With the growing popularity of Apple App Store, a thought might have come across your mind about creating your very own iPhone application and what it takes to develop one. If you are a programmer, things will go handy for you as it will be easier for you to learn about particular demands of programming on iPhone platform. But if you are not, developing your own iPhone app can be a year’s long task for you. In such circumstances, you can hire a developer and have your app made. But do not forget to have a Non-Disclosure Agreement signed by the people on your team. Let us assume you possess some experience in programming and by following this write up can easily write your first iPhone app.
The first and one of the most important steps is having an idea for your first iPhone application you want to create. It can be anything, a game, a business app, a productivity program or a utility, but what matters is that your idea should be solid and contain some spice to success otherwise all your efforts will be wasted. You need to think as a user and create an app that will be of value to public. Creating something which people won’t download is simply a waste of time and efforts. Market research always helps in knowing what best and worst is available in the market and how you can make your app unique and useful. Once you have the germ of an idea, it’s time for you to gather the requisite tools you will need to get started. These include an iPhone to test your application, an Intel-based Mac- a MacBook, an iMac or a Mini- iPhone Development SDK and Apple iPhone Developer Program.
iPhone Development SDK kit can be downloaded for free from the Apple website for which you need to have an existing user account or sign up for a new one. This development kit is bulky and takes time to both download and install. With SDK come some tools which are of real help in creating your first iPhone application. These are Xcode, iPhone stimulator, Interface Builder and others. Objective C/Cocoa is the language used for writing iPhone apps and Mac software, so you need to have a good command over it as a programmer.
Downloading iPhone software development kit will not get you far unless you join the iPhone Developer Program. You need this to get approval from Apple to test your app on a real hardware- iPhone- and send it to the App Store. You can download iPhone developer program from the Apple website but this one surely does not come for free. This program will cost you $99 along with your time to fill an application for the same.
To start coding your iPhone app, first of all launch Xcode and then select “Create a New Xcode Project” from welcome dialogue box. This will lead you to project templates that can be used as the commencing point of your project. On the next page you can fill in options like product name, company identifier, class prefix, device family, use storyboards, use automatic reference counting and indulge unit tests and click on Next to save the project. After coding your app in Xcode you can run and test your app using iPhone Stimulator.
If you think you have done your task, it’s time to submit your app to Apple App Store for approval. This process may take few days or weeks if you have written an uncomplicated app. If not, Apple will tell you about the flaws in your coding and offer you a chance to mend it. By the end of this process you will have your first app in the Apple App Store which you have developed from a mere idea to an actual application for your iDevice. You can also make your app noticeable and boost its marketing by experimenting some strategies like incorporating social networks, creating pre-launch, buzz and planning to drop multiple release of your app. So why letting your idea of an amazing iPhone app wan in your brain? It’s time to have your dream app in real and be satisfied.
Author Bio: This post is shared by ValueCoders.com, an offshore IT outsourcing company based in India. It specializes in Mobile solutions and offers expert Android app development and iPhone app development.