Web Development on an iPad Pro

As I own an iPad Pro I thought it may well be a good tool to administer my websites and possibly maintain the source code using it.

I presently maintain 3 websites and while I find the iPad an invaluable tool to check server logs and Google reports, the generation and editing of HTML is not really practical on the iPad. While small edits can be made on the iPad, via the hosting interface, the mass upload of pages via FTP is best done using the computer.

Looking at the "Magic Keyboard" offered by Apple I thought that I might have an alternative. But for around £300 (the price of a cheap Windows computer) the experience on the iPad Pro would have to be convincingly good before an investment was made.

I thought that I could use the iPad with WordPress.com's user interface to maintain the Village Hall webite. While this is possible, I find that adding anything complex is often made far more difficult than it is when done on a computer with a keyboard and a proper pointing (selecting) device.

If I maintain the Village Hall website I might as well do so using Wordpress.com (not .org). Having "fixed" the original theme and hence the menu system and layout I am happy to just add pages for events when they become needed. If, sometime in the future, more complex pages are required I have a solution "waiting in the wings".

Since the start of the Coronavirus scare the visits to the website have been pretty much non existant apart from my own visits. Sometimes days can go by without a single visit. I was thinking of adding a "posts" feature and those that were inclined could comment on selected posts - maybe even allow others to post - but I know now there is little point in attempting to compete with the mighty F.

At the moment I am trying not to visit the actual site myself and to just access the WP interface to check statisitics and spam. The iPad Pro is good for this purpose.

Wordpress Block Editor

This was not understood or available when the original design for the Village Hall was started.

By my reckoning the Block Editor was designed to facilitate the editing of pages from a mobile device. This works well for simple content but the creation of Booking forms will require the use of proper pointing device so a computer will be needed.

There is a keyboard/cover for the iPad Pro with a trackpad but I doubt if it would work for my purposes so I don't think it is worth the investment. A simple "origami" cover will be sufficient.

Facial Recoginition

This actually works quite well!

ftp client

This seems good to be look at the access logs.

I have found that I can copy the httpdocs folder to the iPad. This then allows me to store the complete website on the iPad and review it in Safari.

USB C to HDMI adapter

Works well to play edited drone videos on TV or projector.