10-Things-You-Should-Know-If-You-Want-To-Be-An-iOS-Developer-785X391

iOS developers are accountable for building eye catching and intuitive apps that look great on both larger iPad and smaller iPhone screens. iOS developers, in many ways, contribute significantly to a brand; well designed apps offer users a positive opinion about a brand, while poorly designed ones can give users a negative opinion. iOS developers work effectively and collaboratively in a team environment of designers, product managers and even other iOS developers.

So, you have decided to become an iOS developer. Excellent, but where will you get started? Nowadays, there are many more resources than before. You will need some advices about necessary learning resources and tools to become a proficient iOS developer. To become an iOS developer, we have accumulated the list of 10 things you need to know as a must:

1. The Basics

Those who are getting started on creating iOS apps frequently think whether or not they can create iOS apps on Windows based PC. Yes, it is possible to develop an iOS on a Windows PC. But, if you are using a Windows PC, iOS app development can be challenging. One big catch with this – you’ll need a Mac still for Apple Store submission.

Apple offers great tools for iOS app developer to develop an iOS app and you are suggested to use Mac for your app development project. Once you have a Mac, which runs the latest iOS development software version, you are good to go.

2. XCODE IDE

After you have your Mac ready with the latest software, download Xcode and start learning about it. It is a program which contains all tools that are needed to create or build apps for iOS. It also includes Interface builder, iOS Simulator, frameworks, compiler, and a complete documentation reference library.

3. Learn Objective-C

Developer
Though Swift is the new talk of the town, Objective-C is equally important to learn. Objective-C looks like alien language as compared to most of the languages, but here are the reasons why you should learn it:

  • Many GitHub repos are written in it
  • Many Stack Overflow questions are written in it
  • Many legacy codes are written in it

So, if you are looking to become a full time iOS developer, learn Objective-c.

4. Learn iOS Development

Since you are known with Objective-C now, it is time to learn iOS development. You need to learn to build the things in the right way. Right from basics of iOS development to making apps, you need to learn all. You can learn it in two ways, either by books or by videos. However, it is best to use both.

5. Cocoa Touch

After having a good understanding of Objective-C and learning the basics of iOS development, it’s time to utilize it in iOS programming environment. You can use Cocoa Touch, an Apple’s UI framework, which drives the iOS apps while building iOS apps. It is a library with APIs as well as frameworks, containing everything from custom maps, touchable button, audio and video players to devices notifications.

6. iOS Developer Program

App Design
Once you’ve build and run your iOS app on Xcode Simulator, you’ll need to enroll in iOS developer program. Once you’re verified, you just need to pay $99 fees for a year. Without enrollment, you may just run your app on simulator. But unfortunately, this isn’t the real test of app’s performance or capability. You just have to install it on real hardware to test your app properly. Once you have got enrolled and verified, you are good to go.

7. Apple Design Guidelines

It’s important that you also learn to build a user-centric and intuitive UI for your app. But, always remember, there are certain restrictions on iOS app development. Such restrictions can affect the development plan. When the app gets to Apple Store, then Apple will decide if it’ll be approved. Apple can reject the app or even ask you to do some changes before release.

8. Apple’s Official Documentation

Market
Did you know Apple takes full care of all its developers? It has a remarkable online resource, consisting of everything you will need in case you get trapped with something during your app development. It contains example tutorials and codes so that you can begin with particular technologies and features of iOS apps. You should learn to use this documentation from the beginning. It is a major bonus if you master utilizing it. It will definitely make things simpler for you when you will work on new things in future that you have not encountered before.

9. Market Your iOS App

After the iOS is ready, you have to create visibility for it in the market. However, there are nearly millions of apps on Apple Store. Thus, it’s hard to get in the top app list. So, it is better to think of App store just as a distribution channel and concentrate your marketing onto the places where you could make some impact. Twitter and Facebook are excellent places to start, but don’t ignore the need of a professional website. YouTube also is an incredible place which offers great opportunity for your iOS apps to become viral.

10. Content Should Be Original And Relevant

Simple is good, but simple doesn’t mean dumb. You need to focus on core functionality of your iOS app and then write an efficient copy, which is relevant as well.

Conclusion:

At some point, you may hit some hurdles which you don’t just think you could jump over. Perhaps, you burnout from the information overload, or you are irritated and doubting yourself. The best thing is that you can now get many resources online to get help and feedbacks from other iOS developers. So, keep up-to-date using these resources and never get stuck in any problem in your journey to become an iOS developer. Wish you good luck on the journey to become an in-demand iOS developer.