Toronto iOS, watchOS and tvOS Development | iPhone, Apple Watch, Apple TV Development company in Toronto, Canada

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Have you ever wondered what goes into creating an iOS app? The amount of working hours needed to be put in by your developers is severely underestimated. You, as most people, can be shocked by what you didn’t know. As you scroll down you’ll read a breakdown on the development process involved that transforms your idea into a functional iPhone app.

Your server

Many people involved with their business simply don’t know where to begin when calculating costs of creating an app. We’re not trying to guilt trip you here. You have your business and your idea, but creating apps is not something you job description entails. This is why you hire developers.

The first question you should ask yourself is, do you have your own server? The server does not have to be in your physical possession, but the app needs a server to communicate with and use as a virtual storage facility for all information, especially if you plan on allowing users to make their own accounts with individual login credentials.

Moreover, will information be stored permanently or temporarily? Do you plan on caching information? These and similar questions are simply up to your preference, which is why we won’t go in great detail on the matter. The bottom line is that you do need a working server that the app will correspond with.

The Application Program Interface (API)

Let’s get down to the more important question. Does your business have an API? As a person with no prior knowledge in the field, there’s a good chance you are not familiar with this term. An API serves as an information source to your application, and it contains predetermined criteria which the app, along with its users, will abide to. Your app needs an API in order to pull meaningful data that will either complement certain special features, or take part of the very core of the app itself.

To elaborate further, you can look at an API serves as a backbone to your app, like a foundation serves to a building. This example doesn’t strictly translate in technical terms, but it will help you understand the general idea.
As an example, you can build a login and password interface in your app, but if the app does not have an API to communicate this information with back and forth, the interface is essentially useless. In short, you either have an API which the developer can use, or you will have to pay the additional cost of creating one, which is not a short and simple process.

Getting ready for your iPhone app

Now that we’ve covered the basis, it’s time to go through what you should keep in mind when designing the iPhone app itself.
It is a common misjudgment by a number of non-tech savvy people, the fact that you alter your app in any way you want after it’s been created.

This is not like designing a website; iOS leaves little room for error in the creation process. This is something you have to know, because everything about your app has to be set in stone at the beginning, before your developer has even commenced coding.

The Interface

What type of basic and advanced components you want your interface to present is something that you have to decide at the start. This is because the interface will define how the development process will proceed onwards. In other words, it will define your iPhone app’s architecture. The Code

As I mentioned before, designing an app is not like creating a web page. The app’s code, once written, takes an increasing amount of work to readjust and leave room for extra features, regardless of how properly prearranged it is. I’m not saying it’s impossible, but the way iOS itself is structured means that making one wrong alteration can cause a chain reaction that will leave unpredictable consequences.

If you’re looking for a major addition in your app’s interface or otherwise after it’s been completed, such as Twitter integration, don’t expect it to be light work for your developers.

Compatibility

Last but certainly not least, it is important to note that an iPhone app and an iPad app are not the same thing. No developer can simply “convert” the app to fit an entirely different device. This is something most people are mislead to believe.

An iPad app requires a dissimilar structure with a different set of interactions, usually more intricate than what an iPhone app requires. Don’t look at designing an iPad app as an additional feature; it is a whole new project that needs to be tackled individually.

To sum it up

This write-up serves as an information source and building block for anyone pursuing to hire professionals in order to build an iOS app. Hopefully it will help you get a general idea on what goes into creating an app, as well as the time-sink involved in the creation process, which in turn will prove to be useful when estimating your budget.