I Want to Write iOS Apps. Where Do I Start?

I’m just not sure where to get started or what tools I need.

Where do I start?

Sincerely,App Store Amateur

Dear ASA,Learning to develop for iOS is kind of a two-pronged process.

If you’re versed in coding, you’ll need to get familiar with Apple’s development toolsandtheir guidelines.

It’s free and you’ve got the option to download it from fromApple’s site.

Xcode is the graphical interface you’ll use to write apps.

Introducing Swift: Apple’s new programming language, Swift, is made specifically for iOS and Macs.

Apple’s Development Videos: Apple includes a ton of videos from WWDC teaching you various parts of development.

Familiarize yourself with these so you’re free to integrate more advanced features into your app.

Stanford’s iOS Development Classes: Stanford has a set of free classes to learn iOS development.

Chances are they’ll have an updated class for iOS 8 in the near future.

Likewise, many of Apple’s APIs have their own set of review guidelines.

To get a grasp on this, check outApple’s Human Interface Guidelines page.

Here, you’ll find the basics of what they’re looking for in both apps and icon design.

Thankfully, Apple doesn’t leave you totally in the dark on how to make a well designed app.

GitHubis the go-to for software versioning and collaborative work.

If you need a little help setting up GitHub,their guideswalk you through the process.

They’ll just need to download theTestFlight app.

Developing for iOS is really all about familiarizing yourself with Xcode.