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Nigel Price's avatar
Nigel Price
Iron Contributor
Jun 19, 2017

Can I install Visual Studio Code on an iPad ?

Hi   I am trying to install Visual Studio Code on my 12" iPad Pro - so there is pleanty of poke there. I find the Visual Studio Code downloads and I click on Down Load for Mac and I get a zip file...
Darren Parkinson's avatar
Darren Parkinson
Brass Contributor
Jun 19, 2017
You can't as far as I'm aware. The iPad is just a tablet. Despite what Apple tells you, it isn't yet a full laptop replacement. So unless it's in the App Store, you won't be able to install it. There was a proposal last year which doesn't look like it went anywhere: https://github.com/Microsoft/vscode/issues/10928
Nigel Price's avatar
Nigel Price
Iron Contributor
Jun 19, 2017

Hi Darren Parkinson

 

I have an iPad Pro with a keyboard I would have thought that would be as powerful as some of the apple macs.

 

So I cannot use VSCode on the train then without getting my rather large Laptop out.

 

But hang-on does VSCode not run on a Windows Surface - is that not a tablet - so why not on an iPad ?

 

Regards

 

Nigel

 

 

  • skyPurpleCloud's avatar
    skyPurpleCloud
    Copper Contributor
    Sep 19, 2020

    Nigel Price 

     

    Hey Nigel,

     

    Mac laptops run MacOS (previously OS X) which is a Unix based OS.

     

    iPads and iPhones run iPadOS and iOS respectively (some older iPads still run iOS).

     

    I use iPad for a lot of stuff and just usually get a terminal into target systems or utilise a VDS of some sort (like Amazon Workspaces running Windows 10).

     

    For traveling to conferences etc. so I still have access to all my tools, like VS Code, I have a light(er) weight MacBook Pro with all I need.

     

    The better option for your needs maybe a MacBook Air or the MacBook, which are only slightly heavier than an iPad (just no touch screen, which is frustrating).

     

    p.s. I cam here looking for a version of VS Code for my iPad too ... hopefully, MS will bring something official out soon.

     

    Are there any alternatives (iPad apps not web apps) which people have suggested?

     

    Many thanks,

    Roy.

  • Joseph Ackerman's avatar
    Joseph Ackerman
    Iron Contributor
    Jun 19, 2017
    Nigel Price wrote:

    But hang-on does VSCode not run on a Windows Surface - is that not a tablet - so why not on an iPad ? 

    Because as Darren Parkinson said, the iPad is not a full laptop replacement.  The current generation Surface is.

     

    So no, you cannot use VS code on the train (yet).  However, you can edit your files in any plain text editor that you can get to run on your iPad. :-)

    • Dustin Dortch's avatar
      Dustin Dortch
      Copper Contributor
      Jun 01, 2019

      Joseph Ackerman It has nothing to do with your opinion of whether it is a full laptop replacement.  It is a different operating system, that is why, and VS Code has not been compiled to run on it or published in the app store.  This, and only this, is why.

       

      Nigel Price  It is a fantastic portable computing device and is rather versatile.  I would really appreciate having VS Code right on it, but for the time being, I use JumpDesktop to remote into my Windows machine (I also have LTE on my iPad Pro) and I can even use a mouse (Swiftpoint GT) with that app and the remotely connected system.

    • Darren Parkinson's avatar
      Darren Parkinson
      Brass Contributor
      Jun 20, 2017
      Thanks. Yes, precisely. There are some IDEs available for iPad, such as:

      - Continuous for C# development http://continuous.codes/

      - And if you fancy programming Swift for your iPad, you can use Swift Playgrounds
      https://www.apple.com/uk/education/everyone-can-code/
      https://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/swift-playgrounds/id908519492?mt=8

      Potentially someone with the appropriate skill and inclination could create a version of VSCode for iPad, who knows.

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