Swift is a programming language for creating apps and games for the iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and other Apple devices. It was created by Apple with the goal of getting the best possible performance from devices. For you, we have prepared a short guide on how best to create applications in this language.
Planning
Analyze similar apps in the App Store. This will help you understand what your competitors’ users are missing.
List the features of your application. Write down all your ideas so you don’t forget.
Choose a few of the most important ones. This will be your workload for the first release.
The basic functions of the application are important. That is, those without which it would not make sense. An application consisting only of such functions is called MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Also, try to add a few features to the list that would differentiate your app from the competition and add value to the user.
It’s time to move on to apps interface design. Start with pencil sketches, and if you want to create some real layouts, you don’t have to master complex applications.
Of course, you cannot replace a professional analyst, marketer, and designer, but if you work alone, you will have to complete these steps yourself.
Development
Try to think in advance about what and how you will be implemented in your code. Of course, without experience in swift app development, it is difficult to think through the architecture of an application. Here are some tips to help you with this:
- Explore someone else’s code
- Learn to find answers to questions on the Internet
- Find a person or community to ask questions that weren’t answered
It’s time to open up Xcode and get started. Always keep order from the beginning of the project:
- group files into folders;
- remove unused code;
- stick to your code style;
- do not duplicate the code;
- do not allow the view controller to grow (MVC does not force you to write all the code in the controller);
- check all scenarios, not just positive ones.
Uploading an application to Appstore
Another hurdle for independent developers is the need to pay $ 100 to be able to put their app on the App Store. There is a lot of information on how to register on the Internet, it is easy to find it.
After registering an account, you can proceed to publishing. To do this, select the Product-> Archive menu in Xcode. After archiving – press the Distribute App button and wait for the unloading.
The app goes to the App Store Connect. On this site, you need to fill in the application information, add screenshots and information for Apple reviewers. Yes, it is obligatory to pass the review. This is partly a roulette wheel, but if you follow all the points, then the likelihood of a successful review greatly increases. First, examine the main reasons for rejection. The application should:
- Work stably and do not crash.
- Have a working link to the user agreement.
- Be completely finished, workable and functional.
- Provide clear explanations when requesting permissions for GPS, camera, contacts, and so on.
- Have screenshots and a full description in the store (their absence is one of the most common reasons for refusal).
- Be unique. You cannot upload a copy of another application (including your own).
- Don’t use the private API.
Further development of the application
Congratulations! Your first app is already in the store, and you are looking hopefully at the download counter. But the work is not over yet. Next, you have to develop and maintain your application.
After you get the basics down, move on to exploring other technologies. GPS, push notifications, Apple Pay, Siri, AR, information security, working with media and a huge number of third-party services and frameworks – by learning and using something new, you increase your value in the market. Therefore, if you want to be a good developer, never stop there.
Summing up
In this article, we tried to reflect the most basic questions of mobile development on the iOS platform and the stages of creating a simple application. There are many ways to further immerse yourself in the topic. You can independently read specialized literature and watch training videos on Youtube, it is easy to find them there. You can watch webinars or lectures with teachers, which also clearly show what mobile development is.
