Building apr on windows

APR can be built on Windows using a cmake-based build system or with Visual Studio project files maintained by APR developers. The cmake-based build system directly supports more versions of Visual Studio but currently has considerable functional limitations.

Compiling apr, apr-iconv and/or apr-util requires the following environment to be properly installed:

• A suitable Microsoft compiler: such as: Microsoft Visual C++ 5.0 or higher; Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2002 or higher (with Visual C++ .NET compiler). We have not yet tried the ‘Express’ versions of Visual Studio .NET 2005 and are unable to provide support for them.
• Follow the required directory layout.

APR can be built using the command line tools, or from within the graphical IDE (Visual Studio IDE Workbench or Microsoft Development Environment).

Visual C++ 5.0 users only: The Windows Platform SDK. Visual C++ 5.0 developers need the updated Microsoft Windows Platform SDK to enable some APR features. The Platform SDK files distributed with Visual C++ 6.0 and later are sufficient, so those users may skip this requirement. The Windows Platform SDK update is required to enable all supported features with MSVC++ 5.0. Without a current version, APR will issue warnings under MSVC++ 5.0 or fail to build entirely. Look for the update on Microsoft’s website — we are afraid they change the link too often to cite.

For a supported build, you must have apr, apr-iconv, and apr-util checked-out in parallel directories. For example:

For a release, unzipping the release files into this directory layout should be sufficient.

To track development, please read the information on checking out from Subversion. We recommend TortoiseSVN on Win32 platforms.

Currently, the directories must be called apr, apr-iconv, and apr-util. No exceptions.

APR can be compiled using Visual C++’s graphical environment. To simplify this process, a complete Visual Studio workspace, apr-util/aprutil.dsw , is provided. This workspace exposes the entire list of working .dsp projects that are required for the complete APR binary release. It includes dependencies between the projects to assure that they are built in the appropriate order.

These workspaces are shipped in the Visual Studio 6.0 format — however, you can safely ‘upgrade’ them to your current Visual Studio release (i.e. Visual Studio 2003 .NET). However, for compatibility and simplicity, we only distribute Visual Studio 6.0 workspaces. See below for converting the workspaces for Visual Studio 5.0.

Open the apr-util/aprutil.dsw workspace, and choose either aprutil or libaprutil (for static or dynamic libraries) with the Release or Debug build as the Active Project. aprutil.dsw causes all related projects to be built.

You can then choose ‘Build Solution’ or ‘Build Project’ to build the libraries and the dependencies.

The apr test environment can be compiled using VC++’s Visual Studio development environment with the apr/test/aprtest.dsw project. This workspace exposes the apr/apr.dsp static library and the apr/test/aprtest.dsp projects that allow the developer to assemble the entire test application suite.

Historical Build Note (does not apply to releases after 1.1.1): If you are doing a Visual Studio 5.0/6.0 Graphical build, it will only find awk.exe from the Tools menu Options. Directories settings for the Executable files. Add the path for awk.exe to this list, as needed. For Visual Studio .NET 2003 and newer, you may need to copy awk to the Common7\Tools\Bin directory (i.e. where RC.exe is) — it no longer has the specific PATH options (as far as we can tell).

If you use the command line, you must configure it:

If necessary, you will also need to prepare the Platform SDK environment:

cd to the apr-util directory. Now, simply use one of the following commands to compile the static or dynamic libraries, respectively, on Visual C++ 6.0 or later:

Either command will compile APR. The latter will build the libraries as .dll dynamic shared libraries, rather than static libraries.

Replace Release with Debug to include debugging information in the resulting files, making it easier to find bugs and track down problems.

For Visual Studio C++ 5.0 command line users: Only the .dsp files are maintained within Subversion. Win32 .mak files are NOT maintained in Subversion, due to the tremendous waste of reviewer’s time. Therefore, you cannot rely on the NMAKE commands above to build revised .dsp project files unless you then export all .mak files yourself from the project.

We should tell ya’ll ’bout this, no?

The apr-util/aprutil.dsw workspace builds the .dsp projects of the Apache server listed with dependent projects preceeding their dependencies:

1. apr-util\aprutil.dsp
2. apr-util\libaprutil.dsp
3. apr-util\uri\gen_uri_delims.dsp
4. apr-util\xml\expat\lib\xml.dsp
5. apr-iconv\apriconv.dsp
6. apr-iconv\libapriconv.dsp
7. apr\apr.dsp
8. apr\libapr.dsp

The libXXX projects create .dll targets, dynamic shared libraries. Their non-libXXX counterparts create static .lib targets.

To compile code for the libraries, the consuming compiliation must include the apr/include and apr-util/include directories in their include file search paths. To target the static .lib versions of the library, the consuming compiliation must define the macros APR_DECLARE_STATIC and APU_DECLARE_STATIC. This prevents the apr and apr-util symbols from being tagged as __declspec(dllimport), eliminating compiliation warnings and speeding up execution.

