Developing iPhone Apps: The Traditional Approach

If you have even a passing interest in gadgets and technology, you are undoubtedly familiar with the Apple iPhone. The iPhone has taken the world by storm with its striking design and elegant interface. For programmers and would-be programmers, however, the iTunes Application Store is an even more noteworthy development. The Application Store--or "App Store" as it is often called--is the one place where an iPhone owner can obtain programs, or "apps," to run on their device. The App Store also provides applications for the iPod Touch and iPad--both of which run the iPhone operating system--and at the rate that these devices are selling, the total audience for applications hosted on the App Store is likely to exceed 100 million devices within the next year.

This is nothing short of a revolution. At no other time in history has it been possible for a single person to develop a program and distribute to a potential audience of 100 million users. Although you might imagine that programmers for companies such as Microsoft or Electronic Arts are wealthy, the fact is that a single successful iPhone application could make you wealthier than virtually any salaried programmer. While learning to program is far from easy, the potential financial rewards for doing so can make the challenge worthwhile for someone who is dedicated and ambitious.

The first thing you must do is register with Apple as an iPhone developer. It is free to register, and you can do so in the developer section of Apple's website. Once you are registered, you will be able to download the iPhone Software Development Kit (SDK). The iPhone SDK is free for registered developers. It contains everything you need to develop your new iPhone app. Bear in mind that the iPhone SDK only runs on the Mac. There are third party development tools available for non-Mac users, but these should only be considered training tools, as Apple is unlikely to allow you to sell an iPhone app created with anything other than the official SDK. 

Once you have the iPhone SDK, you will begin creating your app within the Xcode environment. Xcode is Apple's software development environment for all platforms, including Mac OS itself. Xcode also includes a simulation environment that you can use to see how your app will look on a physical iPhone. The programming language you will be using to develop your new iPhone app is Objective-C. Objective-C is an object-oriented programming language. It is similar to the C programming language, but uses objects rather than strict lines of code. An object contains all of the code necessary to accomplish a particular task, allowing you to remain focused on the result rather than on the commands required to obtain the result. Apple provides many Objective-C tutorials on its website to help you get started.

After you have created your new app, and you are ready to get it approved by Apple for placement in the iTunes App Store, you will need to register yourself as a professional developer. While obtaining the iPhone SDK is free, selling your app is not. Membership as a professional iPhone developer costs $99 per year, and is a requirement before you can submit an app for approval and sale--even if you do not want to charge for the app. Until you enroll in the iPhone Developer Program, you cannot test your app on a physical iPhone, and can only run simulations on your computer. After enrolling, you can install the app on an iPhone and make sure that it works as well as it did in the simulation. Additionally, you can register other people as testers and allow them to use the app as well. The testing phase of iPhone development is vitally important, as you need to make sure that your app is bug-free if you expect others to be willing to pay money for it.

Once you have confirmed your iPhone app to be operational and conform to Apples guidelines, you can submit it for approval through the developer center. This is the stage in the development process where you will decide on a price. Bear in mind that Apple will take a 30-percent cut of the app's sale price. Price the app accordingly.

Good luck getting started on the road to becoming an iPhone developer. Learning to program software is a difficult goal for even the most intelligent people, and Apples rules and policies can sometimes be mercurial, changing at a moments notice. However, it can also be extremely rewarding to create a product that others find useful or entertaining, and with a little luck, iPhone development just might make you rich.

If you're NOT a programmer, but still have a great idea for an iPhone app, you need to check out www.appdesignkit.com. You can write iPhone apps with zero design experience, and even develop iphone apps on windows while never needing a Mac computer! Thanks for reading.

last time modified: Feb. 19, 2012, 4:41 p.m.