Quest On with the Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS

The ability to build mobile apps is the future — the future of employee engagement and the future of top jobs. To help you learn these in-demand mobile app building skills, we partnered with Apple to create the Salesforce Mobile Software Developer Kit (SDK) for iOS.

It’s no secret that, in our fast-paced world, technology is a major part of our lives. And chances are, you rely on your mobile device to stay connected.

With that in mind, we set out to develop tools for an entirely new class of iOS developers. Tools that can help you build amazing mobile experiences on Salesforce anytime, anywhere.

To encourage you to build your FIRST (or second, or five hundredth) iOS mobile app, we’re launching a Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS Trailhead Quest.

Code your way

In November 2018, Salesforce and Apple announced a strategic technology partnership, bringing together the world’s #1 CRM and the best devices for business. The result? Now, everyone can build the skills needed to develop powerful new mobile apps for business.

“Together, Salesforce and Apple are defining a new era of mobile innovation with native apps on iOS, and empowering millions of people with access to Trailhead and the skills they need for the jobs of the future.” — Marc Benioff, Chairman and co-CEO, Salesforce

At the heart of the partnership is a belief in the democratization of technology. Simply, we want you (and everyone else) to have access to the tools you need to succeed.

At Salesforce, we bring this to life with Trailhead, a free platform that lets you level up and learn in-demand skills no matter your background or training.

SDK for iOS in action

The Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS enables businesses and developers to build and deploy apps for iPhone and iPad with a familiar and powerful user experience, connected to customer data in the secure and trusted environment of Salesforce.

Pretty awesome, right?

It’s so awesome, that Trailblazers have been blazing their own trails with iOS throughout the year. Let’s take a look at a few examples.

In March, Developer Evangelist Kevin Poorman led a webinar on how to develop custom iOS mobile apps using the best combination of Salesforce features and rich on-device functionality. To really bring the features to life for the attendees, Kevin ran part of the session as a live demo in a sample app. One attendee said,

“Great overview of how the SDK in Swift and how it works on the iOS device. Liked how the speaker was able to demonstrate the programming in real-time.”

Someone else shared, “The demo app was a great example to use and easy to understand.” Check out the recording here.

Next, the SDK made a splash at TrailheaDX ’19 with the first ever Apple and Salesforce Mobile App Challenge. The winner, Elie Rodrigue, shared how the Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS had kick-started his app development journey, even though he had never used Xcode or touched MacOS before:

“Adding native iOS development to my list of skills had a direct impact on my job, as I can now be involved in mobile application projects that I couldn’t be involved in before. I’m now confident I can build any mobile application I dream of!”

Then, in June, an old elementary school classroom was transformed into the SDK Coding Cabin for Forcelandia attendees to get hands-on and build an iOS insurance app.

110 people visited throughout the 2-day conference for a learning experience brought to life. One attendee shared,

“I love that I get hands-on experience building a project to explore new technology (and eat snacks) at a developer conference!”

Bridge the mobile skills gap

Inspired to start your iOS app development journey? Here’s what you need to do:

Follow and complete the Quest trailmix between October 1, 2019 and November 15, 2019 to be entered for a chance to win* some amazing prizes — including a MacBook Pro, AirPods, and Apple gift cards.

Plus, if you complete the trailmix within this time, you’ll earn an exclusive Salesforce Mobile SDK for iOS community badge.

Score!

During the Quest, you start by learning about modern mobile development and what makes a secure app. Then, you get hands-on with the essential technologies for building an iOS app with Salesforce: Swift, Xcode, and the Salesforce SDK for iOS.

And finally, you create a sample car insurance app that really works and connects to Salesforce!

Your Quest awaits…

We know that starting iOS development from scratch can be a little intimidating. But don’t worry, we got you! Here are some things you can do to help set yourself up for success:

• Make sure you have access to a Mac device running macOS Mojave or later.
• Download and install Xcode 10.2 or higher, the integrated developer environment (IDE) that enables you to write code, build, and test across all Apple devices. This will help you get the job done without having to go back and forth between multiple tools.
• Download and install Git, or a Git client, a free and open source distributed version control system designed for coordinating work and track changes in any set of files.

Don’t have a Mac? No problem. Get crafty like our friend Elie, who rented a virtual Mac machine to complete a challenge at TrailheaDX ’19.

So, what are you waiting for? Jump in and get your iOS code on today. And don’t forget to shout out your successes on social so we can celebrate with you.

Quest on, Trailblazers!

*No purchase necessary. Void where prohibited. Sweepstakes runs from 10/01/2019 12:00 a.m. PT to 11/15/2019 11:59 p.m. PT. Open to legal residents of the United States (incl., D.C.), Canada (excluding Quebec), Cyprus, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Ireland, Japan, Austria, Switzerland, Lithuania, Latvia, Luxembourg, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Ukraine, and U.K. Must be 18+ (20+ in Japan). Country of residence and other restrictions apply. See official rules: English | Français | Deutsch | Español | 日本語 | हिनद | Latviešu valoda | Lietuvių | Magyar