The .dsp project files are distributed in Visual C++ 6.0 format. Visual C++ 5.0 (97) will recognize them. To quickly prepare the .dsp files in the native Visual Studio 5.0 (97) format, you can run this command from the top-level apr directory (above apr, apr-util and apr-iconv):

You must type this command from the top level directory of the apr source tree. Every VC6 .dsp project file within the current directory and below will be listed as it is converted. If you contribute back a patch that revises project files, please convert them back with the the -6 option instead of -5, which returns the project files to Visual Studio 6.0 format.

The primary documentation for this build mechanism is in the README.cmake files in the APR and APR-util projects. Refer to those files for detailed instructions.

The primary limitations of the cmake-based build are shown below. Other considerations are described in README.cmake .

• No cmake build for the APR-iconv subproject is available, and the APR-util cmake build cannot consume an existing APR-iconv build.
• The cmake build for the APR-util subproject does not support most of the optional DBM and DBD libraries supported by the included Visual Studio project files.

Build desktop apps for Windows PCs

This article provides the info you need to get started building desktop apps for Windows or updating existing desktop apps to adopt the latest experiences in Windows 10.

Platforms for desktop apps

There are four main platforms for building desktop apps for Windows PCs. Each platform provides an app model that defines the lifecycle of the app, a complete UI framework and set of UI controls that let you create desktop apps like Word, Excel, and Photoshop, and access to a comprehensive set of managed or native APIs for using Windows features.

For an in-depth comparison of these platforms along with additional resources for each platform, see Choose your app platform.

The leading-edge platform for Windows 10 apps and games. You can build UWP apps that exclusively use UWP controls and APIs, or you can use UWP controls and APIs in desktop apps that are built using one of the other platforms.

The platform of choice for native Windows apps that require direct access to Windows and hardware.

The established .NET-based platform for graphically-rich managed Windows apps with a XAML UI model. These apps can target .NET Core 3 or the full .NET Framework.

A .NET-based platform that is designed for managed line-of-business apps with a lightweight UI model. These apps can target .NET Core 3 or the full .NET Framework.

Future roadmap

Looking forward, we are evolving the Windows app development platforms with the Windows UI Library (WinUI) and Project Reunion.

WinUI is a native user experience (UX) framework for Windows 10 apps. WinUI started as a toolkit that provides new and updated versions of WinRT controls for UWP apps that target down-level versions of Windows 10. As of WinUI 3, WinUI is growing in scope to become the premier native user interface (UI) framework for Windows 10 apps across UWP, .NET, and Win32 app platforms.

Project Reunion is the code name for a broad set of new developer components and tools that represents the next evolution in the Windows app development platform. Project Reunion provides a unified set of APIs and tools that can be used in a consistent way by any app on a broad set of target Windows 10 OS versions. Project Reunion complements existing Windows app platforms and frameworks such as UWP and native Win32, and .NET with a common set of APIs and tools that developers can rely on across these platforms.

For more information, see Project Reunion.

Update existing desktop apps for Windows 10

If you have an existing WPF, Windows Forms, or native Win32 desktop app, Windows 10 and the Universal Windows Platform (UWP) offer many features you can use to deliver a modern experience in your app. Most of these features are available as modular components that you can adopt in your app at your own pace without having to rewrite your app for a different platform.

Here are just a few of the features available to enhance your existing desktop apps:

• Use MSIX to package and deploy your desktop apps. MSIX is a modern Windows app package format that provides a universal packaging experience for all Windows apps. MSIX brings together the best aspects of MSI, .appx, App-V and ClickOnce installation technologies and is built to be safe, secure, and reliable.
• Integrate your desktop app with Windows 10 experiences by using package extensions. For example, point Start tiles to your app, make your app a share target, or send toast notifications from your app.
• Use XAML Islands to host UWP XAML controls in your desktop app. Many of the latest Windows 10 UI features are only available to UWP XAML controls.

For more information, see these articles.

Platform	Description	Docs and resources
Universal Windows Platform (UWP)

Article	Description
Modernize desktop apps	Describes the latest Windows 10 and UWP development features you can use in any desktop app, including WPF, Windows Forms, and C++ Win32 apps.
Tutorial: Modernize a WPF app	Follow step-by-step instructions to modernize an existing WPF line-of-business sample app by adding UWP Ink and calendar controls to the app and packaging it in an MSIX package.

Create new desktop apps

If you are creating a new desktop app for Windows, here are some resources to help get you started.

HOW TO DEVELOP IOS APPS ON WINDOWS

Have you ever thought of developing an iOS mobile app on windows?

The answer will be most probably a big NO, however, the times have changed and let’s find out how to develop an iOS app on windows.

The main issue that holds you from iOS app development in windows was the Xcode, the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) we use to design and develop an iOS app.

