iPhone apps development is popular among software developers at the moment. The market for iPhone apps is huge. From 2007 to 2011, there has been an estimated 130 million iPhones that were sold. Developers are aware of these numbers because countless applications have already been released: from games, business tools, entertainment, to social networking.
Join the bandwagon of these developers and think about an app that you think would be a hit to the consumers. If you could convince even just a million of these iPhone users to purchase your application, you are already very lucky. The good news is, you can develop an application on your own. You don’t need a publisher, distribution partner, or a specialized hardware just to code one. All you need is your own Mac for programming and an iPhone for testing.
Mac Machine and iPhone only
iPhone Apps development needs only simple hardware for you to start. First hardware requirement is an Intel-based Mac. It can be a Mac mini or Macbook Pro – that’s it. Due to the size, these laptops can be carried anywhere. It’s a far cry from traditional application coding wherein programmers use bulky hardware.
Aside from Mac machine, an iPhone is essential to test your app: to catch bugs and to see overall impact of the final product. You are coding an iPhone application so it will be best to test it on an actual iPhone.
Software Essentials
First, download the software development kit at the iOS development site. It already includes iPhone simulator, performance analyzers, interface builders, complete documentation, and Xcode.
One essential software is Xcode. Developed by Apple, these suite of tool are used to develop Mac OS X and iOS software. This is already part of the free software development kit from the iOS development site. Xcode v3 is currently available for free download at the Apple Developer Connection site. The Xcode suite supports most popular programming languages like AppleScript, C, C++, Java, Objective C, Objective C++, Ruby, and Python. If unfamiliar with these languages, tutorial books and online guides are always there to guide you.
For images of your application, you will need a graphics editing software. The popular choice would be Adobe Photoshop but other graphic software like Corel Paint Shop, Helicon Filter, or GIMP can still do the job. For as long as the software can edit bitmap and vector images, any image editor will do.
Another essential is the audio editing software. Apple’s own Logic Pro can do the job but you can also use other editors like Virtual DJ, Adobe Soundbooth, Adobe Audition, and Amadeus.
Interface Items
Remember to the follow Apple’s guidelines regarding interface. Native interface items include status bar, navigation bar, tab bars, tool bars, table views, predefine buttons, sliders, and paging indicators.
And don’t forget to register as one of the official developers of iPhone under the iPhone Developer Program. For just $99, you are allowed to test the app on your actual iPhone device. It also allows you to display your finished product on the Apple merchandise store.
For more details about IPhone Apps Development, visit Apple’s official developer site.
