iPad Development Flow 2022

[worksofliam]

I just got a new iPad since I am going to be traveling a little more often. I like to work while I am out and about, whether it's on open-source code or actual paid work - this means I need to make sure I can do most of my usual stuff from my iPad.

I currently have a Macbook Pro 2021, 13", 16gb ram, m1/arm. Of course, it's small, light and pretty darn amazing. When I'm at home, I use it in clamshell mode with a 4k monitor. I can undock it and take it out and about.

Instead, I am looking to use the iPad when I am out and about. Here is all the stuff I need to ensure I can write code when I'm out, and then continue when I am home. (The continue part is important because I won't be able to run Node.js easily without a Codespace). One of the issues I have is that most of the clients I work with require a VPN connection, which almost makes using Codespaces useless without going through the effort of setting up OpenVPN on all of my instances.

Visual Studio Code Web (vscode.dev, github.dev)

You can of course use vscode.dev to your hearts content. I like Blink Shell because the UX has been improved. Full screen mode, fixed issues that occur in the browser, and some other things.

Apps

Blink Shell

We need Blink Shell. I much prefer managing my files with a CLI than the Files app, so that is a nice added bonus. The key component here is the use of vscode-web, which can be opened with code . from Blink, as well as the vscode-web extension Blink-FS, which connects your local file system to the vscode-web instance when running from Blink Shell. It also adds ssh so you can connect to remote systems.

• adds basic Visual Studio Code editor (and only works well with an internet connection)
• lets you edit all local sources on your iPad
• nifty command line tools

While it is free, it is 20 USD for the paid edition which will directly support an open-source project.

VPNs

I work with lots of clients who require VPNs. Luckily, the App Store has most major VPN clients. I can use a combination of VPN clients with the Blink SSH client to do lots of my work.

The perfect combination is:

• Blink Shell
• VPN setup to clients
• SSH enabled on clients system
• tn5250 installed on client system

I usually ssh into my Macbook at home or spin up a Codespace to run my tests, but I don't usually develop over the air.

code . note

It does not work offline. This is a problem. I've been looking for some other options, but we are limited.

• Textastic - haven't tried it. It's 10 USD. People seem to enjoy it, but no free trial means I will avoid it for a little bit.
• CodeApp - have tried it. I really like that you can select a repository folder right from the Working Copy app folder. Sadly, the app UX isn't great. The git client is touchy and it doesn't work too good with the magic keyboard. It could have a good future though! It's also open-source.. that's neat.
• Kodex - it's really slim and is very customisable. I like that. It's also free. Downside is that it doesn't have a folder browser like VS Code and CodeApp and while you can have many tabs open, there isn't a pretty way to navigate files in a folder. Kodex would be a winner here if it had the ability to select a folder on the iPad, and then navigate through it within the app.

I will be using Kodex while I am offline (which is rare) and then Blink -> VS Code while I am online.

tn5250 note

If you're sshing into an IBM i and want to use tn5250, I recommend using a Bluetooth keyboard with function keys. (I will post here what keyboard I have later!)

I also use the Magic Keyboard, which doesn't have function keys. I set my Globe key to escape, and then Globe + 1 through = on the keyboard acts as F1 through F12.

Working Copy

Working Copy can be used to manage git repositories on your iPad - isn't that neat? It allows you to create SSH keys from the app, and then clone from whichever service you use. I use a lot of GitHub and Azure Devops.

It also has a local editor, so if you are offline and can't use VS Code, you can continue to use their local editor. Since it clones onto the local file systems and therefore is editable from the Files app, you can use any text editor and browser that you want.

Working Copy is free to clone, manage and edit source, but the premium version will allow you to push.

Connecting with Blink

Since Blink cannot access the Working Copy directory, you need to link the repository to a folder, which you can do after you've cloned the repo. This will let you pick a duplicate folder where the repo will be synced to/from. You should create a folder which Blink can access.

This means:

• clone from Working Copy
• link repo to a folder 'On my iPad'
• cd to directory on Blink
• use code . to launch VS CodeL