Tag Archive for: iOS app design

iOS Development Tools To Build Better Apps

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Apple’s ecosystem is great for developers, especially with the many powerful iOS development tools at their disposal. The first tool that comes to mind is Apple’s Xcode integrated development environment (IDE). But Xcode alone isn’t enough to create the quality apps that users expect today.

There are several third-party tools that every developer should have in their toolbox. These include analysis, debugging, libraries, plugins, and UI design tools. So, what benefits do these tools bring forth? Firstly, they enhance the developer experience by filling the gaps where Apple’s tooling falls short. And secondly, they help developers build apps quicker and more efficiently than before.

1. Xcode IDE

One of the most crucial iOS development tools you should have installed is the Xcode IDE. And that’s because it’s the most up-to-date IDE for developing cross-device apps on Apple’s platforms. It will allow your team to develop apps using either Objective-C or its more modern counterpart — Swift.

Also, it’s a fantastic tool for code analysis, debugging, and UI design. And since it’s an official Apple product, you’ll have easy integration of the latest SDKs that your iOS apps need. If your team is more comfortable programming in other languages, consider CodeRunner. It has a comprehensive list of features and allows developers to code in C#, Go, Java, JavaScript, and Python, to name a few.

2. Swimat

One way to make Xcode even more versatile than it already is — is by installing plugins. There are many great plugins to choose from, and one that immediately comes to mind is Swimat. And what makes Swimat so handy is how rapidly it formats blocks of code.

As we all know, code often becomes messy the longer it gets, resulting in readability and maintainability issues. And even the most organized programmers can sometimes write sloppy blocks of code. But Swimat will reformat and reindent sections when necessary.

3. SwiftUI Inspector For Figma

How good your app’s UI design turns out will depend on the talent of your designers and the tools they use. Figma is a powerful UI design tool that can create impressive UIs in the right hands. It’s capable of producing basic shapes, color styles, components, drop shadows, frames, layout stacks, and text labels. But to integrate your creations into your SwiftUI workflow, you’ll need the SwiftUI inspector for Figma.

4. Hero

Perhaps your team is pressed for time but still needs to build the app’s interface and controller transitions. They’ll use Apple’s UIKit, which isn’t the most intuitive framework and may further slow things down. That’s where Hero comes in, a library that sits on top of UIKit’s more complex transition APIs. Thus, allowing your team to create eye-catching animated transitions quickly and efficiently.

5. Raygun

The built-in debugger and application performance analyzer in Xcode help developers monitor and improve their apps. And these are good enough for smaller and rudimentary applications in most cases. But professional developers will need more robust iOS development tools, such as Raygun. It’s a cloud-based solution that monitors application health and user sessions in real-time and delivers in-depth insights.

The Bottom Line

If you’re developing apps for Apple devices, then you’ll need the most effective iOS development tools. Fortunately, many good third-party tools and plugins can extend the functionality of Xcode. But there are also tools not dependent on Xcode, which also enhance the development process. Contact NS804 today to learn how we can help you create better iOS apps.

Best Language to Develop IOS Apps

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IOS apps are highly renowned, respected, and secure because of the long-standing brand equity of the Apple brand. However, developing a functional, comprehensive, and responsive IOS app is a big deal that needs careful analysis and planning.

App developers and consumers must consider essential elements before starting on their IOS app projects. Firstly, define the main purpose. Then, conduct detailed market research and finally, prepare a detailed plan for your IOS app development. In addition, it’s crucial to take into account the app’s compatibility with other IOS devices. Also, evaluate your internal business capabilities before developing the application.

After you’ve satisfied the above requirements, it’s now time to decide your IOS app development language. But why is language selection important? Well, if your app is successful at its nascent stages, you will want to expand with a new feature set and introduce other devices. Selecting the best language for your IOS app development is crucial for your success.

   1. Swift

Swift is a programming language for developing iOS, macOS, tvOS, and watchOS solutions. Apple created Swift language in 2014 as the immediate successor of Objective-C. Swift integrates with platforms like Cocoa Touch, Cocoa, and the extensive code designed in Objective-C for all Apple products.

The advantage of Swift is that it’s available as an open-source project. It has good scalability, interoperability, is easy to use, and provides regular updates. In addition, Swift provides a faster development process, it’s stable, and provides safety and superior development performance.

   2. Objective-C

Objective-C is a project created as an extension of the C programming language with objective-oriented features and capabilities. In addition, Objective-C is a general-purpose language used for programming Apple operating systems like iOS, OS X, and application programming interfaces: Cocoa Touch and Cocoa. According to a trusted popularity report, Objective-C ranks 20th, falling only three positions below Swift, and it’s used by 4.1% of developers worldwide.

   3. C#

Another programming langugage is C# which is an object-oriented, high-level, general-purpose language created by Microsoft as an upgrade to Java language. The C# language integrates with the .net platform that is both a runtime environment and a framework. Since C# was developed, it has always been applied to write Windows applications. In addition, since the .net came to Mac and Linux systems, it’s possible to create native applications with this language for virtually every platform including IOS.

Swift – The Final Verdict

Swift’s all-in-one solution and its diverse reach on multiple iOS applications – macOS, tvOS, and watchOS – make it a perfect fit for developing iOS applications. Other than having great scalability, Swift is easy-to-use, interoperable, integrated, and provides regular updates. Swift automatic memory counting capability, faster development process, stability, and superior performance makes it a best-in-class programming software for IOS applications. For more inquiries about app development language selection, contact NS804 for time-to-value solutions in all your app development processes.