills,

I want to thank you for the responses provided. Based on your respones, I think I may have been able to figure out the process:

1. We would purchase a Mac.

2. We would install xCode.

3. We would install Qt.

4. We would build Qt, including the QtCreator, for Mac.

5. We would import the source files for our application into the QtCreator and build.

6. Creating an installation package would be a matter of simply copying the pertinent files into the Application folder.

7. We could code sign using some of the tools provided by xCode.

8. This would provide code signed application package, which we could make available to people through our website.

If there is a misunderstanding or an error in any of above, we would appreciate hearing from you.

Thanks again for taking the time to provide the responses above.

With respect,

DrSomebody

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