Apple Posts Web Development Guidelines for iPhone

[RodThePlod]

Is that too much to ask for? If apple provides that stuff, we can focus our time on developing content and not the UI sugar.

Nope - it's not too much to ask for! I'm sure Apple is working on this and will very likely make it available soon.

Over the last few weeks I've been pleasantly surprised by the way Apple have been providing a constant stream of upfront information on iPhone - for example all the videos, finger tips, demos, etc.

These developer docs/tips have now appeared and I'm sure that over the next few days/weeks we'll see them add more stuff to the developer web site.

They're pushing this thing Big Time after all

Rod.

 

[nydoofus]

Nope - it's not too much to ask for! I'm sure Apple is working on this and will very likely make it available soon.

Over the last few weeks I've been pleasantly surprised by the way Apple have been providing a constant stream of upfront information on iPhone - for example all the videos, finger tips, demos, etc.

These developer docs/tips have now appeared and I'm sure that over the next few days/weeks we'll see them add more stuff to the developer web site.

They're pushing this thing Big Time after all

Rod.

I don't know... Why didn't Apple just say at WWDC, "We are working on an SDK, for now, you can use the great Web 2.0 features". Though I guess they might have did that in order to push Web 2.0. I hope there will be a simple SDK soon. I don't care if they force a particular UI down the developers throat in order to keep consistency, at least let some basic acces.

 

[notjustjay]

Second, I have yet to see someone lay out plans for an app that (1) can't be done as a web app and (2) has major appeal to the majority of iPhone users. I'm talking pipedreams here either, like "I wish my phone could drive my car" more like "i wish i could use my iphone to control my itunes on my desktop". (FYI - thats totally possible)

One of the main reasons I bought my PDA was to have a Bible handy with me everywhere, in multiple versions (NIV, King James, etc) and searchable. Sure, all of that can be done with a web-based app, but it would be very inconvenient if you couldn't access it where you had no network connection. Also, the nice thing about these sorts of apps is you can highlight passages, type your own notes, etc., which would be harder to do in a web-based environment (will I need to sign up with a userid and password on some site so I can store my own bookmarks and notes in an ebook reader on the iPhone?)

For those not into the Bible there are certainly equivalents like encyclopedias, other ebooks, medical texts, other religious texts, dictionaries, reference materials...

Another reason I keep a PDA is to have databases of things like song lyrics and chords, an up-to-date query of geocaches I have yet to find, ... in other words, collections of personalized data. Certainly possible in a web-based framework but not as convenient, especially if the exact intent of carrying this stuff on a PDA-like device is to make things available when I'm not near a network-attached computer!

Apple may be trying to usher in the old "the network is the computer" paradigm once again, but until the planet is saturated with a universal high-speed network connection, offline data storage still has its uses.

 

[RodThePlod]

I don't know... Why didn't Apple just say at WWDC, "We are working on an SDK, for now, you can use the great Web 2.0 features". Though I guess they might have did that in order to push Web 2.0. I hope there will be a simple SDK soon. I don't care if they force a particular UI down the developers throat in order to keep consistency, at least let some basic acces.

Doing it the way they did simply gives them options. They haven't promised anyone an SDK and so are under no obligations as to when to provide one, to whom and in what form.

There very likely will be a full blown SDK once Apple have worked out the kinks and are confident that they can open up the platform to developers without compromising (too much) on stability, security and user experience.

In the meantime, we make do with Safari-based webkit apps.

Rod.

 

[mambodancer]

Web access

Apple is really blowing it with this. How am I supposed to use these apps on my commuter train which rarely has internet access, or on a plane? This is a the single biggest flaw with the iPhone. The web apps I've tried so far are pretty lame and no fun to use.

The applications that are being developed in this manner are all heavily based on the internet to begin with.

Gas.app requires an internet connection to find the cheapest service stations and then map them.
Go Movies, the same in order to find the nearest theater and map it.

Now games, that's another story and I agree with you there. Give it time, and Apple will likely open it up for the creation and installation of stand alone, non-internet based applications. A spreadsheet like app would be a good start.

 

[Heijtink]

Not good enough?

