iOS Server

[Nnavick]

Hi
I have in my app about 200 Pictures
My question is if it will be more clever to download the pictures from a server to the app or should I store all the images in the app it self.

From what I heard working with a server can make a lot of problems,
but to storage more than 200 images on the app sounds crazy.

what is the best way?

 

[cnstoll]

Do your really want your app to require an internet connection to use? Not to mention obliterate your user's cellular data plan for no reason?

If you size the images properly I see no reason why storing them in the app itself would be prohibitive. 200 images at iPhone4 resolution would be like 30MB, tops. For an app with a lot of media that's not a huge deal. Just make sure you're not storing excessively large files for no reason.

 

[Nnavick]

My app has a connection to database via the internet so maybe it might better to store the photos in the DB,because the app already uses network services

What do you say?

 

[cnstoll]

I guess it depends on how you're using the photos.

If any time the app is used you're going to end up loading them all, you should store them locally for sure.

If it's something like occasionally, or based on user selection, one or two of the photos will get loaded...then I suppose in that case it would make sense to store them on a server.

 

[Nnavick]

Hmmmm....The photos will be loaded one time during the "viewDidLoad" method
(all the 200 images at once)

 

[cnstoll]

If that's the case, downloading 200 photos via an internet connection every time a view loads makes no sense to me.

If the photos improve the quality of your app I see no reason not to include them in the app bundle. Games apps that are nearly a gigabyte have sold hundreds of thousands of copies: users clearly don't mind downloading large apps. If your app is media intensive I don't really see a problem with a 20-50MB app bundle.

 

[Nnavick]

I have one view that when the view load at the first time the photos
are being loaded,not every time a new view load

 

[cnstoll]

I have one view that when the view load at the first time the photos
are being loaded,not every time a new view load

Yeah, that's what I thought you meant.

If you're set on using a connection to download the photos, do you store them in the app's document space so you don't have to reload them the next time they're downloaded? Or if you terminate the app, and relaunch it, are all of the photos going to be downloaded again?

 

[Nnavick]

Yeah, that's what I thought you meant.

If you're set on using a connection to download the photos, do you store them in the app's document space so you don't have to reload them the next time they're downloaded? Or if you terminate the app, and relaunch it, are all of the photos going to be downloaded again?

if you will terminate the app, and relaunch it, all of the photos going to be downloaded again.

I know what will be your answer to store the photos on the app itself right?

 

[Comrade Yeti]

if you will terminate the app, and relaunch it, all of the photos going to be downloaded again.

I know what will be your answer to store the photos on the app itself right?

Just to be clear. I would never use your app, and give it REALLY bad reviews if it forced a 30 MB download on me (or any user) each time it opened. You may have a fast internet connection, and a large bandwidth cap, but your users probably won't. Forcing the download on them is just unfair. Bundle the images in the app. If its too big, look at scaling the images down, reducing detail, compression, etc.

 

[cnstoll]

I know what will be your answer to store the photos on the app itself right?

To be perfectly frank, I don't even see why you're considering doing it any other way.

At the VERY least if they absolutely must be stored on a server and downloaded at run time...you should save them locally THEN so that they don't have to be downloaded again LATER.