iOS Development: The Complete Guide To Getting Started

The mobile application development industry has been a goldmine for the last few years. Each, around 5000 applications are launched onto both AppStore and PlayMarket, according to Statista. And it’s not that surprising, considering how many developers come up with interesting and innovative app ideas.

That’s why so many people are dreaming of becoming professional programmers to implement their ideas into reality or even start their own Android and iOS application development services. However, as most experts would agree, the Android market doesn’t have as many business opportunities as does Apple.

Why iOS?

Well, there are 2 main reasons. First of all, Android is a much more accessible and popular platform, meaning that the competition there is higher. But what plays a bigger role, is that Apple users tend to spend much more money regularly on the AppStore market and through their Apple devices in general.

So, becoming an iOS app creator or working for professional app development companies is just a better business solution. Speaking about iOS app development services, there are plenty of those on the market, and it’s a perfect opportunity to gain huge amounts of experience and obtain new skills by working on different projects. Also, they’re the right place to find professional help if you need someone to turn your brilliant idea into a real program.

Step 1: Programming Language

The choice of programming language always comes at the beginning of your path to professional development. It determines what tools you will be able to use, what functions and libraries will be available, and the general programming style. Currently, there are 2 main programming languages for Apple platforms:

Swift

Swift is the official language for iOS programming. It was released by Apple back in 2014 and can be considered one of the youngest programming languages out there. However, that also means that it houses all the modern features, is very stable, and has a flat learning curve, making it a perfect option for beginners.

What’s even better, Swift is open-sourced and has a large growing community of developers. Apple also claims that it works 2.6 times faster than its predecessor, Objective-C, which is believable, considering how well it performs.

Objective-C

As a derivative of the famous C family, Objective-C offers a lot of stability and a large number of available libraries. Choosing this language as your entrance to the iOS programming world can be a good idea if you plan on working with other C languages in the future. However, in the latest years, Swift proved to be better in almost every aspect, forcing even the most old-school and traditional iOS mobile app development services to start working in Swift.

Step 2: Learning Opportunities

There are countless different ways to learn how to create mobile software. Generally speaking, the most reasonable and popular paths one can follow are:

  • Entering higher educational facility with IT specialization
  • Attending app development courses (online/offline)
  • Learning from free guides on dedicated resources 

Higher Education

Each of these paths has its own pros and cons. For example, in a university, you’ll get a lot of experience, skills, and maybe will even pass an internship in an iOS development center. You’ll also receive a degree, some recommendations, and probably some useful acquaintances. However, it takes 4-5 years to get your degree and can cost a fortune, unless you’re participating in a grant program.

Courses

Courses usually take much less time, around 6-12 months, and provide you with the same or even higher level of knowledge than universities. This tends to happen because some higher educational facilities have outdated programs. 

And even though you won’t get a degree, most courses provide real certificates that can play an important role when applying for a job in most custom iOS app development services. Yet, the price of such education can be pretty high too.

Free Guides

Learning from thousands of guides available all over the internet is always free. It lets you decide what in particular you want to study and in what order. Logically enough, it takes time to find some decent information on the needed subject, and you still need to put everything you learn to use.

Though this is the path many successful developers take, as it truly teaches you how to program things. Because the whole development process is basically trying to find the simplest solutions for the hardest problems with the fewest lines of code. So, even though it’s much more time and nerve-consuming, studying on your own will provide you with a much deeper understanding of how coding works.

Step 3: Tools

Apple PC

The best tool in your arsenal is the Apple computer. Don’t get it wrong, though, you can develop iOS applications on Windows and Linux computers too. It’s just that working on a Mac will make things much easier. First of all, testing and debugging the applications themselves will be a much simpler process. But most importantly, you will be able to run XCode.

However, there’s a really useful workaround for this matter. One can just set up a virtual iOS machine on their Windows or Linux PC. This way, you’ll get all the benefits of an Apple computer inside any PC. Though, setting everything up the right way may be a real challenge, so good luck with that.

XCode

Xcode is the main IDE for creating software for Apple devices. Ask any iOS apps development services, and they will tell you that they work in XCode. What makes it so great? Well, every single detail in it makes developing as easy as it can be.

It has all the basic features like code highlighting and built-in libraries, as well as more unique ones like graphic interface editor and iPhone/iPad simulator for easy testing. It’s kind of an ultimate foundation and toolset for creating iOS software.

Step 4: Practice

Practice is crucial in programming. Only through regular practice will you be able to get good at programming. Because most aspects and processes can be learned only through making mistakes and fixing them yourself. 

Also, remember about the algorithm of creating an application. The most basic and reliable one looks like this:

  1. Idea
  2. Planning and Outlining
  3. Interface Design
  4. Coding
  5. Testing
  6. Launching

The more time you dedicate to planning every single step at the beginning, the less troublesome coding will be. Because working around a precise plan is always the most rational and easy way. Especially in application development, where a single program can have dozens of features, all of which need to work simultaneously and not interfere with each other.

Also, the most important thing in programming is your mindset. You must be ready to encounter hardships on every single step you make. Because code doesn’t forgive even the smallest inaccuracies. You’ll have to learn how to find the issues, and how to solve them in the most rational way, without needing to re-do everything.

Final Words

The path to becoming a professional iOS software developer is full of challenges. Yet, if you stay determined and learn from your own mistakes, you’ll get a grasp of how coding works pretty rapidly. So, no matter if you’re planning on working for the leading iPhone application development services or becoming an app creator yourself, we wish you good luck on your programming journey!

p538428
Login/Register access is temporary disabled