Apple is really blowing it with this. How am I supposed to use these apps on my commuter train which rarely has internet access, or on a plane? This is a the single biggest flaw with the iPhone. The web apps I've tried so far are pretty lame and no fun to use.

I think Apple made a very wise decision not let everybody make apps for the iPhone. First the iPhone needs to establish a record of not crashing, of having no problems, (ok maybe some features missing). But atleast the people experience what Apple inteded them to experience. The next logical steps would be allowing some companies that have proofed over the years that they make solid and good apps from desktops, laptops and mobile devises.

Everybody is missing something and everybody got something. I think people mix up their future vision for the iPhone with the current possibilities within technology and within a decent price. Sure the iPhone could include and do all the things that we are talking about right now but only in the future.

I'm more curious about how the iPhone will do in Europe. Especially in The Netherlands. They are a whole different public. My estimates are that only a view (if any) will be waiting outside an Apple or carrier store to buy an iPhone. If there are not that many it would make no sense to wait outside the store.

Time will tell....

 

[dangleheart]

Yes, but there are some apps that just won't work as a webapp.

It was ridiculous, insulting and infuriating to tell people at WWDC that the best Apple could do is to point out the obvious webapp solution.

That is a bit of an over-reaction, janey. Developers want to put in native apps for fun and/or profit and Apple, atleast in the first version, wants to play it safe than sorry. I don't think there is much more to it than that.

 

[Sai Zelion]

Hang tight

I have an iPhone, and it is amazing!
However it feels like a powerfull gadget that is not being used to its full potential.

Apple not opening the iPhone up to installable apps will hurt them in the long run

Users want to be able to customize their experience to suit their needs, and this web-app thing is a frusterating half-baked comprimise.

sucks apple...just sucks....

Come guys.... We all have been around a loooong time and we all understand the product development trends. NO COMPANY RELEASES A PRODUCT WITH ALL OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES INCLUDED WITHIN THE FIRST MODEL.

You have to understand what goes on behind the scenes when companies decide to dedicate millions to developing a product. They layout all of the features they intend on including in the product. Then they devise a long and short term strategy that defines what features will included in the 1st model release and what will be added in models to come (timing is key in mapping this strategy because you also have to ensure your competition will not beat you to the punch by introducing new features before your 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc models are released).

This is the SPOON-FEEDING approach the market always hits us with concerning products like PDA Phones. Companies plan a strategy to keep you coming back. It would be a financial disaster for ANY company to lay all of the desired features in to the first model or any model for that reason because buyers would see no reason to upgrade in the future- thus destroying chances for future revenue.

What we can expect from Apple for the iPhone:
1: Apple is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of their golden goose- OSX.
Don't forget what we all love about Apple, supreme functionality. Apple is not MICROSOFT. Apple is not willing to allow just any outside developer the opportunity to compromise their OS. I'm not sure about you guys but i've always had Windows Mobile based PDA's and every PDA i've own- which is installed 3rd party programs, I encountered considerable problems with the operating system. For those reason, they wisely requiring developers to develop through Safari instead of developing directly through OSX. What does this mean for you? That decision further ensured the security, and overall experience that you are currently enjoying with your iPhone.

2: Apple STILL wants in!:
Let's not forget that Apple is still the MINORITY in the personal computing world. With the iPhone and the decision to NOT allow developers to directly develop on OSX, Apple has perfectly positioned themselves to introduce users to THEIR APPLICATIONS. It's reported that over 225,000 users bought iPhones; it's estimated that over 45% of individuals purchased the iPhone do NOT own a MAC which means they are getting their first dose of Apple OSX bliss. I've seen this for my self. After 5 of my colleges played around with my iPhone they continued to make statements along the lines of "it's so simple and powerful. I've always been curious about Apple's stuff and how it works and if this iPhone is based off their operating system, I definately want to check out their OTHER stuff."

Through the iPhone, Apple gains a back door or alternate approach to increasing awareness of the greatness of their products thereby gaining more ground in the personal computing market share because people will experience Apple's iPhone ease of use and productivity Apps and begin to wonder/realize that Apple products are great and can meet their needs. So now you have people coming into Apple Stores to demo MacBooks, MacPro's etc... Increase awareness through EXPERIENCE and you increase SURE Sales, not HYPE or trend SALES... thus increasing market share. This is a great opportunity for Apple. APPLE WILL introduce their own productivity applications which they are strongly betting users will also love and enjoy their combination of POWER and EASE of USE..

