iOS or Android app

[pcslookout]

How difficult is it to create your own iOS or Android app ?

I don't plan on selling the app just want to do it as a hobby on the side and offer something back to the community.

 

[purbeast0]

question is too vague.

it could be a 5 minute process or a 5 year process.

xcode and android studio have project templates that you literally create a new project and build and it will be on your phone. but it doesn't do anything.

also do you have a programming background or no?

 

[Leros]

Android is probably a little easier to get into. But you can do either one.

Think of this as a beginner learning to program, you're just happening to choose mobile app development. You can tinker around, do tutorials, etc. If you have any aptitude for programming, you'll pick it up and figure things out. If you don't have the aptitude, you'll struggle to get through tutorials.

Building a stupid example program won't be that hard. Depending how complex of an application you want to build, it can be pretty complicated. Most complicated apps have servers on the internet somewhere that the app interacts with, but not everything has to be that complicated. It just depends on what you want to do.

 

[jhu]

On Android at least, you can make your app as Android dependant or not as you please (maybe iOS too but I don't have any experience there). For example, my own personal app is just a pretty interface to a bunch of my bash scripts.

 

[hans007]

i guess it depends on what kind of app you want to make. i have read a book on swift for ios (though i never wrote an app, I just wanted to get a feel for the language). there aren't as many ios devices, and i'd imagine the storyboard builder feature they have is easier to use than hand building layouts in android.

i'm an android dev professionally (the app I write is pretty huge, like netflix or youtube app level big) so once you have to start supporting lots of devices or drm schemes android can be a pain. so i'd imagine the actual languages themselves are roughly equivalent (maybe swift is easier than java or obj C from what i've seen) and if you come in with nothing it might be easier to program on ios + swift.

If you have background in another language like say you are a java developer for non android things, or say you are a front end web dev, then well obviously that might make android easier to acclimate to.

 

[KillerBee]

This week they will be giving away some Android Development e-books each day
today it's "Mastering Android Application Development"

https://www.packtpub.com/packt/offers/free-learning