iOS Environment Setup

In this iOS tutorial, we will learn about the necessary tools for building an app and iOS – Xcode Installation.

Mac:

For iOS development, Mac OS is necessary. To develop an iPhone or iPad app you require to first get a Mac with Intel-based processor running on Mac OS X version 10.8 or later. The cheapest option is to get the Mac Mini. The fundamental model of Mac mini has a 2.3GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB memory. It is sufficient to work with the iOS development tool easily.

Registering as an Apple Developer:

The Apple ID is very necessary if you are having any Apple device and being a developer, you need it. It is free and hence no problem in having one. The following are the advantages of having an Apple account.

To register an Apple account following are the steps:

Step 1: Firstly, go through this link https://developer.apple.com/programs/register/ and choose “Create Apple ID”.

Step 2: Provide the required information as specified in the form.

Step 3: Validate your account with your email verification and the account becomes active.

Step 4: After verification, you will be capable to download the developer tools such as Xcode which is packaged with iOS simulator and iOS SDK.

iOS – Xcode Installation:

Step 1: Download the latest version of Xcode from https://developer.apple.com/downloads/. After that click two times on the Xcode dmg file.

Step 2: You will find a device mounted and opened. The two items are displayed on the window i.e. Xcode application and the Application folder’s shortcut.

Step 3: Drag the Xcode to application and it will be copied to your applications.

Step 4: Now Xcode will be available as a part of other applications from which you can select and run.

You also have another option of downloading Xcode from the Mac App Store, type Xcode and press the Return key and then click free Download.

iOS Simulator:

Xcode includes a built-in iPhone and iPad simulator. It allows you to quickly prototype and test builds of your app during the development procedure. It runs on your Mac and acts like a standard Mac app as simulating an iPhone, iPad, etc. It is a preliminary testing tool to use before testing your app on an actual device.

iOS SDK :

The iOS SDK is a software development kit that is released in 2008 that helps developers create native applications for iOS devices and platforms. The iOS SDK was also known as the iPhone SDK. The iPhone SDK consists of the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iPhone simulator, frameworks and samples, compilers, Shark analysis tool, and more. For downloading the iPhone SDK you must be having an Apple ID.