3: Executing this to perfection:
In order for this to work Apple develop or introduce these features in the next model of the iPhone or the next software update or develop the apps and make them available through their Apple store. The Apps must be PC compatible as well. As much as we'd like to believe that people will completely abandon PC's, we can't bet on that, so make it PC compatible so that it will continue to appeal to both sides (i.e. iTunes on PC & Mac).

4: What's to come:
a. Productivity Apps from APPLE
b. Additional Features for the iPhone (ofcourse!)
c. Maybe and additional version of iPhone with a different approach (not
better but different. This is key becuase they don't want users
abandoning the primary model.- i.e. the H3 is clearly a DIFFERENT
type of hummer compared to the H2). Sliding keyboard coming up
maybe? I event doubt this what's to come point lol

Hey just a quick note: Since Apple has introduced the iPhone, it's stock jumped up +5.12%. Considering that more people will be aware of Apple's products- we all know sales will increase and market share will increase as well. Buying some stock in Apple right now is a viable decision!

Well folks we've been spoon-fed. Let us take our portions with gleaming enthusiasm and let us eagerly await the next portion!
_______________________________________
iPhone, iGotOne, IDidNotWaitInLine... HA HA HA!!!

 

[Heijtink]

Missing the point

Yes, but there are some apps that just won't work as a webapp.

It was ridiculous, insulting and infuriating to tell people at WWDC that the best Apple could do is to point out the obvious webapp solution.

Janey,

I think you are missing the point. All the things you are talking about are of course way better solutions if you think that Apple was trying to make an opensource phone. Also if you live in an ideal world. As I stated above it would be deadly to have their first version of the iPhone having crashing reports. Sure it would be because of the apps they installed on their phone. But we don't live in a perfect world and Apple will be blamed for it. I think it is very wise to take things easy. The iPhone is already way ahead of other phones. Not in terms of what it can do but in terms of how it works.

Also OS X is stable and secure because of all the security policies they have in place. It would be impossible for the iPhone to have all these functionalities. It would slow the phone down, end up with less space on the iPhone.

Apple done a great job. You nor I could have done it better.

 

[nydoofus]

The good thing about the iPhone is that Apple is still in control of the phone and its OS and features. This is a HUGE problem in the Windows Mobile world, where the OS is controlled by the phone companies, who love nothing better than to stick you on an upgrade treadmill.

For example, my PPC-6700 I mentioned earlier came with Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU 2.0 (AKU is kind of like a service pack). Since then, Microsoft have come out with a few more AKU's, up to 3.5 and then finally Windows Mobile 6.0. However since the firmware is controlled by the wireless carrier, both Sprint and Verizon issued just one update (2.2) and then basically washed their hands of the phone. They already had the money and the contract lock in, so they didn't feel the need to spend the money to get another update. It was only due to hackers, porting AKU 3.5 from other phones in Europe, that I actually have the newest firmware of WM5 on it. And from what I read on the web, Microsoft has not been pleased with this kind of behavior.

Since Apple still controls the phone, I expect many updates and enhancements to come (and I'm sure they will).

 

[Krevnik]

For example, my PPC-6700 I mentioned earlier came with Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU 2.0 (AKU is kind of like a service pack). Since then, Microsoft have come out with a few more AKU's, up to 3.5 and then finally Windows Mobile 6.0. However since the firmware is controlled by the wireless carrier, both Sprint and Verizon issued just one update (2.2) and then basically washed their hands of the phone. They already had the money and the contract lock in, so they didn't feel the need to spend the money to get another update. It was only due to hackers, porting AKU 3.5 from other phones in Europe, that I actually have the newest firmware of WM5 on it. And from what I read on the web, Microsoft has not been pleased with this kind of behavior.

