The way that contributing to the App Store works is very simple if put in plain terms. The user creates the app using the application Xcode (provided by Apple). Apps for the iPhone are written in Objective-C and Xcode compiles these apps in the correct packages for the App Store. After the app is created, the user creates a developer account with Apple, and submits the app for review. After the app has been approved by Apple, it is submitted into the app store, for the millions of users to download. Though this process seems pretty basic on the outside, it is in reality very complex as it requires a strong programming background in order to perfect the creation of the app.
The app that I will be contributing to the app store is one geared towards high school and college students to account for the schedules, assignments, and finances of the students. One of the app's functionalities is creating a virtual schedule for the student, so the student knows exactly where to be at a given time. The schedule can be based on classes that are on certain cycles, or classes based on days of the week. The second functionality of the app is entering assignments. This serves as a virtual agenda book for the student, as the app allows for the student to enter in the various assignments for various classes with their due dates. When these due dates approach, the student gets a reminder on the phone informing him/her to complete the assignments. The third functionality of the app is to manage the student's finances. As many high school and college students have jobs, it becomes important that they balance their checking accounts so they do not overspend their income and they can budget their money for short-term and long-term expenses. The app will allow the student to enter a monthly income and then record their purchases, so they know how much money they can spend for the month. The app will also allow for student to set a price for an item they want, and the amount of money monthly, that they want to provide for the item. Once this amount is made, it will send the user a reminder.
The overall goal for this project is to create a fully functional, and bug-free app, which will be released into the App Store. This app will be available for all students to download, and hopefully, I will be able to make a profit off of the app. First off, the materials that I will use a MacBook, the Xcode application, and an Apple developer account, three things that I already have, and you should get if you plan on imitating this process. In order to achieve this goal, I will have to follow a very specific procedure with a very specific timeline. For the next six weeks, I have a plan set up that will allow me to finish my app. For all of you that are reading and are not a part of my class, I will have weekly updates to demonstrate each of the steps I am at. The steps that I will follow are: designing the app, programming the app, testing the app, adjusting the app based on testing, and finally, releasing the app into the App Store. After each week, I will record my progress by checking off each of the steps in my process. Hopefully, I will be able to succeed sticking to this schedule, and will reach my desired goal by the end of the remaining six weeks.
