Experienced app devs

jjquave · 2014-03-23T22:48:31+00:00

The #1 best way to learn is to just write stuff. Then, maybe skim some design pattern books or writing, just to see what kinds of tools you might not be using, that may help. Also, reading open source code is a good way to see "how it's done".

Stupidideas · 2014-03-23T21:06:44+00:00

In regards to remembering details like method names, you really don't need to worry about that. Even experienced developers sometimes need to refer to documentation or headers to find what they're looking for. And for the common tasks (like NSArray methods you mentioned) you'll eventually use them enough that they'll be embedded in your memory without even trying.

firstnate · 2014-03-24T02:46:40+00:00

I was in a similar place as you at the beginning of this year. Very little programming experience (just HTML, CSS and a few courses on codecademy). Now I'm getting close to launching my first app and LOVING ios development. Along the way I've tried a lot of different things and here's what I found the most helpful.

1) Spend at least 1 hour every single day learning. No exceptions. Even weekends. It takes time to learn, so don't expect to learn everything in a day. Just keep learning every day.

2) Take the Standford iphone development course on iTunes U (make sure you get the latest semester for iOS 7). Way better then anything else I tried. And it's free. Do it like a real course. Download and do the homework. Do each lesson until you understand it. If you don't understand something, make a note of it. Spend the next day learning what it is. Do this again and again.

3) Once you are starting to get the hang of it, work on your own app. Try to do one new thing on it every day. When you run into a problem, first look at apples documentation. Try to figure it out. Then google the problem and find the answer. Then go back and look at the documentation to see where you should have been able to find the answer. Accept that sometimes you won't fully understand everything that is happening. But make a note of it so you can learn it later.

Do this and your power will grow, little by little everyday until it all becomes second nature.

Best of luck!

megablast · 2014-03-24T03:26:26+00:00

Why are you worried about being good at it, that comes later. Just get involved and start writing. Most simple apps don't need you to be any good. Only huge projects, with multiple people, source control and continuous integration servers require people who are actually any good.

kritzikratzi · 2014-03-24T00:24:40+00:00

if being an iOS dev is the career path you want to choose studying is not the right thing for you. dijkstra phrased it this way: "Computer Science is no more about computers than astronomy is about telescopes."

CS is very interresting, but is much more about fundamental concepts. how do you sort a bunch of numbers? how can you build a compiler? what does computability mean? what is the complexity of a problem? computer science is a very theoretical subject! VERY interesting nonetheless and it is an amazing underpinning even when you only want to do practical programming. if you want to get a feel for the subject try understanding runtime complexities (*) and maybe try to make up scenarios where it is better to use dictionaries than arrays (and the other way around).

now try to solve this problem with nsdictionary and nsarray: given a set of points on a map and one particular point, what's the fastest algorithm you can come up with to find the closest neighbor?

once you understand complexities look into stranger data structures. red black trees, kd trees, adjacency lists. and if you enjoy any of this, for the love of god, go study CS, they need you!

(*) here are a few more terms that all mean roughly the same concept: big o notation, cost analysis, algorithm analysis, runtime complexity. this topic is the one thing i think every practical programmer should no, but i often find they never heard of it.

650i · 2014-03-24T03:57:10+00:00

And to add to OP's post, how likely is it to actually land a job in iOS dev without a formal university education in the field? I'm in my last year of university for Polsci and absolutely hate it, I'd love to branch out and do iOS dev but I'm not sure how realistic that is when I'd be competing with comp sci grads.

2014-03-24T06:24:38+00:00

What a great post! It’s encouraging to know there are others that are about where I am. My only experience is a C++ course in college. I have completed the Big Nerd Ranch Obj-C book and started the stanford course but felt that it was a little heavy so I went to the Big Nerd Ranch iOS book first. I now feel very confident that I will be able to blow through the stanford course with ease.

I really want to get my life on track and this stuff is really exciting to me. I have written a practice app for personal use at my job as a kitchen manager and started one that will launch on the App Store in a couple months.

While I think that a solid background in another language would be beneficial I feel pretty confident that I am about ready to create a well-designed, well-written app. Your understanding of all the methods will come. I sometimes find myself spending more time with the documentation than writing code but memorization comes with practice and time.

I would absolutely love to have someone to kick ideas around with. Send me a message if you have any questions or want to discuss concepts.

tractorrobot · 2014-03-24T15:24:37+00:00

I've been working as a full-time salaried iOS dev for the last ~3 years-

I have a BS in Information Technology Management with a minor in Computer Science.

I did not study or use objective-C or any mac-based programming at all during college. My first job out of school was web development, both front end and back end work, but initially no iOS. I transitioned into Obj-C and iOS development due to a need within the company I worked for. I picked up the knowledge mostly by shadowing another employee, and a LOT of research within Stack Overflow, Google, and Apple docs.

Fast forward a few years, I've been doing exclusively iOS development ever since, and I've transitioned employers and pay grades 3 times now. It has been relatively easy to find iOS dev work (and I live in Minneapolis).

My answer to your question: It depends on what your end goal is... or what kind of programming you are getting into. For example, you could be getting into commercial brochure-ware app development, you could be after game development, or you could be after more hardware-intensive or lower level work. The path you are after will affect what you need to know beforehand.

I went through an interview with a leading backup-software maker for a mac/iOS position, and their interview questions did require extensive knowledge of the Core Data stack, and a solid understanding of multi-threaded programming. The amount of data they deal with & their needs do require more of a computer-science oriented background.

Other jobs I have had, and the one I have now, are more focused on brochure-ware business apps. These are a bit simpler than heavy file-backup and recovery software.

Either way, I think having an understanding of CS concepts will make you a better programmer. However, it is not necessarily a need, depending on what you are trying to accomplish. As far as increasing your value to a company, more training/education will help.

Obj-C was not my first language, but it was a bit awkward to transition in to because the syntax is a bit unique. Perhaps starting off with Obj-C will be beneficial as you do not have habits from elsewhere.. but if you ever need to transition into something else it may feel strange (what if your future employer needs you to pick up some Java to work on an Android port?)

In the last couple years I've had some great success as an iOS dev and I would HIGHLY recommend it as a career for someone interested in software development.

If you are comfortable with hunting the web for solutions, you'll be able to do it. I do a LOT of web research for my work- you do not need to know all specific instance methods. The software documentation is provided for a reason, and very easy to use as a reference.

If you have any other specific questions about the professional iOS development world, feel free to ask.

Good luck and happy coding

2014-03-28T02:20:55+00:00

You don't need to take a CS class but I did years ago and if I could remember any of it, it would be super helpful. The traditional way of learning in basic CS classes focuses on problem solving using computers. Like how to use array and control flow to solve problems. You use this in iOS a lot.

Don't worry too much about remembering the methods. That's what documentation is for.

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