There is a reason for the madness here: Most bug fixes in an AKU are not meant for a wide audience. AKU 2 for WM5 (The feature pack) was an exception in a lot of ways. I would love nothing more than to explain the situation, and how we intend to solve the issue of being able to push WM updates to our customers, but unfortunately, I cannot. Although I can say we are acutely aware of the problem, and are looking closely at it.

 

[Sai Zelion]

The good thing about the iPhone is that Apple is still in control of the phone and its OS and features. This is a HUGE problem in the Windows Mobile world, where the OS is controlled by the phone companies, who love nothing better than to stick you on an upgrade treadmill.

For example, my PPC-6700 I mentioned earlier came with Windows Mobile 5.0 AKU 2.0 (AKU is kind of like a service pack). Since then, Microsoft have come out with a few more AKU's, up to 3.5 and then finally Windows Mobile 6.0. However since the firmware is controlled by the wireless carrier, both Sprint and Verizon issued just one update (2.2) and then basically washed their hands of the phone. They already had the money and the contract lock in, so they didn't feel the need to spend the money to get another update. It was only due to hackers, porting AKU 3.5 from other phones in Europe, that I actually have the newest firmware of WM5 on it. And from what I read on the web, Microsoft has not been pleased with this kind of behavior.

Since Apple still controls the phone, I expect many updates and enhancements to come (and I'm sure they will).

Ny,
Your insight is right along the lines of what I was saying. Things have gotten way out of control with Win Mobile and Microsoft was little control over it and the Providers have washed their hands of it because they've made their money in small portions of hardware sales and the huge chunk the collect through contract sales. With this approach, we are all in position for good things such as a STABLE PHONE with great apps to come and CONTINUOUS UPDATES!

I had WIN Mobile based PDA's for 3-4yrs, and i've never had updates directly from Microsoft, on a regular basis, support and other goodies. There are some great things on the horizon for us iPhone owners!
___________________________________________________
iPhone, iGotOne, iDidNotWaitInLine HA HA HA

 

[propynyl]

Apple is just hooking us early iPhone Adopters (love mine), then they'll release a new App enabled phone in a year and we'll all trade up. They have the money machine.

So you dont think it'll just be a simple software update? Why would it need to be a "new app enabled phone?"

-propynyl

 

[nydoofus]

There is a reason for the madness here: Most bug fixes in an AKU are specific operator requests. AKU 2 for WM5 (The feature pack) was an exception in a lot of ways. I would love nothing more than to explain the situation, and how we intend to solve the issue of being able to push WM updates to our customers, but unfortunately, I cannot. Although I can say we are acutely aware of the problem, and are looking closely at it.

AKU 3 IIRC also had some feature additions (some AJAX support I think), but the point is taken. I did read that MS was looking to separate the radio / operator bits to allow Windows Updates. I'm guessing Windows Mobile 6 doesn't solve that problem either?

 

[propynyl]

Safari Crashes pretty regularly

I mean, with all this talk about crashing, you guys gotta realize, apple's own software seems to be crashing a lot. Very often when I'm on safari, it crashes and I am brought back to the home screen. Engadget mentioned that this was one of their biggest peeves about the phone.

On top of all that, I still love it....but I want more program choices, it feels very bare bones as of today.

 

[Krevnik]

AKU 3 IIRC also had some feature additions (some AJAX support I think), but the point is taken. I did read that MS was looking to separate the radio / operator bits to allow Windows Updates. I'm guessing Windows Mobile 6 doesn't solve that problem either?

Well, what makes it into an AKU is determined by many factors, and I can't comment on them all... some we would love to push out to all our customers, and others are not customer-facing fixes.

WM6 does have Windows Update support. We can (in theory) push down updates. However, since we have to work closely with both the OEM and carrier, we still have to make them happy with the plan as well.

This is one of those situations where if you had all the details, it would make a lot of sense why WM updates aren't in an ideal situation right now. Mostly I just want to iterate that we are aware of it, have solutions, and are working to bring them to the customer as feasible (kinda like SJ's comment on 3G).

 

[propynyl]

Come guys.... We all have been around a loooong time and we all understand the product development trends. NO COMPANY RELEASES A PRODUCT WITH ALL OF THE BELLS AND WHISTLES INCLUDED WITHIN THE FIRST MODEL.

