Pre-release checklist before building final version for App Store

Question

Curious what practices people have learned before making their final build and submitting to the App Store? Aside from switching from Debug to Release & commenting out c

Answer 1

A few things:

I actually recommend not creating a build configuration called "Distribution" as Apple specifies, because I often am creating ad hoc builds for beta testers. I create two build configurations, one called Ad Hoc and one called AppStore, so I'm not confused. The only difference between the two is the presence of the Entitlements.plist file for the Ad Hoc build. This way I can test as closely as possible what I will be submitting to Apple.

Most developers are optimists. That's why we are working weekends to create an app that we just know is going to make us a millionaire. Before submitting though, be a pessimist. Imagine everything that can possibly go wrong, and double check it.

Don't assume anything. Don't assume that that tiny little change you made to the app won't affect anything else. Murphy's Law says that that tiny change will cause your app to crash on all iPod Touches or something. Test, test, test thoroughly between the final code edit and Appstore submission. If you have to make a tiny change, then repeat until it's perfect.

Remember that if the app doesn't crash for 99.9% of your users, then 1 out of every 1,000 downloads will result in a 1-star scathing review.

I use Clang static analyzer, Leaks and Object Allocations during development, but I do an extra run of these tools before submission just in case.

If you don't have an older device, get one, because the 3GS performance is significantly better and you may miss some important performance issues.

Test your app with the following configurations when network or location are applicable:

• iPod Touch
• iPhone 3G
• iPhone 3GS
• iPhone in Airplane mode
• iPhone with Wi-Fi
• iPhone with EDGE
• Call the phone while using your app