Xcode includes a swift compiler, interface builder and other required tools to upload your app to the app store.

Now Xcode contains everything you need to build an iOS application.

The only issue is that it is only compatible with Mac OS X (now called Mac OS).

Another issue is that you can’t buy any PC with Mac OS on it because unlike Windows, Apple doesn’t let you license its OS with other manufacturers.

When you purchase an OS X, you can license to only run this OS on Apple hardware.

This limits you to develop apps that run only on a Mac.

Table of Contents

Top 8 Ways to Develop an iOS App on Windows PC

1. Use Virtualbox and Install Mac OS on Your Windows PC

The quickest way to develop iOS apps on windows is with the help of a virtual machine.

A virtual machine will create an environment where any operating system can run in like it’s running in the same hardware itself.

This functionality is called virtualization as it allows you to run Windows on Linux and even Windows on OS X.

To run Mac OS on a virtual machine, you need two things:

• A copy of OS X as a virtual image file or an installer.

• A virtual machine tool like VirtualBox or VMWare.

You can acquire a duplicate of OS X by downloading it from the App Store.

You can likewise find installers from different sources on the internet.

Remember that utilizing Mac OS on non-Apple hardware is against Apple’s End User License Agreement (EULA).

2. Rent a Mac in the Cloud

A considerably simpler approach to get your hands on OS X is to lease a Mac in the Cloud, although it will be much more expensive.

Services like Mac-in-Cloud and Mac-Stadium offer affordable rent-a-Mac products.

You can connect with those cloud-based Macs by means of a Remote Desktop Connection (RDP).

Windows provides a stock Remote Desktop you can utilize, thus do most Linux OS.

Once you’re signed in, you can install Xcode and your iOS app development services.

3. Build Your Own “Hackintosh”

The most evident choice iOS app development services on a Windows PC is maybe to actually install OS X on a Windows PC.

Apple enthusiasts have always enjoyed the integrated user experience, design, and interconnectivity the tech giant has offered.

A Hackintosh is a PC that runs Mac OS. It is same as installing an OS X in a Virtual machine, likewise, you can install OS X as a bootable OS to your PC.

4. Create iOS Apps on Windows with Cross-Platform Tools

Cross-platform tools are amazing: you code your application once and export it to iOS and Android.

That could cut your application development time and cost into the half.

A few cross-platform tools enable you to create iOS applications on a Windows PC or allow you to compile the application if there’s a Mac within your network.

A regularly heard argument against cross-platform app development tools is that they offer restricted access to and support for smartphone hardware, and are less “smart” than their counterparts.

Remember that any cross-platform tool will expect you to compose platform-specific code at a certain point, particularly if you need to code custom features.

5. Code with a Swift Sandbox

Swift is an open-source language, which implies that you can effectively run it on any hardware.

Swift is an open-source language, which implies that you can effectively run it on any hardware.

Accordingly, you can likewise run it in your browser too – if the language is ported to Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

You can learn Swift and code with it without needing a Mac or XCode, using Swift Sandbox.

Once you run a code in Swift Sandbox, it will send the code to a webserver. The webserver will compile the code and return a result.

Accordingly, you can likewise run it in your browser too – if the language is ported to Chrome, Safari or Firefox.

6. Use Unity3D

A powerful IDE, Unity, is essentially known as a game development engine that can be used on Android, iOS, Windows, and many other platforms.

But its rapid development and powerful features also make it a good choice for building non-gaming apps.

Unity’s “Cloud Build” feature supports iOS development on Windows in simple steps.

By registering as an Apple developer and joining the unity cloud build, it is easy to set up, create, and build iOS projects.

With a free to use editor for development and distribution, it is possible to completely build an ios app in Windows.

You only need a Mac to compile the project!

7. With the Hybrid Framework, Xamarin

A cheaper option than Cloud Mac, hybrid frameworks give a cost-effective solution or iOS development on Windows.

Xamarin is a trusted choice by most developers, who claim that it provides real native output.

It uses C# for coding. It is a feature-rich platform that allows you to build and compile iOS apps and deploy them to iOS devices from Windows.

The only thing you cannot do from Windows and require a Mac is the submission to the app store.

8. In React Native Environment

React Native is a cross platform tool based on Javascript that is widely being used for iOS development on Windows.

It has several exceptional features and an easy learning curve, making it a popular tool among developers.

Using the android emulator and by setting up Mac OS deployment machines, developing an iOS application in Windows is possible.

To see the output, you can use the Expo simulator, which is available on both Android and iOS.

Conclusion

If you wanted to start building on iOS and unavailability of a Mac OS was what was stopping you, then these alternatives are exactly what you need.

Although these might be a little complicated that directly building on Mac, they are tried and tested alternatives by developers worldwide.

In the end, iOS application development is all about familiarizing yourself with Xcode.

Once you’re comfortable there, you can develop your app with the tools mentioned above, which will help you get started on the right path.