App ID in provisioning profile for iPhone application

Question

I have created a small iPhone application and I have to test this application on iPhone. I have to create a provisioning profile, but I am confused about the App ID that I should choose. At first it gives me option to enter APP ID description and then later 2 options to enter App ID suffix. Here are my questions

1. The App ID that I create here, does it have to do anything with the project that I have created. I mean, if I just choose some random name for App ID and the name of the bundle of my application is something else then will it create problems for me later?

2. App ID suffix has an option to give Bundle ID. Again does it have anything to do with the bundle name of my application?

3. The example provided on the website for wildcard is "com.domainname.*". Here domain name has to be an actual domain name or can it be just anything at random that I choose?

Please clarify my doubts as I have to build a provisioning profile to test my application.

Thanks in advance.

Answer 1

1. The App ID has to be equal the Bundle identifier(in Xcode) and if you publish it via iTunesConnect, the identifier for this App is given and can't be changed anymore. The AppID Description is independent, editable and just visible within the DeveloperPortal. It just makes it easier to handle many IDs.

2. The AppID/BundleIdentifier identifies a unique App. The Bundle Name is just a name, you can change it later if you want.

3. The reverse domain is a suggestion and you should use yourdomain, so you can be sure nobody else uses this identifier, otherwise it could cause some Problems. The last Part is just for you, so you can easiely distinguish you App, espacially if you have many many Apps in the Future ;)

   com.yourdomain.yourappname, com.yourdomain.yourappname.subApp123, com.yourdomain.whateveryouwant, com.yourdomain.* (Wildcards are easy to use but then you cant use PushNotification,etc.)

But like I said in 1. If you App is in the AppStore the Identifier and the App are connected. All the AppIDs can be rename and the Provisioning-Profiles can be deleted and recreated. And the Appname(In iTunes and an the Device under the AppIcon) is also editable, so don't worry about that ;)

Answer 2

The App ID should, to make it easier, have to do with your app name. If it is not, then when you are asked to choose the App ID for your app in later steps, you won't know which one it is. The Bundle ID just has to be the same as the one listed in the info.plist file (replacing the * with the app name). You should make it like: com.yourNameOrCompany.* It doesn't need to be a real domain name. In the info.plist, it should be like: com.yourNameOrCompany.appName

Answer 3

1. You can choose any app ID you like, but it is good to use your application name as the app ID, for the bundle name you should use the bundle identifier that is displayed in Xcode.

2. For app id suffix, you should choose a reverse domain name and the name should be your bundle identifier so that you can sign your project with the provisioning profile that use the app id.

3. No, it is good to use an name like a reverse domain name com.yourappname.*, but you can use the provisioning profile(after you generate it using the app id) only on the projects that have the bundle identifier name like the wildcard, so for example you can use the provisioning profile on an project that has the bundle identifier com.yourappname.miliondolarapp but you can't use the provisioning profile on a project with the bundle identifier com.myawesomeapp.miliondolarapp