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iOS Creating a simple app

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Big Shisha

macrumors member
Original poster
Feb 4, 2010
55
0
Hello,

I would like to create a simple iphone app for my sports team, all it would need to include is:
-twitter feed
-youtube feed
-rss news feed from the main site
-schedule
-map

Am I right in thinking that the only software I need is xcode 4 and a developers license to get the app into the app store?

I have some experience in coding, mainly HTML. From the screenshots of xcode 4, it looks similar to dreamweaver in that you can work in a GUI(add table by clicking on the table button) or by coding it.
Is it that simple, or am I getting it wrong?

Also, if I buy a developers license for a year, what happens after that year? Does the app stay in the store, but I cannot update it, or does it disappear from the app store?

Apologies if these are stupid questions, I have looked for an answer, but have come up with nothing so far.

Thanks in advance.
 
1) HTML is not coding. It's not close to it at all. You will need to learn to program.

2) The GUI design tools are just that: layout tools only. You will have to write significant amounts of code to do what you want. You will need to be competent in Objective-C and learn your way around the CocoaTouch framworks

3) If you don't pay after a year your application gets removed from the store.
 
Ah ok, I guess I was expecting some sort of Apple/iweb type software.
Thanks for clearing it up for me.
 
You could certainly make an application that is mostly HTML5/Javascript, that was the way that Apple originally intended for the iPhone 1. For webapps hosted externally you don't even need Xcode or a Developer license, but you can wrap a webapp into a "regular" app and then you would.

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Why not just make a website ? What you describe sounds like it would be more appropriate as a good old website that is device agnostic than a native app anyhow.

A lot of apps on the App Store right now are mostly things people could have just put up on the web.
 
If you want to make an app with html5 and then compile it down to a native iOS app you can use http://www.phonegap.com/ . I'm currently using it to develop an app and have a prototype using it on my iPad. Works pretty well so far.
 
Big Shisha said:
I would like to create a simple iphone app for my sports team
Click to expand...

KnightWRX said:
Why not just make a website?
Click to expand...

Agreed, I had missed what the app was about. I don't see anything in the desired feature list that can't be implemented as a plain old mobile-optimized website. Basically all a native app would be doing anyway is retrieving that information from the web and displaying it in a webview.

If you need a book to point you in the right direction, pick up Programming the Mobile Web. Apple also has some resources of their own here: http://www.apple.com/webapps/

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Thanks for all the replies.

I don't mind spending the $99 to get a developer license, I just didn't want to do it if I couldn't do what I needed to do.

We already have a website/twitter/facebook, I just wanted to cover all bases and an app seemed like the next step.
 
Big Shisha said:
We already have a website/twitter/facebook, I just wanted to cover all bases and an app seemed like the next step.
Click to expand...

You can still combine/publish those in a way that would make them most accessible to small screens including Android phones. With a webapp you can still get an icon on the iPhone/iPad screen and get your content where you need it.

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