Okay, so you have an idea for a killer app. You can envision it in your head and you know there is a need for it. But there is one small problem. You don’t know the first thing about programming, not to mention where to actually start in designing an app. You could out source the design and programming of your app, if you have about $10,000.00. Then you have to get the app distributed and marketed. If you have an app that you know will be a top seller, this maybe a good option. However if you are designing a free app or not sure how well it will sell, this is not such a great option.
I recently had an idea to design an app for the Missing Children Investigation Agency (MCIA). I do know how to write code (techie term for writing a program). Writing code and testing can be extremely time consuming. If you have read my previous articles you know I am a huge fan of open source programs. For those of you who don’t know open source programs are programs developed by a community of programmers and are available for anyone to use free of charge.
Well, I searched the open source community forums and I found a site that operates on an open source basis. It is a full-featured app development site that allows anyone to use their server to design and develop iPhone and Android apps free of charge. That’s right, free of charge. In the true spirit of open source you can download their entire server and install it on your personal server or hosting service at no charge. So you can design your apps without ever having to sign on to their site. This is great if you design apps for a living. But we will not go into that aspect in this article. In this article I will assume you want to design an app for your self or on a small scale for a few clients and you have zero programming skills.
Before we start here is what you will need to design an app. To design an Android app you will need either a Mac or PC. You will need to download a copy of Eclipse (an open source software design program). You can download it at: http://www.eclipse.org/downloads/. When you go there you will see there are many different options. Don’t download anything yet. I will tell you later in this article how to determine which version to download.
You will also need to download and install a copy of Java JDK. You can get it for free at: http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/downloads/index.html. Again wait before you download it. You will also need a copy of the Android SDK. You can download it at: http://developer.android.com/sdk/index.html. Again wait before downloading it. I know it all sounds scary for non-programmers, and even a little complicated. But trust me, it isn’t as complicated as it sounds.
If you want to design an app for the iPhone, iPod, or iPad you must have Mac. You can’t design an app for the Apple OS (Operating System) on a PC. I suppose you could, if you really wanted to, but testing would be very difficult. From your desktop go to the app store and download the latest version of Xcode. It should install automatically. You will also need the Java JDK.
If you don’t have a Mac, not be too disappointed. The Android market has exploded and the majority of all smart phones run the Android OS. So if your app only works on the Android system you will do just fine. You will be able to sell your apps on the Android Market Place and on the Amazon App Market Place. The Kindle Fire runs Android Apps, so that is another market open to you as an Android app developer.
Now I told you can do this with no programming skills and so far all I’ve done is throw all of these technical terms at you and directed you to sites you most likely never knew existed.
There is a company called Buzztouch. Go to http://www.buzztouch.com and sign up for an account. It is totally free and they don’t charge a percentage if you decide to sell your app. Take some time to look around.
Next we need to get your computer configured to develop apps. Don’t worry it will not change any settings on your computer that will effect the way other programs work. It will add features that will allow you to develop apps.
First you will need to go to: http://developer.android.com/sdk/installing.html and follow the instructions step by step. It will walk you through which version of Eclipse you will need and how to setup and install the Java JDK and Android SDK. Read through the page before you begin. It looks complicated, but it really isn’t. Just go step by step and you will be fine. To verify that you set everything up correctly go to: http://www.buzztouch.com/videos/ and watched the video titled “Android: Eclipse test with the Android SDK”. It will walk you through how to tell if everything is working properly.
If you are going to develop apps for the Apple OS, you will need to download and install Xcode from the App Store. Xcode comes with everything you need to develop and test apps using Buzztouch.
Now sign into Buzztouch and select “How it Works” tab to familiarize yourself with how Buzztouch works. Then go to “my apps” and select “create new app”. Name your app and click all of the agreement tabs and select save. Next you will need to upload an icon for your app. An icon is what the user will see on their Android or iPhone screen. It can be anything such as a photo or artwork. Any photo editor or graphics program can help you with this. You will have to create a .jpg format graphic or photo and resize it to 57×57 or 72×72 pixels (depending on which version of Buzztouch you are using. Once you upload and save it, click “done”. Or you can upload a .jpg photo or graphic and Buzztouch will allow you to crop the image to the appropriate size.
