Beginning iOS 5 Application Development

OBTAINING THE TOOLS AND SDK

To develop for iOS, you need to download the iOS SDK. The iOS SDK comes with free Xcode from the Mac App Store (see Figure 1-1).

FIGURE 1-1

Before you download and install Xcode, make sure you satisfy the following system requirements:

• Only Intel Macs are supported, so if you have another processor type (such as the older G4 or G5 Macs), you're out of luck.
• Your system is updated with the latest Mac OS X Lion release.

An actual iPhone/iPod touch/iPad is highly recommended, although not strictly necessary. To test your application, you can use the included iOS Simulator (which enables you to simulate an iPhone or an iPad). However, to test certain hardware features like the accelerometer and gyroscope, you need to use a real device.

When Xcode is downloaded, proceed with installing it. Accept a few licensing agreements and then select the destination folder in which to install the SDK.

If you select the default settings during the installation phase, the various tools will be installed in the /Developer/Applications folder (see Figure 1-2).

FIGURE 1-2