The tech industry is forever crying out for talent and it seems that, at the moment, the world needs software developers & designers. Are you considering to become a professional developer? Well, this is a practical guide that can provide you with a good grounding at least.
Currently, at its peak, mobile app development has taken everyone by storm. It involves a set of procedures involving programming and building software or applications designed for fast operating handheld devices including smartphones and tablets. Now, do you think that professional programming is all about writing the code? Well, there is much more required. I mean right from working with a team to solving problems, version control, one wishes to make it to the major leagues and of course, without a toolkit of other critical skills. Down below I would like to mention few such important skills required while becoming a developer.
Learn to communicate
I am sure you must have encountered several media sources portraying programming as a loner’s craft but the truth is that it really involves a lot of communication and working with others. Especially when you are working for an Android or an iOS development company, you are expected to communicate and work well with others.
Brush Up Your Problem-Solving Skills
Understanding a programming language is just a minor part of coding. Well, Contrary to what some developers say, I do not find the same. For me, problem-solving is another important aspect that rookie professionals often lack. Being difficult in terms of skill, practice is the key here. Try considering small projects like developing note-taking applications, calculators, or anything you find interest in. Focus on the logic behind its code and learn to think like a computer instead of understanding the language.
SWIFT Technology
Being a powerful programming language owned by Apple, the technology is used specifically for iOS platforms. With the increase in digitalization, one can find effective use of such technologies taking place for all future developments and projects under iOS. Although the language is quite vast, but I am pretty sure that the following subjects are enough to provide you a decent understanding of the language and its practicality.
- Basic Syntax
- Control Flow
- Optionals
- Objective-C Interperability
- Classes, Inheritance & Initialization
- Error Handling
Spatial Reasoning
Another essential tool for iOS developers is the ability to think in terms of 3D while envisioning relationships between objects. Right from iPhone to Apple Watch, Apple TV, every professional developer tend to interface in order to self-acknowledge how the users will interact with the app. As a result, one requires to have a keen understanding of the inputs or types of controls available for different platforms. Besides, it is very important to see the device from the user’s perspective.
Design Guidelines
Do you know why some apps are popular and successful? It’s simply because of their intuitiveness. One of the major reasons is their strict adherence to defined procedures and guidelines. The way data is processed and displayed on-screen is treated in very specific ways. In order to master the art of building such bunch of intuitive apps, one must understand these design guides and patterns.
Networking
Before you try linking networking with app development, one must come up with an app that has no connectivity with the web. However, it is very difficult to name one as almost all of the apps interact with the web in some way or the other. But it becomes very important for you to understand the sending and receiving of data over web or networking. For this, you might require to become familiar with — JavaScript Object Notation. Might seem to be complex at first, but it’s actually a standard data-interchange format that is quite straightforward.
Core Data
Being a persistence framework, it mainly operates by storing data on Apple’s devices. Core data is developed by Apple for devices running on iOS platform. For instance, do you remember playing Super Mario Bros? How frustrating it used to be to start all over again. This was due to the inability of the machine to save the game’s progress.
Conclusion
To be an expert, you need to really think beyond the basics. For instance, if you know how to Photoshop and illustrator, you can easily think of interpreting website and product mockups you receive from designers.
