iOS for newbs; getting involved
It’s been over a year since Apple announced their new programming language Swift and a little over half a year since I started using it. I’ve reached a point where I feel comfortable in sharing the — little — knowledge I posses and the things I’ve learned from some great developers. So let’s get ready to begin with iOS and you’ll be making mobile apps in no time!
Deciding on a language
First tip would be to decide on Swift vs. Objective-C. I would recommend all of you to use Swift, because of its syntax is so simple that it’s very easy to learn, it’s powerful and it’s the future of iOS development. For starters I would recommend you to check out Apple’s Swift Programming Guide.
Finding good sources
My second tip is to find a good learning source. I bought one of the most popular Udemy courses (The Complete iOS 9 Developer Course — Build 18 Apps) and it worked wonders! You’ll learn from syntax to the more complex aspects of developing in iOS. The best part of this type of courses is that you’ll learn building actual apps (18 to be exact).
Other good sources I like are:
- http://www.raywenderlich.com
- https://www.makeschool.com/online-academy
Developers community
Third would be to find sources where you can clear up your doubts. One of the most popular sites where developers meet to help one another is Stackoverflow, this site is truly magical. But don’t just go and ask things you need, the great part of this site is that it’s a community of developers, whenever you have the chance surf a little on the website and see how you can give back to the community.
Open source
This brings me to the fourth tip, you got to love open source. One of the most fantastic things that the iOS community has developed is Cocoapods. Pods are open source libraries of features that developers all over the world have created and shared with us. You can find some great pods in this site. And hey! When you become a pro at developing for iOS, I expect to see your pod out there.
Design + User experience
Fifth tip, design is life. The success of an app relies on the experience that it provides to the user. To achieve this, you have to make your app look out of this world (not literally, I don’t think space themes are cool). If you have a friend that is a designer, collaborate with him to develop the app. Besides the best things are always accomplished in teams (or something like that).
Apple’s guidelines
My final tip — and this is a must — you have to review the iOS human interface guidelines. Apple is very strict when it comes to accepting applications into the App Store. This is why you have to be prepared for rejection. Doesn’t mean you are a failure, just keep developing and with time you’ll get better.
So those are my tips for people starting on the business of mobile applications. I hope they are of use to you and that you have an amazing journey developing apps!
