How to develop an application for iOS yourself. Dev Story Corruption.No. The experience of creating the first game for iOS

So, the thought also occurred to you: “ How can I learn to write programs for iPhone?«, « How can I make my own mobile application?«, « How to make millions without doing anything?". I will try to answer these questions step by step (except for the last one).

What you need to know from the very beginning

To create programs for iOS You are officially required to have a computer Apple (iMac or Macbook). But to be completely honest, you need an operating system OS X, so many people are cunning at first and manage to use Hackintosh (Hackintosh), that is, they run OS X on regular computers- This is an economical option, illegal and quite troublesome in terms of setup. I recommend that, since you have firmly decided to become an iOS developer, buy a simple Macbook or Mac Mini, you can even use it (anything produced since 2010).

Next - what to write on. Applications for iOS written in programming languages Swift or Objective-C, and all the magic happens in the program Xcode(free). Swift- this is very new language, which Apple introduced just recently (mid-2014) and now actively conveys the idea that you only need to program on it, it is the future, it is more modern and faster. And they are right, learn Swift. Objective-C on the contrary, a language with a long past, therefore it is much more difficult for beginners to understand it, which does not negate its power and the wealth of existing developments and books on it (which cannot be said in at the moment about Swift). And yet, I repeat, teach Swift.

If you want to make cross-platform applications (simultaneously for iOS and Android) - learn C# and use the development environment Xamarin(paid). If you want to make cross-platform games, download the development environment Unity3D(shareware), learn the one already mentioned above C#.

Also, in order to launch your applications on iPhone/iPad (even at the development stage) and then upload them to the AppStore, you need to buy a status Apple Developer for $100 per year. After the purchase, this once again motivates you to at least recoup the money :)

When I asked myself this question, I thought that I just needed to take a good thick “bible” on Objective-C (let me remind you, Swift did not yet exist) and comprehend the secret knowledge of the programming language chapter by chapter. Everyone recommended Stephen Kochan's book " Objective-C Programming«. Wrong! Don't repeat my mistake. Yes, the basics of the language were understood, the book is good, but this is a reference book and is far from real application development from scratch. To learn to program you need to “get your hands dirty”, trying to write the first, albeit very simple, but working applications. You need lessons with examples. From simple to complex. It’s also important to set a real goal, the first application that you want to write and release in the AppStore. Each lesson or book should give you knowledge that you can apply to your project. Don’t make the mistake of the “eternal student” who only does what he studies, studies, studies, but puts off the moment of starting real work. For example, I set myself the goal of making a radio application and releasing it on the AppStore in a month - and I succeeded.

If you know English, consider yourself very lucky, now I will tell you where to get all the knowledge. Unfortunately, there is very little information in Russian and it is often late (and translated from English).

The best English-language training site - RayWenderlich.com. It’s mega-cool for three reasons: 1) you can read a ton of lessons for free, from the basics to trying to replicate existing successful applications (including those in Swift), and everything is written with sincerity and humor; 2) there are video lessons there (albeit paid); 3) The most important reason- they have books for beginners that will teach you from scratch using the example of creating applications, very clearly, with pictures (well, as we like). The books are paid (only the first part is given for free), but they are worth it. I bought them all and they have long since paid for themselves as they build a good foundation brick by brick. This cannot be compared to simply reading different lessons mixed together on the same site. Start by purchasing The iOS-apprentice (the first part of which can be downloaded for free). It will teach you how to create your first applications in Swift. They also have books on game development on SpriteKit(Apple's framework for game development).

The second most useful resource is AppCoda. It is simpler than RayWenderlich, but the essence is the same - we read Swift lessons, learn from examples. They also have their own books (paid), in addition to free lessons.

What if you don’t know English - oops, there are simply no such Russian Internet resources. Books in Russian? Of course, you will find some books on Ozon, but they are all outdated and will not teach you the Swift language (at the moment everything is only Objective-C).

The best thing I can offer you is the “iOS development” hub on Habré, new articles are constantly appearing there, but it’s very chaotic.

Where to find the answer, something doesn’t work

While programming, you will constantly have questions: you don't know how to do something, or you do something, but the program responds with an error. You can find answers (or ask a question) on two sites:

StackOverflow- the largest storehouse of ready-made answers in English. I find 80% of the answers there.

Google- it’s trite, just by typing a question into the search, you can find the answer. If you don’t get it right away, play around with the wording of the question.

Toaster- similar to StackOverflow, but in Russian. It is still difficult to find answers here, since the database of questions is not very large yet. But you can ask - there are enough professionals on the resource who will answer you.

