iOS Programming an app

[borjam1981]

I would like to make an app for Apple that I would publish in the market store. What do i need? I mean, I need a iphone for testing the app, but do i need a mac. I´m making a teorial school document about it. I put in the document the following test:

"I will use Objective-C as the language and the official Apple environment, Xcode"

 

[wolfaaron]

If you plan on publishing to the App Store you will need to pay $99 for a year membership of the Developer Program. You need to be at least 13 years old to sign up. You'll also need to have a valid Social Security Number to get approved or an ITIN.

A Mac is recommended this way you run into less bugs and issues. But you could also do it on Windows with a Mac OS virtual Machine or a Hackintosh build. If you're not very techy I would avoid this option and just buy a used Macbook or Mac mini if money is an issue.

You can test the App directly from XCode but you could also test it live on an iPhone.

 

[borjam1981]

Thank you.
I imagine that virtual machine I must pay a license. Hackintosh was taht? For developing, do i need more tools?

Could you recommend me a mac computer? I don´t know if i need a powerful machine or just a simple computer.
Best regards,

Borja

 

[hiddenmarkov]

Hackintosh is installing Mac OS on non apple systems. Can be iffy depending on skills and needs there.

What are you looking to make application wise? that will determine tools. Xcode has most of what you will need inside of it. Game wise I'd gather if going off of native open gl in the system you'd need to source stuff like unity and such. How no clue...in a basic intro class now and just happy I can get table view to do what I want lol.


Xcode will run on most of apples modern gear fine. Get to budget. To be honest I am in some iOS classes now and I'd recommend a nice big monitor so factor that in maybe. In class we code on 15 inch 2011's (what the training company used runs..xcode 7.x the environment). Screen real estate gets tight bouncing between x code and simulator. I find my t-bolt display at home much roomier for home practice. Screen real estate may help the take away if like me.

 

[wolfaaron]

If you want something with a large screen get either a Mac Pro or an iMac. If you have a lower budget get a Mac mini.

If you need a Laptop then any will do such as the regular MacBook, MacBook Air, or MacBook Pro.

Try to get the newest model that you can afford.

And yea, a Hackintosh is basically building your own computer and installing Mac OS on it. There's guides out there on how to build them on a budget to avoid compatibility issues. But if you're not tech then don't take this route otherwise you will become frustrated.

Alternatively you could just get a windows computer and program on it and then go to MacinCloud.com and rent a MacBook server to run and test your code. That's what I did temporarily when my MacBook 2011 died.

 

[borjam1981]

will this one be suitable?https://tiendas.mediamarkt.es/p/apple-macbook-pro-retina-13-pulgadas-i5-1273792

What about a large screen? Which one?

 

[borjam1981]

I would like to build an App for my iphone mobile. Must I pay the devoloper program? I don´t have intention to publish on Apple Store. It´s just for my mobile.

For programming I would use Objetive-C and Xcode. Is that free with a Mac Computer or must I pay something else?

 

[borjam1981]

I have read that XCode is free. IS it necessay to pppay the developer program for an app that at the beginning I would use only in my iphone?

 

[mds1256]

I have read that XCode is free. IS it necessay to pppay the developer program for an app that at the beginning I would use only in my iphone?

Xcode is free and Apple now allow you to develop your app on your own device for free - there are some limitations with free though.....

e.g. Cannot use push notifications, CloudKit or TestFlight

So in essence if you just want to play around with an app on your own iPhone then yes a free one will work ok.

 

[hiddenmarkov]

I would like to build an App for my iphone mobile. Must I pay the devoloper program? I don´t have intention to publish on Apple Store. It´s just for my mobile.

For programming I would use Objetive-C and Xcode. Is that free with a Mac Computer or must I pay something else?

You may want to just start up swift, version 3 to be precise. reason being is even in swift version 2 running in xcode 7.x you will get many warnings about some obj c is going away. use objective c stuff...or even just plain c syntax writing of the classic for loop...you see warnings.

In swift version 3 on xcode 8 in some cases I have found its not just a warning, its a please change this.

Of importance here as your most direct source for this will be the mac os application store. xcode 8 and version 3 swift is what you will find there. If xcode 7 and 8 is touchy about obj-c....I'd not be shocked if xcode 10 in the future is outright hostile to it in a few years.