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iOS How hard to make an iPhone app ?

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fredsarran

fredsarran

macrumors 6502
Original poster
Jun 15, 2008
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Hi,

I know nothing in programming apps. I have some knowledge in HTML and BASIC but I guess that will not be helpful at all.

Starting from the point that I know nothing and that I want to make an iPhone app, how hard is it ? Is it like Dreamweaver in Designer Mode ? Do I really need to know some programming language ?

Please help out. Also I do not have a project in mind to make a app for the iPhone, but I am sure that by trying, ideas will pop out :)
 
fredsarran said:
Hi,

I know nothing in programming apps. I have some knowledge in HTML and BASIC but I guess that will not be helpful at all.

Starting from the point that I know nothing and that I want to make an iPhone app, how hard is it ? Is it like Dreamweaver in Designer Mode ? Do I really need to know some programming language ?

Please help out. Also I do not have a project in mind to make a app for the iPhone, but I am sure that by trying, ideas will pop out :)
Click to expand...

Hard. No. Yes.
 
kainjow said:
There's a huge difference between making an app, and making an app well :)
Click to expand...

Yes I can agree with you. I am just wondering if it is something that I should look into to make an app, in order to distribute it through iTunes. It seems like a lot of work to make an app.

Is it really a lot of work ?
 
For an experienced programmer, the iPhone is pretty easy to develop for. For someone who hasn't programmed before, the difficulty is going to have nothing to do with the iPhone and will depend on how quickly you can become comfortable with programming and using the SDK documentation.
 
admanimal said:
For an experienced programmer, the iPhone is pretty easy to develop for. For someone who hasn't programmed before, the difficulty is going to have nothing to do with the iPhone and will depend on how quickly you can become comfortable with programming and using the SDK documentation.
Click to expand...

And also how quickly you can wrap your head around some of the concepts. I'm currently struggling with NSWindowController but have grasped Core Data rather easily.
 
fredsarran said:
Hi,

I know nothing in programming apps. I have some knowledge in HTML and BASIC but I guess that will not be helpful at all.

Starting from the point that I know nothing and that I want to make an iPhone app, how hard is it ? Is it like Dreamweaver in Designer Mode ? Do I really need to know some programming language ?

Please help out. Also I do not have a project in mind to make a app for the iPhone, but I am sure that by trying, ideas will pop out :)
Click to expand...

The level of difficulty is somewhere between making a PB&J and building a space shuttle.

Seriously, if you are experienced learning Cocoa Touch is incredibly easy. If you are inexperienced, start by learning simple programming such as C and then learn objective C. Next start learning the APIs that come with the SDK an study the examples. All of that should keep you busy for some time.
 
davedelong said:
And also how quickly you can wrap your head around some of the concepts. I'm currently struggling with NSWindowController but have grasped Core Data rather easily.
Click to expand...

True, there are also some design patterns that you have to learn as well that go beyond simply understanding the programming language.
 
whosyourtator said:
If you are inexperienced, start by learning simple programming such as C and then learn objective C.
Click to expand...

I think programming in C is far from simple. In my experience (although I did learn C first) Objective-C is a much easier language. Going from C to Objective-C without any prior object-oriented experience would be challenging. I would recommend starting with a simple object-oriented language such as Java. In fact, I wouldn't even bother starting with Java - Objective-C and the Cocoa frameworks are so well documented I think it would be just as easy, if not easier to pick up than Java. You could then move onto C to allow you to delve into the core Cocoa frameworks...

-Ross
 
Wow, thanks for your replies. It all sounds pretty hard actually. I was hoping to do things visually and not coding. I hope to see a app to make iPhone apps, quickly and easily.
 
fredsarran said:
Wow, thanks for your replies. It all sounds pretty hard actually. I was hoping to do things visually and not coding. I hope to see a app to make iPhone apps, quickly and easily.
Click to expand...

Creating software is not some drag-and-drop fun time like Interface Builder makes it look like it is. Cocoa and Cocoa Touch are both made it be very easy for experienced and even inexperienced programmers to get a hold of quickly and use, but they won't ever by drag-and-drop-"I'm going to throw together an app today and sell it 'cause I feel like it". Developing software requires time and patience to learn what you're doing and how to do it well.

People that think they can just jump in and get in on the AppStore gravy train are simply wrong - the people that are in the AppStore right now all spent the time to learn what they were doing if they didn't know already. You need to take the time and effort to do the same. Or you'll be here every two seconds flooding the forum with "How do I create an array?" or "What is an dictionary?"-type questions.
 