Or you can ask me. Free for now :)

Do you doubt whether it is worth investing in mobile application development? You can do it yourself and absolutely free. You may end up with a test version that can be used to conveniently evaluate the effectiveness of your mobile strategy. And if you try, you will make a decent mobile application that will become the main tool for online interaction with owners of smartphones and tablets.

Contact us Shall we discuss?

Is it worth making your own mobile app?

Costs. If you don't take my word for it, here are some facts:

• According to Flurry Analytics and comScore, owners of smartphones and tablets use the browser only 14% of the total time spent working with the device. And they spend 86% of their time on different applications.
• Installed application- your direct channel of communication with the consumer. Just think: you don’t need to spend money on advertising or wait for a person to find you using Yandex. It remains to support needed by the user functionality and provide it with relevant content.
• The number of purchases made using tablets and smartphones is growing both on the Internet in general and on the RuNet. According to marketing agency Criteo, already in 2016, more than half of online transactions in RuNet will be made using mobile devices.

If you want, the application is mobile browser, in which only your site opens. In what case would a user install such an Internet browser? Only if he is interested in your product or information. Therefore, remember: the client who installed the application is a loyal and ready-to-buy representative of the target audience.

In this case, is it worth taking the risk and offering DIY applications to loyal customers rather than custom programs made by professionals for Android and iOS? Let's figure it out.

When can you create an application yourself?

Do you remember what website visitors need? They come because of the content or functionality of the resource. People want to get information, buy something, look at and comment on friends' photos, and so on. Mobile app users need the same. They are looking for information or making some kind of transaction.

Do you remember when a business could make a website on its own? It’s right when you don’t yet have money to collaborate with professionals, but you still have the time and desire to figure out WordPress or Joomla. The same situation is with applications. Self-created programs for iOS and Android can be roughly compared to websites built on open source engines.

You don't have to register to start working. Click the Create Now button on home page or select the Create App menu on the right top corner on any page of the service.

Select the appropriate application template. If we are talking about a content project, you may be interested in the following options:

• Manual. This template allows you to create a guide program.
• Blog. The application will help your blog audience read new notes from the screen of a smartphone or tablet.
• Website. The template converts a website into an application.
• Pages. With this template you can convert any content into an application with simple functionality.
• News. The template allows you to create an application that is an aggregator of industry or regional news.
• Page. The template converts offline content, such as an e-book, into the application.
• VK Page and Facebook Page. Create an application that allows you to keep track of updates open groups on VKontakte and Facebook.
• YouTube. Use the template to promote your YouTube channel.

How to Create a Blog App

Use the Blog template. In the appropriate field, enter the URL of your blog or RSS feed. Select a note title color.

Enter the name of the application.

Add a description.

Choose a standard one or add a custom icon. Suitable size images - 512 by 512 pixels.

To create boot file Click the Create App button. After this, you need to register in the system. Confirm your registration and go to personal account. Here you can install the application on your mobile device, publish it in Google Play and Amazon App Store. The system also offers a monetization option. If you use this feature, advertisements will be displayed in the application.

Check how the application works on your mobile device. On a tablet, the program should display a list of blog posts in title and announcement format.

Open the template and customize appearance applications. Choose how to display content: one step per screen or a list of steps.

Use the editor to add text, images, videos or links. To add a photo to the program, upload it to Imgur hosting and paste the link into the appropriate field.

After editing the content, specify the name of the application, add a description and an icon. Click the Create App button. After creating the download file, install it on your mobile device and check its functionality.

Please note that most mobile devices by default block installation of applications from unknown sources. If a user downloads a program from your site or an app builder site, they will see a security warning when they try to install it. Some clients will probably refuse to install the program.

8 constructors similar to AppsGeyser

If the universal AppsGeyser constructor is not suitable for you, pay attention to similar services:

• AppsMakerStore. Using the service you can create applications different types: from programs for Ecommerce to solutions for content projects. The designer makes applications for iOS and Android. The service interface is Russified. For beginners, there is an informative guide to using the constructor. The service is paid.
• Mobincube. A tool for creating and monetizing iOS and Android applications. Basic functionality service is available free of charge. The designer allows you to create applications of different types.
• Good Barber. Using this service you can develop Android and iOS applications. The constructor is paid, the cost of use is 16 USD per month.

Most of the services offered have an English-language interface. If you are uncomfortable working with constructors on English, choose platforms with Russified content.

Application constructors: a stone ax or a thin modern tool?

Don't go from one extreme to another. With the help of the proposed services, you can really create functional functional applications. The resulting programs can be used to solve different tasks: from enabling online trading to distributing content and educating audiences. Applications created in the designer can be published on Google Play and the App Store, edited, and monetized using advertising or paid installations.

