iOS Ipad app

[HappySnail]

Just playing with the idea of creating an app. Just wondering about if it's possible before i pay the money for the SDK. I haven't seen many music playing apps, this may be as no one wants to go against the ipod one installed or probably because apple don't allow access to the music on there, does anyone know if there's any way to access the music files on an ipad?
The idea is not to rival the ipod app but to provide a different service, working with the album artwork to enlarge albums in the grid depending on your parameters, making albums you haven't listened to in a while more prominent for example.

Unlikely, but is it theoretically possible?
I think i read something about not being able to access the music from other apps but i can't remember.

 

[DemonJim]

It is true that at one time you couldn't get at the iPod library data but it is now possible.

By the way, you don't need to pay for the iOS SDK to download it and run code on the iOS simulator on your Mac - it is free to register as a developer, download the full SDK and you can even develop a full game.

You only need to pay up when you want to actually run your app on a physical iOS device, and of course when you want to sell it on the App Store.

 

[HappySnail]

Ok thanks.

I'll try out, it should be possible then? good to know they allowed that.
All I need now is some serious coding knowledge.

 

[DemonJim]

Ok thanks.

I'll try out, it should be possible then? good to know they allowed that.
All I need now is some serious coding knowledge.

I am pretty sure you can do exactly what you suggest (you can even get at the raw audio data to do scratching / mixing etc. like that djay app) - whether Apple approve it is another thing.

Have a read of the developer guidelines - I know if all it does is essentially the same as the built-in iPod app but with a different interface they will reject it. It'd have to do something unique / extra and not claim to be a replacement for the iPod.

Even if they wouldn't accept it there's no harm writing it if it's primarily to learn to code for iOS or just for your own use.

I think the best advice anyone can give regarding writing an iOS app is don't bite off more than you can chew. Start simple. Something like your idea would be a great learning exercise before moving onto making a game. Lead Wars is my first iOS app and it turned out to be much more difficult and take far longer to write than I first thought (not having any prior knowledge of Obj-C or Cocoa).

A great book I would recommend if like me you're starting out with only C/C++ knowledge is the latest edition of Beginning iPhone Development by Mark / LaMarche.

 

[HappySnail]

Cheers for the help and advice.
I'll definitely check out that book.