Apple developer guide helps platform newcomers

Apple on Friday quietly posted a Getting Started guide for new iOS developers. The overview is intended as a top-level look and goes with basics such as setting up Xcode, understanding what types of code are needed, and more abstract issues such as design guidelines and App Store submission.

An ending Next Steps section also links out to deeper tutorials, Objective-C techniques, and the full App Store guidelines.

While the guide doesn't hand-hold the developer through the creation process, it provides a clearer picture of where to begin for those who aren't already invested in Apple's universe. Google's Android guide doesn't have as much of an overview and is focused more on technical details, while the RIM guides for BlackBerry 7 and BlackBerry Tablet OS vary widely depending on which method the developer wants to use.

Simplifying the development process may be vital for Apple now that its share of smartphones is relative secure and more of its developers are coming from other mobile platforms rather than the Mac or another traditional environment. [via The Next Web]

by MacNN Staff