What Is in the iPad SDK?
The iOS software development kit contains all of the software necessary to develop programs for iOS devices, including the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. The SDK includes Xcode, the programming environment for iOS. The iOS SDK requires a free developer account with Apple, but an annual fee is charged to deploy apps through the App Store.
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Apple Developer Account
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Apple hosts programming resources and downloads through the Apple Developer Connection website. A free developer account with Apple allows you to download the iOS SDK, which is the complete suite of software tools necessary to develop, test and deploy apps for any iOS device. The iOS SDK requires an Intel-based Macintosh running Mac OS X.
The iOS SDK
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The development environment for iOS is Xcode, which includes a programming editor, compiler, testing tools and documentation for the programming languages and framework libraries used in iOS development. The Interface Builder application provides a graphic interface to create the user interface for iOS applications or mockups of planned projects. Interface Builder objects include programming code, allowing for programmatic logic to derive automatically from the user interface without the need for additional code connecting the interface to custom programming. The default programming language for iOS projects is Objective-C, but software bridges are available allowing development to be completed in additional languages such as Java, Python and Ruby.
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Testing and Compiling
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Xcode includes an iOS Simulator to test the intermediate results of your code without having to transfer compiled applications to an iOS device. Final testing, however, should be performed on the hardware devices you expect your clients will use to run your application. This confirms integration with iOS hardware interfaces as well as application speed on slower mobile hardware compared to the Mac you use for programming. The Instruments suite of testing software provides real-time feedback on your application during development, allowing you to improve speed and performance.
IOS Deployment
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A developer license allows you to deploy your software on a small number of test iOS devices. For widespread deployment, Apple charges an annual iOS developer fee that includes access to the App Store, use of Apple's application payment mechanisms if you choose to charge for your software, and Apple's screening system prior to the publication of any application. You can publish as many apps as you wish during the term of your iOS developer license.
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