The environment required for iOS application development is as follows.

1. Mac

2. XCode

3. iOS Device (iPhone or iPad) Similar to the Android application development process, a Mac is required to check the operation on the actual device. In addition, as with Android Studio in Android application development, the iOS application development environment "Xcode" that can be programmed and executed is required. Xcode can be downloaded for free from the App Store.

Also, when developing a smartphone app, you need an iPhone to check the operation. Furthermore, after developing an app, if you want to release it, you will need a " Developer ID ". Developer ID is the ID required to distribute the developed app in the App Store. You can get it by registering for the service "Apple Developer" for iOS application developers and filling in the required items.

The main programming language used for iOS app development is Swift. Swift is a programming language announced by Apple in 2014 and is ranked 13th in the 2020 Programming Language Ranking (TIOBE).

The iOS App Development Journey

1. Prepare the Xcode required for application development

2. Create an app screen using Swift UI

3. Write a processing program in Swift

4. Build and test your app

5. Register and distribute the developed app to the App Store

Prepare the Xcode required for iOS App development

In order to develop iOS apps, you need to install a development environment called Xcode on your Mac. After installation, you can create an Xcode project, which will allow you to develop an application by creating a project and writing a program in it.

Create an app screen using Swift UI

Whenever you develop an app, you need to design your screen. The screen of the iOS application will be developed using a framework called SwiftUI. SwiftUI is a framework that allows you to implement UI interactively. It is layered and the layout of the UI is easy to understand, and the interface is very easy to make so that you can easily change the design. If you've used the JavaScript framework React, you'll be familiar with it.

Create an app screen using Storyboard

You can also create it using a file that creates the screen of the app called Storyboard. With Storyboard, you can make it just by placing parts on the displayed application screen, but it may be a little difficult due to fine adjustments. In application development, we will write a program eventually, so we recommend creating it with Swift UI.

Write a processing program in Swift for iOS App Development

After creating the screen of the application, it is necessary to add the processing of the installed button and text view. For example, the process of sending the entered contents to the server when the save button is pressed to update the profile.

Upload images and data to the server.

When developing iOS apps, I would like to recommend Firebase, an infrastructure service for mobile apps. It is made for application development, and I want to actively use it because the server can be used without having to create the infrastructure environment by myself.

Build and test your app

After developing the application, build it and check the operation. In Xcode, there is a simulator that can run iPhoen and iPad on Mac, so you can check the operation using it. Also, if you have a real machine, you can build it by connecting it to a Mac. If you check the operation and find any problems, they need to be fixed before the release of the app.

Register and distribute the developed app to the App Store

In order to distribute iOS apps on the App Store, you need to enroll in the Apple Developer Program. Once you've registered, you're ready to release your app. To release the app, go to iTunes Connect and register the app information. At this time, you need to build and upload the app binary using the certificate for the App Store.

Once you have registered your app information, you can apply for the Apple review. Depending on the result of the examination, problems with the application or lack of information may be found, which need to be fixed before submitting for examination again. If the screening passes, the app can be delivered safely. Once delivered, download your app from the App Store and check.