Now from the “Application Control Panel” click on “Download the source-code for this app” link. Buzztouch will compile both an Android and iPhone project source codes for you. Download the one you want. I suggest creating a folder for them. I have a folder named “App Programs” where I save all of my source codes. It makes it easier to find later.
If you are developing an Android App go to: http://www.buzztouch.com/videos/ and watch the video titled “Android: Compiling your app on the simulator”. It will walk you through how to setup your app for development. If you are developing an app for the iPhone select the video titled: “iOS: Compiling your app on the simulator”.
At this point you should have both the Buzztouch website opened and signed into it and you should have either Eclipse or Xcode open with the simulator running. Resize your screens so you can see the Buzztouch site and Simulator at the same time without switching back and forth. You can minimize Eclipse or Xcode, but don’t close them.
Now create an “App image” and upload it to the Buzztouch site, select the refresh button on the simulator and you will see that the changes you made on Buzztouch are also on your app source code on your computer. Do the same for the “Info screen”
Now lets get down to designing our app. from the Buzztouch site select “Manage this app’s menus & screens”. This is where the real development begins. Explore and look at all of the options and features you have to choose from. As you add features and menu options to your app simply refresh your simulator and you can see and test your app to see how the feature works.
By developing the app on the Buzztouch site and testing it on either Xcode or Eclipse at the same time, you save development time. You develop and test your app at the same time. The code is written for you by Buzztouch and exported to Xcode or Eclipse as you develop your app.
If you are developing your app for both the Android and iPhone, only work on one at a time. Fully develop and test either the Android or iPhone app first. Once you have it, go back to Buzztouch and download the source code for the other app. You will see that it is completely built for you. You should run it in the simulator and if you need to make any changes you want. But normally Buzztouch will have configured it automatically for you. So you shouldn’t have much to do except for compiling and packaging your app for market.
For others to be able to use your app, you will have to compile and package it. This is very simple. Eclipse and Xcode will do this automatically for you. In Eclipse you simply right click on your apps main folder, in the Eclipse program. Select “Android Tools” then select “Export Signed Application Package”. Follow the steps. You will get an “.apk” file, which is your Android app. This is what you will upload to your device or to the Android and Amazon App Markets. Xcode builds your app as you design it.
Next if you want to sell your apps you will need to setup a few developer accounts. For Android apps you have two options. First go to the Android Market and sign up for a developer’s account. At this time it cost $25.00 to setup a developer’s account. Set it up at: https://market.android.com/publish/signup. It is worth the $25.00. Every Android device has access to the Android Market Place.
If your app is for the 18 and over crowd, the Android Market has a special site for adult apps, called MiKandi. Go to: http://www.mikandi.com and sign up for a developer’s account. At this time there is no charge for a developer’s account. But that may change in the future.
Next you will need to go to the Amazon App Developers site and sign up for a developer’s account with them as well. At this time there is an annual fee of $99.00 per year. This is a more expensive option, but you get a lot more with it. You get access to Amazon iCloud services for your app and your app is available for the Kindle Fire and other Android devices from the Amazon App Store. Go to: http://developer.amazon.com/ and select the “Amazon Appstore for Android” link to sign up. Once you sign up login and select the SDK tab and request the “In-App Purchasing SDK”. Even if you don’t use this option it adds a number of additional features you can use.
To sell your app on Apple’s App Store you only have one option. Apple uses a closed system, so only pre-approved apps are available to their customers. This is why it is hard to find some programs for Mac and the iPhone. It is also why you don’t get viruses on your Mac. Apple charges an annual fee of $99.00 as well. But you have complete access to all of their advanced developer tools and you get listed in their app store. To sign up go to: http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/.
Congratulations, you are now an app developer and you never typed one line of code. I know it sounds complicated, but it isn’t. I suggest setting aside a day to set everything up and to play around before you design your first app. If you want to add features to your app that aren’t available from Buzztouch I suggest you get book such as “Object-C or Java for Dummies.” Buzztouch source code is written Objective-C and for Android the source code is written in Java . But for now you will not need it. The next version of Buzztouch will add many more features and capabilities.
I hope this article was helpful. As always feel free to leave comments.