???
I am working with a remote developer ... but I wanted to check with the experts to help me understand what I need to do to view the project during development.
I may not qualify as an expert, but I do know that I don't know what you're trying to ask.
When you say you want to "view the project during development," what exactly do you want to view? I can think of 4 things you could look at:
- You could look at the code itself.
- You could look at the UI.
- You could look at the current version of the application running on the iPhone Simulator
- You could look at the current version of the application running on an iPhone/iPod touch device
For the first one, you would need a computer with a text editor such that you can read the files. You don't need Xcode to do this, though if you have a Mac then you probably have Xcode on the system disks.
For the second and third options, you need to register to be an iPhone developer, but you don't need to pay the $99 annual fee. Registering gets you the iPhone-specific APIs and widgets, Interface Builder, Xcode, and the iPhone Simulator application. You would also need the developer to send you the project code.
To look at the UI, you would double-click the various ".xib" files in the package; your developer partner can point you to the ones to look at. Double-clicking on these files opens Interface Builder, the same tool that is used to build the application visual interface, assuming the UI is built with Interface Builder. This would allow you to manage the "look & feel" of the application, and correct any of these problems early. If the UI is NOT built using Interface Builder but is crafted quote by hand unquote or programmatically, then this aspect does not help but the next option is sufficient.
To run it in the simulator, you'd just have to open the project and hit the "Build and Go" button. The application would be built and the simulator would be launched with your application running.
For the last one, you need a device (duh) AND you'd need to send the device ID to your developer and have them build an Ad-hoc distribution for you to install on your device.
If it were my money on the line, I do ALL OF THESE depending on the state of development, in time-increasing order. I'd start with the code to make sure they're doing
something with my money. I don't have to be a programmer to tell if the files are getting bigger or not. If UI development occurs with Interface Builder, then I'd use that to make sure it looks like what I want. Once it progressed far enough for a running prototype, I'd switch to running it in the simulator. Then once that was good OR a real device is necessary to do something the simulator can't, then I'd run it on a device. This is effectively the order I use when I build my own apps, and I'd expect something similar from others.
If they don't want to share with you until the very end, that would be a
BIG RED FLAG and I'd probably take my business elsewhere.
Ron C