marketing consulting

What is iOS Development exactly?

By Lisa Washington 24 April, 2023 3 mins read

If you've ever wondered what is iOS development, you're not alone. You're not alone if you're curious about Xcode, Objective-C, Swift, or Core Data. iOS developers are passionate just like any other developer. They often get out of their house more than their competition and are passionate about technology but never lose sight design and user experience.

Xcode

Xcode is Apple's integrated development environment (IDE), which allows developers to write code in Swift and compile their applications. Xcode is primarily for iOS development. But it can also be used with other languages. It's versatile and allows users to create any type of application, design the user interface and test their apps in Apple's AppStore marketplaces.

Download Xcode for iOS Development on a Mac with at minimum 2GB RAM, 30GB Hard Disk Space, and 128MB Video Memory. Also, you will need an Apple ID. Next, go to the Dock and navigate to the AppStore application icon. You can click Xcode on the top-right corner.

Objective-C

Objective-C can be used to program iOS apps. It is a descendant from C and can use the extensive C++ libraries. Objective-C, unlike Swift, is interoperable with C. However, Objective can use C libraries such as the Swift library. It also includes XCode IDE which is widely used to create iOS and OS X Apps. The IDE provides all the tools necessary to develop fast, performant apps.

Objective-C can be described as an object-oriented programming system. It has two main file types: the interface, and the implementation. The interface file has a class description, while the implementation files contain the actual code. This file will include code that creates and stores objects and accesses methods. For example, the class Color might have the instance method -changeColorToRed:green:blue. Objective-C, though, uses pointers instead of Swift to protect against security holes. While pointers can be very convenient, developers can face complex problems due to them.

Swift

iOS Development in Swift is a comprehensive guide to creating iOS apps with the Swift programming language. This book covers all aspects of Swift programming language and guides you through creating an app. This book is a great resource for any developer who wants to develop apps for the iOS platform. With the help of detailed examples, it is easy to learn Swift language.

Swift is an innovative cross-platform programming languages that works both on Apple iOS and Linux. It is powered by the LLVM compiler technology, which allows it to run at high speeds. This means that you can build your apps faster and with less code.

Core Data

You should begin by learning about Core Data to help you in your iOS development project. This framework consists of many parts that work together to provide a customized data storage solution. Learn how to use advanced fetch commands and different types of fetching.

Core Data is implemented by a managed objects model (MOM). This means that entities can have attributes that are mapped into your code. Each entity can have multiple attributes, such name, salary and position.

Project Management

iOS project management can be challenging. For project management, many small teams will rely on pen-and-paper. Although it is a flexible and quick solution, there are downsides. This will result in a jumble of documents covering multiple versions of the iOS application. This is not the best way to manage a team.

To help with project management, consider a cloud-based platform such as Wrike. Wrike enables you to collaborate on your project, makes workflow easier, and offers real-time reports. Wrike can also be integrated with other platforms or applications. This makes it possible for teams to work together in real-time.

FAQ

How is consulting different to freelancing

Freelancers, who are self-employed and provide services to clients without the need for employees, are independent contractors. They generally charge an hourly rate depending on how long they spend on a client project. Consultants often work for companies or agencies that employ them. Their salaries are often paid monthly, or annually.

Because they have control over their work hours and can set their prices, freelancers are more flexible than consultants. But consultants have more benefits like vacation days, health insurance and retirement plans.

What happens after the consultant has finished the job?

After the consultant finishes the work, s/he will send a final report outlining the results. This report contains all relevant information, such as project timelines and deliverables.

Next, you will review the report and determine if the consultant has met your expectations. If it does not, you can ask for changes or terminate the contract.

How much does it cost to hire a consultant?

It is not easy to determine how much it will cost to hire a consultant. These are:

Project size
Time frame
Scope of work
Fees
Deliverables
Other considerations include experience level, geographic location, and so forth.

Why should consultants be hired?

There are many reasons you might need to hire a consultant.

A specific project or problem may be a challenge for your company.
You would like to improve your skills or learn new things
You'd like to work in conjunction with an expert in a specific field
You have no other choice but to do the job.
You feel overwhelmed by all the information and don’t know where to begin.
You can't afford full-time employment

Word of mouth is the best way to find a great consultant. Ask your friends and family if they know of any reliable consultants. Ask someone you already know to recommend a consultant.

If you're interested in using online directories, such as LinkedIn, you can use the "Search People” feature to find consultants near your location.

How much should a consultant charge?

It depends on what you are offering. It doesn't matter if you offer services at no cost. However, if you are selling products or services, then you need to set prices based on value.

If you are providing low-quality services, then you don't have anything to sell. So why would anyone pay any money for your services.

If you provide high-quality service, you may ask for higher prices because people appreciate the value you offer. You may also want to offer discounts to clients who buy multiple packages from you.

Statistics

67% of consultants start their consulting businesses after quitting their jobs, while 33% start while they're still at their jobs. (consultingsuccess.com)
On average, your program increases the sales team's performance by 33%. (consultingsuccess.com)
According to IBISWorld, revenues in the consulting industry will exceed $261 billion in 2020. (nerdwallet.com)
"From there, I told them my rates were going up 25%, this is the new hourly rate, and every single one of them said 'done, fine.' (nerdwallet.com)
According to statistics from the ONS, the UK has around 300,000 consultants, of which around 63,000 professionals work as management consultants. (consultancy.uk)