Getting Started with Xcode 7 Development

So you want to create your own app? That's great! Creating an app is a fun and rewarding experience. But before we begin to dive into iOS programming, let's first go through the tools you need to build an app.

1. Get a Mac
Yes, you need a Mac. It's the basic requirement for iOS development. To develop an iPhone (or iPad) app, you need to first get a Mac with an Intel-based processor running on Mac OS X version 10.10 (or up). If you still own a PC, the cheapest option is to purchase the Mac Mini. As of this writing, the retail prce of the entry model is US$499. You can hook it up with the monitor of your PC. The basic model of Mac mini comes with a 1.4GHz dual-core Intel Core i5 processor and 4GB memory. It should be good enough to run the iOS development tools smoothly. Of course, if you have a bigger budget, get the higher model or an iMac with better processing power.

2. Register as an Apple Developer
Don't confuse this with the paid iOS Developer Program that we're going to talk about in a later section. Anyone can register as an Apple developer for free. By registering a developer account, you're allowed to download Xcode, access iOS SDK documentation and other technical resources such as development videos.

You can go to Apple's developer website (https://developer.apple.com/register/) for registration. The registration process is very straightforward. Simply create an Apple ID (if you don't have one already) and fill in your personal profile.

3. Install Xcode
To start developing iOS apps, Xcode is the only tool you need to download. Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) provided by Apple. Xcode provides everything you need to kick start your app development. It already bundles the latest version of the iOS SDK (short for Software Development Kit), a built-in source code editor, graphic user interface (UI) editor, debugging tools and many more. Most importantly, Xcode comes with an iPhone (and iPad) simulator so you can test your app without the real devices.

To download Xcode, launch the Mac App Store on your Mac. If you're using the latest version of Mac OS, you should be able to open the Mac App Store by clicking the icon in the dock. In case you can't find it, you may need to upgrade your Mac OS.