Apple releases iPhone design handbook
updated 09:35 am EDT, Mon October 1, 2007
iPhone interface handbook
Through its Developer Connection site, Apple has released a new design document, the iPhone Human Interface Guidelines. Also available as a PDF file, the document explains key concepts behind creating applications for the iPhone, which are only officially intended to be run via the Safari web browser. Designers must for instance adjust to the lack of multi-layered windows or a client-side file system, and instead operate solely through AJAX, HTML, CSS and built-in media player functions.
The Guidelines are broken into several sections, describing aspects such as exact dimensions for buttons and windows, how and where an iPhone is likely to be used, and Apple's guiding principles, including "simplicity," "adaptability" and "consistency." Apple places particular emphasis on this last point, suggesting that developers mimic the iPhone's native controls as closely as possible, using CSS styles as a way of conforming even standard websites to iPhone users.
The introduction of the guide contains wording, however, that suggests Apple still intends to allow installed software on iPhones eventually, despite the company having broken hacks with its 1.1.1 firmware update. Unofficial software has included everything from chat clients to game emulators. "Currently," the introduction reads, "developers create web applications for iPhone, not native applications. Therefore, this document focuses solely on the presentation of web applications and other web content on iPhone."
alienate…
10/01, 09:47am reply
users and developers!
Way to go apple!
give us an SDK
Ikon
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: May 2005
Apple, WTF?
10/01, 12:24pm reply
Just open the darn thing to REAL applications and be done with it!
Chris Paveglio
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2002
human interface
10/01, 12:55pm reply
Apple needs to publish some Human Interface Guidelines for itself, because it obviously forgot how to interact with its users properly.
petsounds
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Apr 2007
Stupid
10/01, 03:52pm reply
Apple is being stupid on this one. Niche player in the end like the Mac. Lesson never learned. Pretty sad. They should allow 3rd party software after Apple testing and approved install certification. Heck put in encryption methods to only allow authorized apple certified apps to install. Why can't they do that? At least it will get some 3rd party software in there.
SLURPY
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jul 2007
guidelines shell game
10/01, 04:12pm reply
okay, show of hands = how long before apple starts breaking THESE human interface guidelines whenever it suits them?
rok
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Mar 1999
buying time
10/01, 05:41pm reply
Apple's just buying time to allow support to be built up for the iPhone before they just open it up. If they opened it up right away they would be swamped with reports of apps breaking the system. After they've made a little money they'll ramp up support & then really start offering the cool features we all dream of.
Not everyone has tons of money to just throw at failures like Microsoft, some companies actually need a plan for entering a market besides just throwing money at it.
hezekiahb
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Jun 2006
I think Apple satisfies..
10/25, 01:27pm reply
..95% of it's user base. It's just a few crybabies that are always complaining about what they're not allowed to do although the device hasn't even been on the market for six months. If a person doesn't want to play by Apple's rules, then please, please, please don't buy Apple products.
Since you clearly don't have patience, then any new device is clearly not for you. Get a device that has been on the market for a few years. I guess there's no sense in having WinMo6 since they should have got everything right in WinMo1.
Mark my words. Within a short while of Leopard's introduction there will be a major iPhone firmware/software upgrade that will please the majority of users.
Constable Odo
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Joined: Aug 2007