You have to understand what goes on behind the scenes when companies decide to dedicate millions to developing a product. They layout all of the features they intend on including in the product. Then they devise a long and short term strategy that defines what features will included in the 1st model release and what will be added in models to come (timing is key in mapping this strategy because you also have to ensure your competition will not beat you to the punch by introducing new features before your 2nd, 3rd, 4th etc models are released).

This is the SPOON-FEEDING approach the market always hits us with concerning products like PDA Phones. Companies plan a strategy to keep you coming back. It would be a financial disaster for ANY company to lay all of the desired features in to the first model or any model for that reason because buyers would see no reason to upgrade in the future- thus destroying chances for future revenue.

What we can expect from Apple for the iPhone:
1: Apple is dedicated to maintaining the integrity of their golden goose- OSX.
Don't forget what we all love about Apple, supreme functionality. Apple is not MICROSOFT. Apple is not willing to allow just any outside developer the opportunity to compromise their OS. I'm not sure about you guys but i've always had Windows Mobile based PDA's and every PDA i've own- which is installed 3rd party programs, I encountered considerable problems with the operating system. For those reason, they wisely requiring developers to develop through Safari instead of developing directly through OSX. What does this mean for you? That decision further ensured the security, and overall experience that you are currently enjoying with your iPhone.

2: Apple STILL wants in!:
Let's not forget that Apple is still the MINORITY in the personal computing world. With the iPhone and the decision to NOT allow developers to directly develop on OSX, Apple has perfectly positioned themselves to introduce users to THEIR APPLICATIONS. It's reported that over 225,000 users bought iPhones; it's estimated that over 45% of individuals purchased the iPhone do NOT own a MAC which means they are getting their first dose of Apple OSX bliss. I've seen this for my self. After 5 of my colleges played around with my iPhone they continued to make statements along the lines of "it's so simple and powerful. I've always been curious about Apple's stuff and how it works and if this iPhone is based off their operating system, I definately want to check out their OTHER stuff."

Through the iPhone, Apple gains a back door or alternate approach to increasing awareness of the greatness of their products thereby gaining more ground in the personal computing market share because people will experience Apple's iPhone ease of use and productivity Apps and begin to wonder/realize that Apple products are great and can meet their needs. So now you have people coming into Apple Stores to demo MacBooks, MacPro's etc... Increase awareness through EXPERIENCE and you increase SURE Sales, not HYPE or trend SALES... thus increasing market share. This is a great opportunity for Apple. APPLE WILL introduce their own productivity applications which they are strongly betting users will also love and enjoy their combination of POWER and EASE of USE..

3: Executing this to perfection:
In order for this to work Apple develop or introduce these features in the next model of the iPhone or the next software update or develop the apps and make them available through their Apple store. The Apps must be PC compatible as well. As much as we'd like to believe that people will completely abandon PC's, we can't bet on that, so make it PC compatible so that it will continue to appeal to both sides (i.e. iTunes on PC & Mac).

4: What's to come:
a. Productivity Apps from APPLE
b. Additional Features for the iPhone (ofcourse!)
c. Maybe and additional version of iPhone with a different approach (not
better but different. This is key becuase they don't want users
abandoning the primary model.- i.e. the H3 is clearly a DIFFERENT
type of hummer compared to the H2). Sliding keyboard coming up
maybe? I event doubt this what's to come point lol

Hey just a quick note: Since Apple has introduced the iPhone, it's stock jumped up +5.12%. Considering that more people will be aware of Apple's products- we all know sales will increase and market share will increase as well. Buying some stock in Apple right now is a viable decision!

Well folks we've been spoon-fed. Let us take our portions with gleaming enthusiasm and let us eagerly await the next portion!
_______________________________________
iPhone, iGotOne, IDidNotWaitInLine... HA HA HA!!!

Very good points!!!
-propynyl

 

[jayducharme]

I found this puzzling:

JavaScript execution is limited to 5 seconds for each top-level entry point. If your script executes longer than 5 seconds, an exception is raised.

What does that mean? If a piece of JavaScript takes longer than 5 seconds to load, the iPhone crashes? If Edge is as pokey as some people are reporting, it might not be the web designer's fault that the code takes too long to load. Five seconds doesn't seem like enough time to load some scripts.

