iOS app development is becoming very popular these days, and for good reason. It’s fun programming your very own app and getting to not only use it on your own iOS devices, but also see others using it as well, and it can be a very good source of income if you’re good at it.
While iOS app development can be a lot of fun, it’s also a lot of work. You wont be able to just sit down at your computer, type in a few lines of code and have a fully working app ready. No, it takes a lot more work than that and you have a lot you need to learn before you can begin making iOS apps.
Luckily, I’ve written this guide to help get you started and to show you everything you’ll need to begin iOS app development.
Getting the Hardware
Before you can start making iOS apps you’ll need an Apple computer, simply because you’ll need to use Xcode to program your apps and Xcode only works on Mac OS X.
You can use any Apple computer to program your iOS apps, whether it’s a Macbook or a MacPro, the decision is entirely up to you. I do recommend you get a newer Mac however, just to be sure that it can run the latest versions of OS X and Xcode.
Xcode comes with it’s own iOS testing platform that simulates an iOS device on your Mac when making your app, so an iOS device isn’t necessary to have, but it can help with testing your iOS apps to see how they would really work on an iOS device and not just a simulated one.
Learning the Language
After you’ve acquired the hardware you’ll need to learn the programming language that iOS apps are written in. This language being Objective-C.
Specifically, you’ll be using Apple’s Cocoa API (A pplication Programming Interface) along with Objective-C when programming iOS apps. So, you’ll actually have to learn both Objective-C and Cocoa before you can start programming iOS apps.
Depending on how fast of a learner you are, learning Objective-C and Cocoa can take anywhere from a few months to a few years. It’ll take a lot of work, and you’ll be in for quite a few hardships, but it will be worth it in the long run.
To get started you can get some Objective-C beginner books just to learn some of the basics and to get a grasp on what your getting into, and from there you can get more advanced books or even take college classes in Objective-C if you think it would help you learn faster.
After you’ve gotten a good grasp on Objective-C you can begin learning the Cocoa API. You can either get a book on the Cocoa API itself, or a book on basic iOS app development.
I personally would recommend the book on iOS app development as it would provide you a refresher on Objective-C and Xcode, while also teaching you about Cocoa.
Trial and Error
After you’ve learned as much about Objective-C and Cocoa as possible, you can finally start making iOS apps
You’ll want to begin with some really easy apps. You know those “flashlight” apps that just change the color of your iOS device’s screen? Yeah, you’ll be making those. You’ll only be making these just to familiarize yourself with iOS app development and get a basic grasp on what you need to do, so don’t worry, you’ll start making more fun apps soon enough.
After you’ve made your first few apps and have a good idea of what you’re doing, you can move on to more advanced apps. Just take things step-by-step, slowly making more complicated apps and adding more functionality as you progress.
It will take some time before you can make your dream app, but don’t worry, it’ll happen.
Ready to Publish?
Once you’ve made an app that you’re confident in and are ready to release to the public, you’ll want to publish it to the iTunes app store.
In order to do this you’ll need to become a registered Apple developer, which you can sign up for on Apple’s website. It does cost $99 a year however, so keep that in mind.
After you’ve registered to be an Apple developer you may then submit your app to be reviewed and then put up on the iTunes app store.
Conclusion
Hopefully after reading this guide you’ll know everything you need to get started with iOS app development and will be on your way to creating fantastic iOS apps.