iOS Development-Setting the Environment

For this tutorial, we will discuss the basics of getting set up for developing on the iOS platform. While there are many tools that allow you to develop a number of ways, I am only going to discuss the officially supported ones from Apple. Let’s get started.

The Hardware:

The first thing you are going to need is an Intel Based Apple Computer running OSX 10.6.6 or better. Hackintosh computers have been know to allow you to develop on them however, they are not recommended as they require quite a bit of configuration. So, your best best is to develop on the real thing.Going with the real thing really gives you advantage and full privileges to try out all things needed.

The Account:

To become a bonafide iOS developer, you must sign up for Apples iOS Developer Program.  It’s free until you are ready to submit your applications to the App Store. So, if you are just tinkering with iOS development and want to give it a shot, there is no risk. Once you sign up, you will have access to the latest SDK, developer articles, sample code, documentation, XCode, and more! What are you waiting for?

There are many options to choose from the best one that suits you..Check which developer program is best for you.

The Software

In order to develop for the iOS platform, you must have the iOS SDK installed. Apple has nicely bundled their SDK up along with some other great tools such as XCode in order to make it super easy for you to install and get coding.So even if you don’t have an iOS Device (I didn’t when I first started developing AND BLOGGING on iCodeBlog), you can still develop and test your applications. However ,testing should always be done on real device.Simulator cant behave the way the device actually works and may give unpredictable results.One of the main things that does not happen on Simulator is the Memory Leaks which may go unnoticed and haunt back when tested on device.

Thats it!Thats all you need to start coding iOS application. You are ready to create your first iPhone Application with this.Best Of Luck:)