Unneeded JavaScript consumes precious memory resources. Websites that have been in existence for some time often contain unused JavaScript; a quick audit of your site can help you free up memory resources and improve site performance.

Why isn't this an issue on most home computers? And why should web designers suddenly bend over backwards to make sure their pages work on the iPhone? It seems like Apple should be the one bending over backwards to make their new gadget compatible with most websites.

It still puzzles me that they refuse to support Flash. Adobe would probably have included an export option in Flash that would optimize an SWF file specifically for the iPhone. That would be cool -- having "apps" for the iPhone that were created in Flash. They'd be much more graphically intricate and customizable than what could be achieved with HTML or JavaScript. And a whole world of games would be accessible.

 

[notjustjay]

What does that mean? If a piece of JavaScript takes longer than 5 seconds to load, the iPhone crashes? If Edge is as pokey as some people are reporting, it might not be the web designer's fault that the code takes too long to load. Five seconds doesn't seem like enough time to load some scripts.

Not load, execute. Most JavaScripts are for simple programs, like to load a URL when you click a certain place or calculate the date and time or generate a random value, calculating sales tax from an input field, stuff like that. Stuff that should take a split second to perform. Should you load any kind of heavy-duty number crunching, the iPhone will limit it to 5 seconds worth before stopping it.

I imagine they do this to limit resource consumption (memory, CPU, and therefore battery) as well as provide a snappier UI experience -- on a slower and simpler CPU, time spent executing JavaScript is time NOT spent refreshing the interface or checking for touch activations.

 

[stealthman1]

Looks like Apple has dished out some 'tough Love'! I'd be willing to bet they have no desire to see the same crappy stuff on their revolutionary phone. I'd also be willing to bet, requiring developers to think will spawn a new wave of creativity that has sorely been lacking of late.

 

[Random Ping]

The reasons NOT to are as follows, and I hope Apple does NOT open up development until all three are very well addressed:

1. Stability. ... 2. Security. ... 3. Ease of use

I think this was an excellent summary.

While others have mentioned that Sandboxing is an option to prevent a rogue or vulnerable application from compromising other data or functionality on the phone, I don't think Apple is ready to open this feature up to the general public yet. Sandboxing is supposed to be a standard part of Leopard, but it hasn't received a lot of attention over the last year -- in fact, last summer Apple had posted on its web site that Sandboxing was a security feature for Leopard, and then about 5 months later they actually removed that text from that section of the web page.

Apple has about 4 months to firm up, thoroughly test, and document Sandboxing for Leopard. Maybe we will see the iPhone opened up about that time too.

Sandbox bullet from the WWDC keynote:

 

[Random Ping]

I agree. Apple clearly has created something here vastly more powerful than just a phone, or an ipod, etc.

That's true. You didn't hear/read the howels of protest about the lack of an SDK for the iPod. Nor were there lots of (any?) complaints about the BlackBerry CURVE using EDGE when it was released last month.

The iPhone has opened our eyes to what is possible, and in doing so, has raised the level of our expectations.

 

[Sai Zelion]

God I love this!

This thread is great. I'm shopping at wal-mart and reading and replying to this thread via iPhone! Steve Jobs u son-uva- /$&?!. Your move Billy Gates!

 

[JeffDM]

First, everyone on these sites raves about google's online office apps freeing us from the stranglehold of microsoft, but now that's not good enough? If anything this proves web apps are a major player.

No, because using Google apps on EDGE is dumb - poor latency and poor bandwidth. Google Apps are fine if you have a true broadband connection, but still, an interpreted web app is usually not as snappy as a local, compiled app for the same feature set.

 

[JeffDM]

But, this is a situation where Apple has a tricky balance to maintain. On one hand, they need to play nice with the developers. On the other hand, they need to protect the security and stability of the iPhones. I'm not sure what kind of compromise they will figure out for satisfying both needs, but I bet they're already looking into it.

What I've heard for developing apps for regular phone is that they validate the app through a third party. It's expensive though, but proper validation should be able to test whether the code was written properly.