@property (nonatomic, retain) Skill *iPhoneDev;

My story with iOS

code Some Objective C code I've spent quite some time learning to program for iOS. When I started I didn't really know true object oriented programming that well, but I was quite proficient in PHP. My PHP experience helped me getting started, since I already understood concepts like variables, functions and classes.

Now I've learnt very much about programming, and can bang out a simple app over a weekend. The hardest concept to grasp was by far pointers. Especially since Objective C mixes a lot of C, and therefore non-pointer variables and structs.

Now I have many ideas and projects going, so the hardest part is to actually finish something. I've got my mind on one particular project for now, which you can read about below.

Mine Searcher

code Mine Searcher on iPad Mine Searcher is a minesweeper clone made specifically for iOS. I've also made a port in javascript and one for Mac.

The biggest challenges were getting my head around the iOS UI APIs and making a good algorithm with usable performance. My choice to go with native APIs (UIButton for buttons) may not be the best for performance, but it was a great way to learn Apple's technologies and guidelines.

My current iOS project

I'm currently working on my most ambitious project yet. This app will be a productive app, not a game. To avoid too much competition I won't spoil all the details now. I've really learnt much already, and I will probably learn even more during testing.

Other apps

I've also got a couple of other apps on the App Store. The first is TextScream, my very first app. It is basically a way to use your iPhone or iPad as a poster. For me, TextScream is more of a "Hello World" kind of app than anything else, but once in a while someone actually buys it. The iPad version is of course most popular.

I've also developed a Tic Tac Toe app, this one to learn some simple AI techniques. It works well, and is available for free (with ads).

Together all these apps cover my development costs, including software I've bought (Coda, Pixelmator and Lineform) and the $99 developer fee. My hope is to eventually cover all my personal tech expenditures with my iPhone software.