Spring 2020
Current Assignments – Post Spring Break; items have been updated for Semester Disruption
March 30 – be prepared to have a Zoom at 12:30pm to check in and discuss the rest of the semester.
We will discuss semester schedule, changes to grade requirements, technology issues and process for online learning.
Review video and tutorial on Adding Scene and Passing Data. We covered this before break. Go through them again, creating new projects, to refresh your memory on Multiple Scenes and Passing Data Across Scenes. Make sure you understand all the features of these tutorials.
Take Quiz 1 – Multiple View Controllers on TRACS; due April 3 by midnight
April 1
complete going through the Adding Scenes and Passing Data Across Scenes
April 6 Picker Views – be prepared to have a Zoom at 12:30pm to check in.
Review video and tutorial for Picker Views. Take Quiz
Quiz 2 on Picker Views – due by April 7 at midnight.
Assignment: Begin working on Final Project. See the updated Project2/Final Project description on the Assignment Page.
April 8 Multiple Scene Exercise
Assignment: Do Multiple Scene Exercise. It will demonstrate the use of multiple scenes, embedded navigation controller, textfield, switch, slider, picker and passing data. Submit on GitHub (make a new repository, initalize with a README, upload the entire folder). Provide the url of the repository on the #multiplescene channel. Try it on your own. Later I will release a working version of it on GitHub.
April 13 – be prepared for a short Zoom at 12:30pm to check in and discuss final project.
Assignment: On #finalprojectidea on Slack, provide a sketch of your final project idea and a description. Review the project requirements.
April 15
Review video and tutorial for Table Views. Take Quiz
Quiz 3 Table Views – due April 17 by midnight
Work on Final Project
April 20 – be prepared for Zoom at 12:30pm
Items for the rest of the semester may be added to your project, but are not required. Please review tutorials and integrate them as you see fit. The tutorials describe how to set up a Cloud Firestore Database using Google’s Firebase, a free database product. Use the TableViews tutorial that we did previously to begin the News App Tutorial.
April 22 Databases –
News App from Database – this tutorial demonstrates how to connect your app to a cloud database
Simple Messaging App
Messaging App Tutorial – this tutorial shows how you can write to a messaging app
April 27 be prepared for Zoom at 12:30pm
Augmented Reality Features – an intro to the Reality Composer application that works with XCode to add virtual objects into real space.
SwiftUI and future of iOS Development – Layout Tutorial discussion; Getting Started with Swift UI.
SwiftUI Essential Training – LinkedIn Learning; Login with your TXST ID for access.
April 29
Assignment: Final Post. In #wrapup: As we complete the course, what do you think about what you have learned so far? What did you enjoy the most? How do you think you might use these skills in the future? Due May 4 before class.
May 4 – be prepared for final Zoom at 12:30pm
Testing your Project on a Device
Cross-Platform Development
React Native – Many developers are now using a Facebook developed framework called React Native to make cross-platform apps. This is a JavaScript library that helps to convert apps to both iPhone and Android platforms. But understanding how a native platform works is the best start for a beginner. Now that you have a basic understanding of app development concepts, you can explore using React Native. There are limitations, and there are many articles on comparisons between developing on a native platform or using React Native. So take a look at your options and think about next steps, if you plan to keep learning about mobile development.
There are other tools that are considered “wrappers” that put a native wrapper around website content. These frameworks may work for very basic sites, but are not recommended for more advanced development for performance reasons.
Why You Should Migrate Your App from PhoneGap, Ionic or Cordova to React Native
Additional Advanced Tutorials:
Submitting an App to the App Store
May 8 Final Project Due – turn in on #finalproject Slack channel. Submit your GitHub repository URL. Make sure you provide the top-level project folder and everything under it.
If you used Firebase for your project, you will need to submit a different way. Make a zip of your entire project and upload that to the #finalproject Slack channel. If you post this on GitHub, be sure to remove your podfiles and folders and your Google-Service.plist file from that upload.
I hope you have found this introduction to making iPhone apps helpful. There are many more things to learn and many more things to do with a mobile application. Use the problem-solving skills you learned in this class to add new functionality to your projects. I hope you will continue making apps!
