iOS Where should a semi-noob start?

[Kilo Loco]

Sorry to ask a question that you've all heard a million times over, but I am kinda looking for a tailored answer.

I work on Swift iOS Development in my spare time and I am having a hard time with which steps I should take in order to be a pro.

My goal is to get a career in the app development field. Preferably something on my own, but more likely a company job first for experience.

So far I have taken a majority of a Udemy course by Rob Percival and it is setup to show beginners how to make several different types of apps. I like the course but it isn't completely clear on why exactly he's typing what's in his code or how I would go about modifying it to my own needs.

Also, I am primarily interest in Core Data because I would prefer to make productivity apps and from my understanding, Core Data is a huge part of it.

What do you guys recommend I do in order to start my journey to becoming a professional developer?

Should I start by reading and coding the Apple Swift Guide, which seems very basic and vague in when I would use this information in a real situation?

Should I continue to go through the Apple Developer Core Data guide which doesn't make too much sense for me?

Should I just play with code that is provided through my course?

Or is there a better way that you have found to be more effective?

Thank you in advance and sorry for the long post.

 

[1458279]

It sounds like the Stanford iTunesU classes would be a good choice for you. There's several books that get into Core Data in depth, but I would get a good general handle on other things as well.

Productivity apps are likely to be a very fast growing area. Once you have a good handle on things, I would examine other productivity apps and try to clone them. This is a good exercise because it forces you to figure out how they did things and makes you a better problem solver.

Once you have a good understanding of how to get an app done, think about the changes that you or a company would ask for. AppDev isn't a static thing, they (you) would want a code base that others can read and modify, this requires skills that some skimp on like good readable code and good OO design.

Many will simply look for the easiest way to get something done, while others will develop a good solid base of code that is flexible and robust.

Don't forget about code that works in different languages and different devices, that a large part of making apps now, that wasn't much of a factor a few years ago.

Try to stick with the latest devices, split screen, threaded etc...