iPhone Programmers: We Developed An App For That
Have you heard about the pre-teen prodigy who developed his own app for the iPhone? It’s true, nine year old Lim Ding Wen has created a simple painting tool application for the iPhone titled Doodle Kids. Wen might just be the youngest iPhone developer out there, but he’s definitely not alone. Hundreds, possibly even thousands of computer programmers are turning their attention towards cashing in on the iPhone app development craze.
In just a few short years, mobile application development has become a considerable industry generating billions in annual revenue. Many first time iPhone app developers have seen such remarkable success they’ve been able to quit their day jobs to focus full time on taking their ideas to the next level. In just one month the developer of iShooter, a worm based shooter game for the iPhone saw his creation rise to over $22,000 a day in downloads. The surprising fact is that this story isn’t all that uncommon. There are app developers making ridiculous amounts of money every day launching new and exciting mobile games and applications.
All it takes is an idea and a little know how. When iPhone originally launched there was practically no documentation available to potential iPhone development engineers. However, realizing the size and potential impact of the application scene iPhone has since offered would be programmers with the necessary documentation to navigate and develop on iPhone’s Safari platform.
While iPhone is not an open source platform, meaning Apple retains the rights to the code, anyone can develop software for the iPhone. Programmers simply pay a small fee to register as iPhone developers and gain instant access to all the documentation, white papers, and assistance needed to bring their own creative idea to life. The software development kit, or SDK, for short includes all the necessary tools to program and test iPhone applications.
Once a potential developer has purchased the SDK and registered as an official iPhone developer the next step is to start writing. iPhone runs on objective C. Mastering objective C does come with a learning curve, although programmers experienced in C++ code will likely experience a much shorter version of the learning curve. The trick for most experienced programmers is familiarizing themselves with the APIs of the iPhone and mastering the iPhone’s unique language. Whether you’re a beginner learning to code from scratch or a proficient programmer the key to creating your own successful iPhone app is practice.
When the writing and testing is done, and you’re sure you have the next big thing for the iPhone, all that’s left is to submit your application to Apple for upload to the iPhone app store. All completed iPhone applications must be submitted directly to Apple. It normally takes Apple a few weeks to review, test, and accept new submissions. Once the application is completed Apple will automatically upload the submitted app to the virtual store.
Once your application is published, all that’s left to do is sit back and watch as your idea climbs to the top of the iPhone’s most downloaded list, and the Benjamins roll in. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, you might just make enough in one day to quit your day job too. All you need is an idea and a little hard work and you’ll be cashing in on the iPhone app craze in no time.