Remember that simply creating an application is not enough. It is necessary to invest a lot of effort in its promotion. Contact us if you want to entrust this work to professionals who know exactly what needs to be done to attract new users.

Do not overestimate the services offered. Their obvious drawback remains their stereotyped nature. We are talking about both the design and functionality of the programs. In addition, access to platforms with decent functionality is paid. What is better: to pay the developers for their work once or to pay the owners of the designer for many years? Do the math for yourself.

And one more thing: if you don’t have time for self-creation mobile application, please contact our company. We develop mobile applications and .

Contact us Shall we discuss? Order a free consultation

If you are a regular iOS user, then the idea of ​​creating your own mobile application for iOS has probably occurred to you. Moreover, now, with the development of technology, you don’t even have to study programming languages ​​to develop iOS app, just use simple constructors.

The digital App Store is filled to the brim with entertainment content - and the lion's share of the available content is allocated to mobile iOS applications (followed by music, books, and films): through the search it is easy to find games, browsers, social network clients, services that provide the ability to order a taxi and food, instant messengers, animated wallpapers and email tools. It is almost impossible to list the many available mobile applications at once, and there are several reasons for this.

Firstly, the mobile iOS content market is changing all the time - each time there are new developers who decide to create a product that the world has never seen before, or “newbies” appear who are trying to rewrite the content of “professionals” with new words, influenced by modern trends. And secondly, the library of one App Store consists of a million available offers. And this is far from the limit, taking into account the development of technology and the sharply decreased level of entry into mobile development.

Yes, programming languages ​​are still worth learning (if you want to change the mold and change the world), but recently you can develop an application without knowledge - the main thing is to arm yourself the right tool and take advantage suitable service, designer.

Why you might need your own application

Development of an application for a modern mobile operating system iOS system should be considered from several angles:

• Business tool. It is difficult to imagine a modern delivery service, a large restaurant or a taxi company that operates exclusively through mobile phone calls and home phone. Who wants to hang on the line for hours instead of virtual card call every now and then required addresses, getting confused, sometimes on trains, sometimes in driveways, and choosing food by asking the call center operator for suitable positions. In this case, the “mobility” of the application is everything! Yes, and there are hardly any ways to interact more effectively with the crowd, attracting the audience with new discounts and offers.
  However, mobile applications should not always be considered solely as a promotion tool - sometimes assistants downloaded through the App Store simply simplify interaction with certain resources. For example, you don’t have to use your browser all the time to read recently received mail. Why go through such a long journey every time when you can download a mobile application, log in to the system, and then set up a notification system. You won’t miss anything unnecessary, and the remaining time after checking your email will also be enough for a cup of coffee;
• Entertainment. The second side of the content, because of which novice developers dream of getting into the App Store, is an attempt to bungle entertainment content. And there are a lot of options here - games, parodies of social media, services for virtual communication, new products that have become “trends”. The content in this section is collected solely for entertainment purposes and is in no way associated with an existing business.

Accordingly, there are two options why you might need a mobile application - either, they have accumulated interesting ideas, which I wanted to express using the developer’s environment, or the business has long since taken off and the clients using the company’s services wanted to reward them with something really useful and convenient (for example, a mobile catalog with goods that allows you to quickly create an order, choose a delivery method and make a payment at lightning speed).

What should a beginner do if he doesn’t want to learn programming languages?

Just a few years ago, the path from a beginner to a professional mobile application developer went through a bunch of various tests. Firstly, in order to create something, you had to learn a programming language (if you need development for Android, then Java is suitable, if for iOS - Objective-C or the now popular Swift constructor), and you didn’t have to start with empty space, and immediately after the course of mathematics, logic and the study of markup.

Secondly, everyone iOS developer applications must be owned Apple technology For full-fledged work with suitable tools (like Xcode) and to directly use the App Store as a platform for distributing developed content.

If you look closely at the iOS operating system, you cannot help but note the fact that the OS is extremely closed, which results in all sorts of restrictions at the stage of creating and developing a new mobile iOS application.

Success is greatly affected by the inability to load certain iOS versions on a PC to test versions and check compatibility. But every developer is obliged to check how well the new product copes with both iOS 11 and 5, if anyone else still has one. There are also difficulties encountered at the stage of adding content to the App Store, where moderation is strict - the created new product can be rejected even because of incorrect screenshots.

Recently, times have changed a lot - any computer, be it Windows or Linux, is suitable for developing mobile applications for Apple products. You won’t have to learn languages ​​either, because there is a place on the Internet for special “designers” that offer, in a few steps, to create a store that details the goods available in the warehouse, or to develop a platform for calling a taxi with a virtual card.