Don't forget that people go to universities to learn to program. While people do learn it by themselves all the time, it is still something that takes years to begin to grasp.

Visual tools exist, but only for the design of the UI, not for the logic. It's similar to how there are WYSIWYG tools for HTML, but not for JavaScript.
 
fredsarran said:
I was hoping to do things visually and not coding. I hope to see a app to make iPhone apps, quickly and easily.
Click to expand...

I have a bit of experience in desktop Cocoa and have spent the best part of 2 days getting a very, very simple app running. The visually thing is quite funny: normally with desktop Cocoa I find Interface Builder (the visual way of laying out the interface; you still need to write code for the logic) pretty good. For Cocoa Touch I found it to be totally useless. I couldn't get it to do what I wanted at all so I have created the interface in code instead!

With regards to a way to make apps without writing code you are very unlikely to see anything. In the end it is a mobile platform and tightly constrained. There is not going to be a big market for this app and it would have to compile down to Cocoa Touch anyway. Perhaps a web-app would work for you and be easier for you to develop.
 
If you're planning on trying to build anything past a screen shot app, or an app that adds two numbers together, then you will have to spend the time learning how to do that. If you've never programmed before, think of it this way:

You've never driven a car before, but you have sat in one several times. Now, you've suddenly decided to build a car, and race NASCAR. Yes, you've been given free tools to slap fancy body panels on a car frame, but that will not get you to the race. If you manage to fool someone into letting you race, you'll get passed quickly, or smashed into a wall. If you want to be a success, you're going to have to get a driver's permit, learn how to drive, get a license, learn how to build a car, learn how to build a better car, gain enough experience to become a good driver, and then slap those fancy body panels on your whiz bang car frame, and enter the race.
 
robbieduncan said:
I have a bit of experience in desktop Cocoa and have spent the best part of 2 days getting a very, very simple app running. The visually thing is quite funny: normally with desktop Cocoa I find Interface Builder (the visual way of laying out the interface; you still need to write code for the logic) pretty good. For Cocoa Touch I found it to be totally useless. I couldn't get it to do what I wanted at all so I have created the interface in code instead!
Click to expand...

Funny, I ended up doing the same thing. Granted when I started Interface Builder was missing about half of the UIKit controls and it was even more raw than it is today, but I still feel like its missing something.
 
Dashcode

If you want to try and build an easy app using only drag-and-drop, try building an iPhone web app using Dashcode. It's included with the Leopard Developer Tools. And Javascript is more forgiving than Obj-C for beginners.

Eventually, there probably will be tools to help convert a Dashcode web app into a regular installed app.
 
Sbrocket said:
People that think they can just jump in and get in on the AppStore gravy train are simply wrong - the people that are in the AppStore right now all spent the time to learn what they were doing if they didn't know already or they realized that it was too hard and released a flashlight app.
Click to expand...

Edited for accuracy...
 
My problem is I can program anything...I just can't think of something to make. My projects folder has almost two dozen apps that have yet to be finished. :rolleyes:
 
detz said:
My problem is I can program anything...I just can't think of something to make. My projects folder has almost two dozen apps that have yet to be finished. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

So you made stuff, but you don't have any ideas???

If you need ideas, PM me. I currently have 64 ideas and I am not going to have time to do them all.
 
Sbrocket said:
Funny, I ended up doing the same thing. Granted when I started Interface Builder was missing about half of the UIKit controls and it was even more raw than it is today, but I still feel like its missing something.
Click to expand...

I had the same experience. Since you're going to have to resort to code to make virtually any interface anyways, there seems to be little point in mucking around with IB. It's not at all like desktop cocoa, where one can go without ever writing interface code.
 
Just my opinion as an experienced Java programmer. I find the syntax a little hard to grasp, reference counting, memory allocation, just stuff I havent used since the old C/C++ days. I have gotten lazy, and I now prefer the drag and drop and click paradigm of C# Winforms and Adobe Flex :)
 
BigCanoe said:
Just my opinion as an experienced Java programmer. I find the syntax a little hard to grasp, reference counting, memory allocation, just stuff I havent used since the old C/C++ days. I have gotten lazy, and I now prefer the drag and drop and click paradigm of C# Winforms and Adobe Flex :)
Click to expand...

Fair play, never used any of them so can't comment :).
 
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