IOS development: Apple provides tools for creating iOS apps and accessories. As an iOS developer, you can program in native languages such as Swift or Objective-C or you can build cross-platform native applications with React Native (JavaScript) or Xamarin.
There are several factors that software developers should consider before choosing a career path. One of the essential things is salary and career advancement. In terms of potential earnings, the 2019 IT and Skills Report tells us that software developers are among the highest-paid IT workers, with a global average salary of $84,763.
Among the developers who have chosen different fields and ios programming languages, iOS developers can earn up to $110,000 per year for ios development, depending on the background, country, and company they choose to work on it. In this article of digiwaremarketing we talk about ios development.
Who is an iOS developer, and what skills should he have for ios development?
By App Economy Forecast shows that mobile devices continue to be popular with the public, with nearly 6 billion mobile devices in use, representing a 56% increase over 2017.
More interestingly, Apple’s App Store subscribers have grown significantly compared to 2017. This sizeable commercial store’s transactions have reached 157 billion dollars.
So it’s no surprise that many people and even seasoned developers prefer to jump into ios development and go that route alone. There are several paths for those who choose a career path as an ios development, each with its advantages. However, this article will focus on the skills developers need. Of course, let us first answer the most basic question in this connection.
Ios developer meaning
An iOS developer deeply understands the iOS ecosystem and ios development. To be more precise, this person has complete information about the operation of various Apple devices such as iPad, iPhone, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. In short, iOS developers must understand how to build and customize apps within the iOS ecosystem and ios development.
How to become an iOS developer?
Typically, iOS developers are divided into three groups: beginner, intermediate, and advanced, each with a specific skill set of which a senior iOS developer naturally has the highest level of skills. However, to find a job as a developer in the labor market, you need to have enough information about the basic skills. Over time, as your level of knowledge and experience increases, you can go for intermediate and advanced level jobs.
Ios development basics
As an iOS developer, look to learn the following skills for ios development and ios development basics:
Step 1: Learn swift programming
One of the essential skills an iOS app developer should have is the ability to program. An iOS developer should have enough knowledge about software development techniques, software engineering basics, and essential topics of the programming world.
Additionally, if you plan to introduce the app you are designing to other ecosystems, you should thoroughly research each ecosystem. For example, you can build iOS apps using your Java programming skills and use those same Java programming skills to develop in the Android app development, Mac, Linux, and Windows worlds.
Suppose you are facing time and budget constraints and anticipate that sooner or later, you may move from iOS development to other operating systems or ecosystems. In that case, it is better to focus on learning Java, which is used in almost all ecosystems.
However, suppose you love software development, have the time and budget, and believe that you will not leave the Mac and iOS ecosystem and will be loyal to the Mac in both backend and frontend or full-stack mode.
In that case, you should go to learn a specialized programming language. iOS means Swift Go. Of course, as you get more experienced, you can learn to build an iOS app that runs on Angular, which is part of the MEAN stack.
Although you can use various ios programming skills and tools for iOS development, the best choice is to focus on programming languages specifically designed for iOS and the Apple ecosystem. If you have no experience in the world of coding or want to focus on iOS and the Apple ecosystem, Swift should be your first choice.
The best way to learn Swift and iOS is to start with a comprehensive Swift and iOS basics program so you can progress from beginner to advanced. Unfortunately, most iOS developers often try to learn both Swift and iOS simultaneously but get confused and do not learn either technology properly.
Swift learning stages
So the best way to learn Swift is as follows:
1.learn basic concepts such as variables, numbers, strings, constants, and operators.
2.Next, go to Collections and see how you should work with dictionaries and arrays.
3.Next, read the instructions related to program flow control. For example, how for/while loops, if-else statements, and switches are constructed.
4.move on to learning types and interfaces. For example, how structures, methods, functions, protocols, extensions, and enumerations are defined.
5.In the end, learn object-oriented programming concepts such as inheritance, classes, polymorphism, etc.
Step 2: Learn the iOS operating system
After learning the Swift programming language, the next step is to study the broad iOS platform, which consists of various design patterns, frameworks, and other technologies. Even if you pursue a programming language other than Swift for iOS development, you still need to know how to work within the iOS ecosystem.
As with any technology you want to master, it starts with learning the basics. Without learning the basics, you can’t use more interesting technologies like augmented reality and artificial intelligence to build applications or games.
Most importantly, without learning the fundamentals, you don’t have the foundational knowledge to get hired or build the software you create to make people happy.
Basics of IOS
With that in mind, some of the basics you should learn about iOS include:
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First, you need to understand the concept of Apple Developer
formerly called Apple Developer Connection or ADC. Apple Developer includes the resources you’ll need to write software for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.
Learn Xcode and Interface Builder in depth. Xcode is the integrated development environment (IDE) you need to develop software for iOS and other Apple software. You need a device running macOS to run Xcode. Interface Builder allows you to create iOS interfaces using a GUI (Graphical User Interface).
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Learn how to use Auto Layout
The second thing you should know about is Auto Layout. Learn how to use Auto Layout in Xcode to create user interfaces for devices of different sizes.
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Table views
Table views are the next thing you should think about learning. Table Views are critical UI component views that help you manage long scrolling lists in iOS apps.
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learning are containers and storyboards
The following things you should think about learning are containers and storyboards. Containers help you create page navigation flow in your iOS app, while storyboards let you design and organize the navigation flow created using containers.
note: If all these concepts and tools are unfamiliar to you now, don’t worry. It is enough to start the learning process and read the articles in connection with different tools and design models to increase your knowledge of the concepts mentioned.
It’s also important to note that all of the above tools were (until recently) in UIKit, but have recently been replaced by SwiftUI, a new framework introduced at Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2019.
The Swift user interface and how some of these tools are used may change in the coming years, but applications based on existing tools are expected to be built without problems for at least the next two years.
Step 3: Expand your knowledge in other areas of software development for iOS
After you are familiar with how to code and the environment you use to build ios development and apps, expanding your knowledge in other areas will give your apps a more professional look. Knowing these areas will allow you to increase your skill level and eventually become an expert in ios development.
There are many fields of learning that you can enter. Among the important topics that I suggest you focus on learning the following :
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Database
ios development and most other modern apps require a database to store and retrieve data. Understanding how databases work (and the query languages used to manipulate data) are critical skills that will help you develop iOS apps.
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Networking
Most modern iOS applications require data to be exchanged over the Internet, And means that an iOS developer must understand how the Internet and ios development works.
Fortunately, iOS has made it easy for developers by providing an SDK with several APIs to perform networking tasks. In addition to APIs, you should learn about infrastructure technologies such as DNS, URLs, and other general network concepts.