But what’s surprising is not even the fact that you no longer have to learn programming languages, but the way it’s built iOS development applications - everything is intuitive, accessible and clear. The choices made at each stage of creation are visible on the screen in real time.

What are services for creating applications, what are the advantages and opportunities

Application designers are modern, fast-growing services that allow beginners, even without knowledge of programming languages ​​and without access to special equipment, to create an interesting and perfected application. modern technologies, a platform (game, tool, utility) that simplifies some actions or opens up some additional features(search for the best eateries in the area using geolocation).

What are the advantages of constructors?

• Minimum financial investment. No “paid” developers, long planning and vague development deadlines. In just a few days, you can develop and bring an idea to its essence and release it in a suitable digital store;
• Quick response check. If for some reason customers do not pay attention to a new product in the App Store, even with a sufficient amount of advertising, and are reluctant to agree to download it, then, most likely, it is too early to transfer the business to mobile platforms and it is worth focusing on other ideas;
• Low barrier to entry. Each designer available on the Internet is thought out to the smallest detail - it offers an intuitive interface, special instructions for beginners and a set of tips for preventing mistakes;
• It's easy to choose a template. If the idea is typical (developing a platform for selling goods, delivering food, searching for available cars), then beginners don’t even have to come up with anything from a technical point of view - everything has already been done by professionals. The main thing is to correctly fill out the product grid in the constructor and rewrite the name of the available menus and sections;
• You don't have to worry about the result. If a suitable template is chosen, practically no money is invested, and the time spent hardly lasts for several days, then what is there to worry about? The result obtained as a result of launching the application can be considered as another attempt to evaluate an invented idea or an established business that required a restart;
• Total support. Well, where would we go without knowledgeable people, which in both voice and text chat will tell you where to click and where to look.

Unfortunately, designers are not without their drawbacks. And templates can be very limited in capabilities, and unnecessary functionality cannot be attached at the first request, and you will have to pay to disable advertising, and it is not always possible to remove the link to the constructor. In addition, it is not always possible to conduct multi-stage testing before the actual launch.

The best designer services

The list of constructors suitable for use is expanding every year - identifying the “best” in this case is very problematic, but it is still possible to single out three constructors that are definitely worth a look:

GoodBarber

A constructor for those who have owned a small business for a long time and decided to expand their capabilities. The designer is designed for both inveterate beginners in development (special instructions are available, templates are open, you can chat with experts and get useful advice), and for real professionals - anyone can open program code, get into the jungle of the created iOS application and, using the studied programming languages, achieve the ideal result.

And one more thing - the GoodBarber designer allows you to use all aspects of smartphones and tablets - notifications, integration into various mobile services (from calendars to maps), quick access. By the way, when you want to put a project on the App Store, you won’t have to deal with such matters yourself - the main thing is to contact support, pay the specified amount (for the opportunity it is in App store Store you need to pay monthly) and then wait for the result!

BuildFire

A constructor similar in functionality to GoodBarber, which allows you to get from the registration stage in the constructor to the moment when the main functionality of the application has already been created in just ten minutes. Almost all the features available in the service require a positive assessment - both templates and built-in graphic editor, and special GUI, which allows you to create buttons, menus and sections with one click and at your first request.

The first prototype obtained during development can be immediately loaded into a special testing environment and checked how the development will potentially look at iOS smartphone or tablet.

Appy Pie

Cross-platform designer (you can develop for any mobile operating systems- at least for iOS, at least for Windows Phone), the main feature of which is the ability to create a mobile application directly in the browser! You need to choose a design and suitable colors, add links, decorate free space pictures and links and you can send the development for release. No more than 30 minutes until publication!

By the way, the designer can be configured literally right away - even the authorization menu can be redefined at the first request. The downside is that everything is in English (just like its competitors), and you have to pay for the ability to remove advertising.

What should you do next with your application?

If you have a desire to create applications and experiment not for the sake of results, but for your own pleasure, then you can spend all day using the above-listed designers and design your own ideas in the form of mobile applications. You won’t have to pay for this, and the result will remain on paper.

If it is important to convey everything to the audience, then simplest option- ask for help digital stores. For example, to the App Store. There is a place there for those who want it. The only negative is the long fuss with registrations, the need to obtain certificates and the obligation to pay for the release. In the latter case, it will be possible to test a mobile application and earn both an audience and real money.

