iPhone® Application Development For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Chapter 5. Building the User Interface

In This Chapter

• Using Interface Builder

• Working with a view

• Adding controls

• Adding graphics

• Creating your own application icon

As I've mentioned before, and will say many times again (unless the editors stop me), the user interface, while critical for most applications, is less forgiving on the iPhone than on the desktop. That's because on-screen real estate is limited on the device. (Come on, as cool as the screen is, it's still smaller than a desktop monitor.) Given the space limitations, I always like to get a pretty good idea of what the user interface will be like, because it could have a definite impact on my software architecture. Before I start coding, I want to be sure the interface is going to work in its intended space.

When I started the ReturnMeTo application, I thought the user interface would be a piece of cake — and to some extent, it was. But even the easiest of applications — apps like ReturnMeTo that have focused functionality and a single window — can benefit from a little road-testing. As I go through the process of developing this application over the next few chapters (and take it for a spin now and then), I document what happens along the way — the good, the bad, and the ugly. There's method to this madness: As I try different implementations of the application, you get a close look at how easy it is to make those changes.

Starting Interface Builder

First things first: Start up Interface Builder so you can start laying out the ...