Past Assignments
Jan. 22 Course Intro; Intro to Mobile Media
Presentation: History and World of Mobile
Assignments:
- Review course site, syllabus and policies.
- Join Slack team and introduce yourself in #general channel. Look for invite to mobiletxst.slack.com.
Jan. 27 Review the presentation below before class. We will discuss these issues.
App Examples and Responsive Design Presentation
Assignments:
- Slack post: What are your favorite apps? How do you use your mobile devices throughout the day? #appexamples
- Review items from the Pew Research Center – Internet and Technology before class on Wed.
Jan. 29
Guest speaker – Brooke Auxier, Privacy and Surveillance in an Online World
Assignment: Review Programming and Development Concepts before class on Monday.
Feb. 3 Developing an iPhone App – Introduction
Interactive Development Environment
Watch video before coming to class. We’ll discuss.
Assignments:
- Lynda.com videos – TXST provides free access to Lynda.com videos. There are hundreds of different courses and tutorials. We’ll be supplementing course materials with some Lynda resources. To gain the free TXST access, first login at the TXST Lynda.com Resource Page.
- Watch Lynda.com/LinkedIn Learning video on Programming for Non-Programmers for iOS and Swift: Set Up Your Coding Environment and Programming Building Blocks: Variables For fun, take the quizzes at the end of these sections, just to assess your knowledge.
- Don’t worry if you are confused by these videos. We will go over exercises in class that will reinforce these concepts. But watching these videos in advance will provide you a first look.
- Before class, review tutorials:
Feb. 5 First App; Making outlets and actions, visual interface, switches and sliders
XCode and Swift Concepts Presentation
Assignments:
- Lynda.com videos – TXST provides free access to Lynda.com videos. There are hundreds of different courses and tutorials. We’ll be supplementing course materials with some Lynda resources. To gain the free TXST access, first login at the TXST Lynda.com Resource Page.
- Watch Lynda.com video on Programming for Non-Programmers for iOS and Swift: Methods
Feb. 10 – we will not meet in class; online exercise
- Read this article on Mobile App Design, Smashing Magazine. Start thinking about your next project, a one-screen app. Review the assignment on the Assignment page. What would you like your app to do? Describe it on the #app1idea Slack channel.
- Lynda.com videos – TXST provides free access to Lynda.com videos. There are hundreds of different courses and tutorials. We’ll be supplementing course materials with some Lynda resources. To gain the free TXST access, first login at the TXST Lynda.com Resource Page.
- Watch Lynda.com video on Programming for Non-Programmers for iOS and Swift: Conditional Statements
Feb. 12 Simple Quiz Exercise
Feb. 17 Game Exercise
Feb. 19
Complete Game Exercise
Assignments:
- This is a lengthy article detailing issues about women in computing. The Secret History of Women in Coding, NY Times Magazine, Feb. 13 2019. Why do you think women are under-represented in Computer Science programs? In technology companies in technical jobs? Why did coding start out as a women’s profession and shift to a man’s? What do you think can be done to fix this problem? Here is something I wrote a while back on the subject. Why Universities Need to Embrace Coding Across the Curriculum. Use #gender on Slack.
Feb. 24 Work on Project 1
Review GitHub, Work on Project 1. See GitHub instructions on Assignments page.
Feb. 26 Work on Project 1
March 2 – we will not meet in class. Work on Project 1
Assignment:
Read AR Will Spark the Next Big Tech Platform – Call it Mirrorworld. Do you think that augmented reality is the next major area of technology? How might that play out? What are the opportunities and challenges associated with mass acceptance and usage of augmented reality? Use #augmentedreality on Slack.
March 4
Complete Project 1 submit on GitHub and provide your github repository address in the #project1 channel. Due March 4.
March 9 Multiple Scenes
Using Scenes and Embedding Navigation
March 11 Passing Data
Review Multiple Scenes
March 16-20 Spring Break! Think about what you’d like to do for Project 2, an app with multiple scenes.
March 23-27 Extended Spring Break