iOS Help adding stuff to my xcode project

[Ltaa09]

Hello! Before i start telling you about what i want to complete in my app let me start off by saying I'm completely new to Xcode and coding in general, this is my first time actually building an app, I've tried many times but got frustrated, well since yesterday I've recently be able to figure it out little by little and actually got an app going so please don't talk really technical just make it so i can kinda understand it. Anyways the first thing i want to do is add RSS feed to my app, I've searched around and I've found it kinda hard to put the ones i find into my tab based application, and if i do when i put the link to my RSS feed (on blogspot) it doesn't work. My next thing i want to do is add a map view to another tab on my app, so that when you tap on the tab it shows the location of the store with a pin, with a arrow that you can tap that says to get directions to there. Ive added a map on it before but its for showing the users current location haven't really been able to find out how to get one how i mentioned above. Now the last thing i want to add to my app is a summation form meaning where it has like 3 different fields and they fill in the fields for instance they can be Name, Email, Description, and when they click summit it sends me an email, now i don't want it to open the mail app to send me an email i just want it so when they fill out the fields and click summit it just sends me an email with the info. Thanks if you know how to do any of these! And sorry for me being a newb to this lol.

 

[larswik]

I'm completely new to Xcode and coding in general, this is my first time actually building an app, I've tried many times but got frustrated

Been there. I seem to answer the same thing with these posts. I would stop and turn around if you want to be successful. I gave up many times to and only when I went back and learned the basics was I able to step forward and learn object C to make apps.

It's unlikely anyone will ever just give you the code to do your project and if they do you will just be confused. Your starting to high up and will more then likely give up before you even get close to finishing your project.

Do what I did. Ask yourself "Do you want to be a programmer or do you want to make an app?". If you want an app then hire someone to build it for you. If you want to be a programmer then start at the beginning and learn at a good pace.

This is just my advice. But start real basic with C and learn the fundamentals of programming first. Forget about graphical interfaces and just start working with the console.

That is how I was able to learn to code. The people on this forum love to help people figure things but they rarely give away answers.

 

[Ltaa09]

Been there. I seem to answer the same thing with these posts. I would stop and turn around if you want to be successful. I gave up many times to and only when I went back and learned the basics was I able to step forward and learn object C to make apps.

It's unlikely anyone will ever just give you the code to do your project and if they do you will just be confused. Your starting to high up and will more then likely give up before you even get close to finishing your project.

Do what I did. Ask yourself "Do you want to be a programmer or do you want to make an app?". If you want an app then hire someone to build it for you. If you want to be a programmer then start at the beginning and learn at a good pace.

This is just my advice. But start real basic with C and learn the fundamentals of programming first. Forget about graphical interfaces and just start working with the console.

That is how I was able to learn to code. The people on this forum love to help people figure things but they rarely give away answers.

Thanks for the advice but my problem is, I've tried just working in the console, i get extremely bored in it. Ive attempted to do it many times. And i think ill be able to figure it out by working in the story board area, kinda like i did when i learned html i worked in dream weaver and stayed in the design side and when i wanted to add something i watched a video. For instance i learned by watching a video on how to add webview to my app i learned what the difference is between the view controllers, the .m and .h files, i learn a lot more from watching videos even when they don't talk about it and don't mention it i kinda just figure it out and test it myself. Ive got a pretty good foundation of the app, and yes i do what to be a programmer, I'm making this app for my grandma's fabric company, i made her site in dream weaver and i always am using her company for inspiration thats how i got interested into HTML, so I'm building her company an app. Sorry if i sound like I'm being stuck up about this, I'm not I just don't really know how to say this. If you have any ideas for how i can "start at the beginning" please let me know, like links and stuff. Oh and i think i should mention I'm 13, lol.

 

[Duncan C]

Thanks for the advice but my problem is, I've tried just working in the console, i get extremely bored in it. Ive attempted to do it many times. And i think ill be able to figure it out by working in the story board area, kinda like i did when i learned html i worked in dream weaver and stayed in the design side and when i wanted to add something i watched a video. For instance i learned by watching a video on how to add webview to my app i learned what the difference is between the view controllers, the .m and .h files, i learn a lot more from watching videos even when they don't talk about it and don't mention it i kinda just figure it out and test it myself. Ive got a pretty good foundation of the app, and yes i do what to be a programmer, I'm making this app for my grandma's fabric company, i made her site in dream weaver and i always am using her company for inspiration thats how i got interested into HTML, so I'm building her company an app. Sorry if i sound like I'm being stuck up about this, I'm not I just don't really know how to say this. If you have any ideas for how i can "start at the beginning" please let me know, like links and stuff. Oh and i think i should mention I'm 13, lol.

Good for you trying to teach yourself. I started programming when I was 12, so I relate. Back then it was the Apple II and the Commodore Pet, and not much else. I had access to my family's Apple II, so that's what I learned. I started off writing a Fibonacci generator, a prime number generator, did some string parsing, some light graphics work, and then wrote my first graphics game.

If you don't do well working with dry console programs, then work with graphics, controls, etc. That's fine.

However, starting off trying to write an app is very likely to get you frustrated.

There's no possible way we can give you what you need to implement your goal app in a few forum posts. You've outlined a project that will take several months of study.

If you really want to build this app then you will need to break it down into smaller areas of study, and go off and learn the skills for different parts of your app. Learn storyboards and segues. Play with those for a while. Learn navigation controllers, and how to push and pop VCs. Learn tab bar controllers.

Then go study map kit. Create an app that displays the user's current location. Then figure out how to add pins to the map. There are several map kit tutorials included in Xcode. study those and see how they work.

That's the self-study approach. The other approach is to take somebody's iOS development course, either video or book-based.

If you learn best by videos, then go find videos that work for you. The Stanford iOS tutorial series on iTunes U is supposed to be quite good. It's been re-issued based on iOS 6, so that would be a good place to start. Supposedly it's a little advanced for total beginners. However, it sounds like you are past the beginner stage.

You might want to pick up a print iOS book or 2. The Big Nerd Ranch books are quite good, as are the Apress "Beginning iOS Development" and "More iOS Development" books. The Big Nerd Ranch Objective C book will teach you the programming language in easy-to-digest steps, but you have to read each chapter, do the exercises, and experiment until you get the concepts.

You will have to slog through some rather dry skill-building exercises in order to get to the fun stage where your can bring your ideas to life in a working app. There's nothing for it but to do it. It's like getting through math classes if you want to be an engineer. However, it's worth it. Treat it like a class where you can't just skip the parts you don't like. The parts you struggle with are the parts you need to focus on, because those are the skills you lack.

Tell your parents what you are trying to do, and get their support. This is a potential future career, and so it's worth their investing some money in it. Tech books are kind of expensive, but a 13 year old kid that wants to learn programming, is motivated, and has an aptitude for it is a future rock star in the making. I turned a love of playing with computers into a lucrative career, starting at about your age.

 

[larswik]

Oh and i think i should mention I'm 13, lol.

I can understand at 13 why you get frustrated. When I was learning I also watched videos but for me that turned in to a monkey see monkey do. Duncan has tossed out a bunch of good ideas. But the one thing you need it time to learn and have it sink in.

The problem that you might have is that you are starting to high up because you are board with console stuff you will more then likely get board.

I was glad that I gave up learning Objective C and went back to C when I really was ready to start to learn to program. When you understand the fundamentals you see how things work. Object C is made up of so much stuff there is no way you will learn it all. But when you have the basics down you can pretty much read the doc's for a object and understand how it works and how to implement it into your project.

You will learn to program much faster if you start learning the right way. I wish I could go back and start to learn to program when I was 13 instead of 39.