At the end of last month, developer Richard Felix published an entertaining one in which he tried to explain as clearly and concisely as possible how to create successful application for iOS. In particular, he shared useful tips for beginning developers, with our own observations in terms of program design and the latest trends in the App Store.

Richard on personal experience knows all the intricacies of development, since over the past few years he has created a number of popular applications for modern mobile platforms and web (Are My Sites Up, Stunning, Dispatch and others).

So, at some point in your life, you decided to become a developer and try your hand at creating own application for iOS. You're afraid that you'll spend a lot of time (and money) developing a program that no one will use. You dream of creating an app that will be actively selling a year after its release, but you have no idea how to do it. The tips described below will help you achieve your goals.

Find an original idea

However, despite the prevalence of the iOS platform, this is a big misconception. Of course, in this case you will earn some money and recoup the development process, but to truly achieve meaningful success, your program must not only perform the stated functions, but also have some kind of original feature, a kind of zest that would distinguish it from hundreds of competitors and attract attention against the general background.

Research your target audience

IN present moment we can distinguish the following three categories of the most popular programs in the App Store:

• Alternative applications for system iOS programs(improved calculators, calendars, email clients, photo editors, task lists, and so on). They are popular because many people are faced with the limitations of the standard iPhone/iPad tools and want to expand the functionality of their devices. Apple creates programs for the masses (they are easy to use and intuitive), which makes more advanced users suffer (if you need more features, we will have to use a third-party application - and this works to our advantage).


• Games, and a variety of them. Especially those that force you to share the application with friends and colleagues, which is much more valuable than any advertising banner.


• Applications with a minimum number of functions that at first glance seem so elementary that many developers dismiss such ideas even at the stage of thinking about the project. A typical example is a program called Over, which allows you to add elegant captions to your photos. For an advanced user, Over may seem like a rather limited tool, but many beginners are completely satisfied with this “photo editor,” which is confirmed by good sales. It's amazing how the correct implementation of a single declared function can lead to a completely successful program.

Don't reinvent the wheel and update often

Put yourself in the user's shoes, try to focus on the features that will really useful. It is not at all necessary to implement all your ideas in the first version; leave minor ideas for future updates of the application. After the program is released in the App Store, you will have a lot of user reviews, based on which you can draw conclusions about the need to implement this or that function.

Besides, regular updates applications allow your product to constantly be heard, “flash” before the eyes of potential buyers in the blogosphere.

Draw a colorful icon

On specialized sites like

It all started when I looked around and, not seeing the car of my dreams, decided to design it myself
Ferdinand Porsche

Idea

Therefore, putting all bets on simplicity and convenience, I began to create a concept. Application model with a single list of notes. Everything in one place, what could be simpler? If something is of great value or relevance, you don't necessarily need to label it; you can simply move the more important item to the top of the list. Old and unnecessary entries will gradually move down and will eventually be deleted by the user.

Functional

Quite standard functionality for this kind of application, you will agree. But this is just the tip of the iceberg, the devil is in the details.

Tools

In addition, the application is very convenient for creating screenshots for publication in the AppStore. For each screen size, a different set of artboards was created, along with the use of styles; the time spent on formatting was minimal. But about the publication a little later.

Development

After creating the basic functionality (creating, deleting, editing notes), I decided to improve each of these functions.

Agree, text editing in iOS is implemented quite inconveniently. If you make a mistake in a word, to move the cursor to the desired position, you must touch and, without removing your finger from the screen, try to get into the selected area. In addition, after correcting the error, you need to return the cursor back to the end of the line. In my application, I decided to rework the mechanism for moving the cursor: in order to make a change to a word, you just need to swipe in the area between the keyboard and the phrase being typed without blocking the view of the text.

I decided to implement the animations of deleting and moving to the top myself, and to bring the visual support as close as possible to real life. Something has acquired a higher priority - swipe to the right and the note moves to the top of the list. To delete, swipe left and the strikethrough animation will show how long you need to extend the swipe to complete the deletion. At accidental deletion- you just need to shake the device (“Shake”), and the note will return to its original place.

In order to highlight the note, I used LongTapGesture and the application's three main colors - white, blue and red, which formed the main color palette.

Transition between day and night themes I decided to make it automatic - why has no one yet thought of changing the appearance depending on the position of the sun in the sky? Everything is very simple - after dark and after sunrise, the theme changes, and the user does not need to be distracted from taking notes, because the application will always automatically adjust to the surrounding conditions.

Naming

mad note - excellent, entertaining, surprising, unexpected or awesome

Since notes on paper are written with a pencil or pen, I decided to display this on the icon - a pencil rotated at an angle of 45 degrees. It turned out like this:

Result

Thank you for your attention.
Note your passion