Essential iOS Resources for All Levels

It seems like everyone nowadays has an idea for the next big app. But looking to get it off the ground can be a daunting task without knowing iOS development. There are almost 1.85 million apps on the App Store and that number isn’t going down anytime soon. Whether you’re starting out or looking to expand your skills, finding the right iOS resources can go a long way. We collected all the essential iOS resources you will need to become a proficient iOS developer.

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iOS resources to get started

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Swift vs. Objective C

The first major question you will face as an iOS developer is which programming language you will use. Swift was introduced in 2014 by Apple as an alternative derived from Objective-C for iOS development. Nowadays, Swift is an easy choice when looking to start developing iOS apps. It’s easier to learn and has been adopted by a vast majority of iOS devs.

For a more detailed comparison check:

• Should I Learn Swift or Objective-C in 2020?

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Learning the basics

Usually with any programming language when starting out you need to figure out what IDE to use. While there are alternatives, if you are going to develop iOS apps then Xcode is the way to go. Learning the basics of Apple’s IDE will go a long way to help you get started. Thankfully most introductory tutorials will introduce Xcode. Apple's developer website includes a lot of basic tutorials to get started with.

If you’re already familiar with Swift, this tutorial will help you jump into creating an app.

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Swift

Apple provides some of its own tutorials to help you get started with Swift:

• The Basics

There is also a creative alternative to standard tutorials. Apple developed an app to help you learn Swift creatively:

• Swift Playgrounds

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Video Series

If you are someone that learns better from video tutorials, this is one of the best free series out there:

• iOS App Development

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Bootcamps

One of the best ways to learn as a beginner is to take a bootcamp course. Instead of having to figure out which parts you need to learn first, a bootcamp course will have an accomplished instructor teach you everything you need to know. It also has the added bonus of giving certification to acknowledge your accomplishment. The best courses out there are these two by Dr. Angela Yu:

• iOS 13 & Swift 5 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp
• iOS 12 Swift 4.2 - The Complete iOS App Development Bootcamp

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Publishing your app

When you're done developing a full iOS app, it's important to know how to release it to the app store. Check out our guide:

• How to Submit Your App to the App Store in 2020

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Resources to master

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Choosing the right dependency manager

Any programming language can always be improved upon. Libraries and frameworks go a long way to helping you achieve the desired outcome. And deploying these dependencies can be tricky on their own, which is why choosing the right submodule is important. This article has a great comparison between the popular three choices: CocoaPods, Carthage, and Git submodules.

Top iOS libraries/frameworks covers the top iOS libraries that you will need during development.

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More tutorials

Apple isn’t the only one with tutorials. There are plenty of third party resources that are excellent for learning iOS development. These websites also feature more advanced tutorials to help you take your programming to the next level.

• Raywenderlich.com
• Appcoda.com
• Hackingwithswift.com

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Asking questions

Like any other programming language, you will run into a lot of problems. The best place to ask these questions and get help with issues is Stackoverflow.com.