iPhone App Development: Intro – From Zero to App Store

Introducing a series of articles detailing my experiences learning to develop and creating a real iPhone App.

Like a freight train, mobile apps have gone from rare to ubiquitous and show no signs of slowing down- all starting with the introduction of the Apple App Store a few years back. Before the app store, apps used to be reserved for enterprises or the uber-nerdy that would take the time to install them on their phone.

My first experience was installing an NES Emulator on my trusty first gen Moto Q – I can’t tell you how many times I would play a quick game of SMB3 while killing time. To this day, successful Apps possess similar qualities: simple, single purpose, and immediate access to appropriate information.

The real hook for anybody who has been thinking about developing an App is the very real promise of fame and/or money. Developing in the mobile scene often requires less “polish” and as a result less time and skill. A fully functioning desktop application competes against the “big boys” whereas a mobile app may only turn the LED light on your phone on and off.

I decided that I would teach myself how to code in August of 2010 after coming up with several straightforward app concepts that I knew would be easy to develop, but I was not willing to pay someone else to write for me. After some examination, I found that of the many developers I knew personally, none of them possessed some intangible skill that I could never hope to acquire.

This series of articles will not be a tutorial on How to code, but rather exploring the decision making process, structure, and how I went from knowing absolutely nothing about developing all the way to having a fully functional app. Learning the language and doing the research will be up to you.

Last but not least, I am in no way an expert in the world of iPhone App Development. I will do my best to answer questions or address issues, but this is just an example of how I decided to build an app – meant for other beginners. If you’re looking for expert advice, ask your friend Mr. Google.