Are iPhone apps easy to code?

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Are iPhone apps easy to code or something? I see low prices on the bid sites, $20, $50 etc. to code a game or app for iPhone. That seems a bit low to me, but perhaps its simple to code, don't know. I haven't even looked into the technology needed. Some mac stuff I would assume and I know nothing about Macs.
#main internet marketing discussion forum #apps #code #easy #iphone
  • I think that depends on whether or not you're a programmer or not! To get the developer program through Apple is $99 bucks for the "standard" program and $299 for the "Enterprise Program." You can read about it here and get more details. I personally have NO coding experience but would love to develop and iPhone app for our business!

    iPhone Developer Program - Apple Developer Connection
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  • I agree. iPhone Apps is all the rage right now.
    • [1] reply
    • I'm working on getting an iPhone app out the door right now that will integrate with a new site I'm launching. I'm having it coded for free since I worked out a pretty cool JV. Seek out JVs maybe or find a reliable programmer. Most bids I've seen were in the 2k range. I don't think they're too simple to code...but I don't know
      • [1] reply
  • They're written in Cocoa, Apple's objective-C programming language.

    It's certainly not simple - but they provide a good SDK / framework to get you started.

    Bids around the 2k range sound fair if you're paying outright for someone to develop an iPhone App.
  • Agree with the above there is now way in the world you would get an iphone app developed for $50 unless it was an existing web app made to work through safari on the iphone. Things will get easier as there companies out there working on frameworks which let you either build native apps easier or wrap a web based app up as a native app. One that springs to mind at the moment is PhoneGap | Cross platform mobile framework
  • Hi,

    Apple do a pretty good job in making sure all the development tools and SDKs are available. The documentation is good and all Macs come delivered with the Development environment. So, it's pretty easy to become set-up to do this development.

    Like most development, it's an art form rather than a science, so the quality of the finished product will largely depend on the developer. Also, the iPhone is know for it's sleek user interface so you'll need to make sure the graphics capability of your developer is up to scratch (depending on application of course).

    Be careful, like I say it's pretty easy to set yourself up as an iPhone developer (I am for example), but it's certainly not a piece of cake to actually develop a good application. Any one with a C/C++ background could do it, perhaps with Windows API experience, although not exactly the same, the principles are similar (event driven coding that sort of thing).

    You should ask for examples, but if a developer pointed you at a cool app in the app store, how would you know they actually developed it. Check and double check.

    Cheers, Lee.
  • Just for those that interested btw there are some free video lectures with accompanying PDFs available for free from stanford university which you can download from itunesu, more info is here CS193P - Cocoa Programming | Announcements

    As Lee said *becoming* an iphone dev is straight-forward, *being* one really assumes existing programming experience and even then ObjectiveC is quite quirky (I find anyway even having 20 years development experience using Basic/C/Clipper/Delphi)

    Gary
  • I cannot say it's easy to code.
    There are many restrictions in iPhone HIG (Human Interface Guide) and some platform limitations that may be a challenge when you develop something complex, e.g. handling big data arrays, or real time applications. You have to strictly adhere the HIG to be approved in AppStore.

    Another pain is Apple Dev Program and AppStore submission bureaucracy.
    • [1] reply
    • $20 - $50? That's sounds too good to be true and probably is.

      I studied Cocoa, Cocoa Touch (use for iPhone) and Objective-C for several months and I wouldn't even attempt a full out app right now and I have programming experience and even if I could there's no way I could justify doing it for $50 even if it were just to integrate an existing web app.

      The dev environment is nice and intuitive and is one of the nicest I've seen. But, that's where it ends. Cocoa and subsequently Cocoa Touch is in fact quirky and can take a little to get used to even if you are an experienced programmer.

      If you are looking to develop a game there are several game dev environments that support migrating to the iPhone. Torque is one such engine but you can search on google for others.

      But, concerning those prices you are seeing for apps, all I can say is buyer beware.

      I hope this helps,
      • [1] reply
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    Are iPhone apps easy to code?

    Are iPhone apps easy to code or something? I see low prices on the bid sites, $20, $50 etc. to code a game or app for iPhone. That seems a bit low to me, but perhaps its simple to code, don't know. I haven't even looked into the technology needed. Some mac stuff I would assume and I know nothing about Macs.