Working on your Mobile App Development Project? Start Using APIs for Great UX
I talk about the programming languages and packages required to get into coding APIs. And I break down the role of APIs in creating a great user experience.
In 2008, when the Apple App Store got launched, it generated immense hype in mobile app development. There have been 130 billion app downloads since then. And within the last year, there were 30 billion downloads alone. But, with a retention rate of 36%, you’d need to have an app that offers an exceptional experience to make a dent in the market. And the central aspect of a robust UX is coding a well-designed API.
What is an API?
The term API stands for application programming interface and is a software intermediary. It facilitates communication between different apps and functions. For example, you might have used the Facebook API, which is the well-known one out there.
A Facebook server retrieves your given data, performing the necessary action, interprets the data, and returns the data. It depends on the app developer’s presentation of the data to the end-user in any form they might like to view it.
Designing apps on iOS? Here are the basics
Before you can start on your mobile app development project. To create iOS apps, you need to have:
- An Apple Mac computer that has the latest macOS.
- XCode is the IDE (integrated developer environment.) It is available as a free download on Mac App Store.
- An Apple Developer Account that costs $99/year.
Only members of the Apple Developer Program can publish an app on the Apple App Store. After that, there is heavy competition, making tech innovations central to the success of your application. To start on a mobile app development project, you need to design reliable APIs that are easy to use and integrate.
Which are the programming languages for iOS app development?
There are two programming languages for iOS app development: Objective C and Swift. Many developers opt to maintain their legacy applications on Objective C instead of integrating them into the Swift framework. However, Swift offers faster speed and performance but is focused more on security than Objective C. Thus, making it an “official choice” for creating secure APIs.
And with the programming language, Swift, building an application becomes quicker for beginners. Swift can create intuitive APIs that are less error-prone because of its strong typing. Under such a type system, variables have strict types when performing operations on them.
The advantage of iOS app development
Apple is known for its UX and has built a legacy of creating quality products tailored to customer requirements. But, it offers a host of developer resources: native APIs and libraries: for iOS app development. These are part of kits known as software development kits or SDKs. You can use these iOS SDKs to streamline integration to the existing Apple infrastructure.
For instance, Google Maps API embeds map displays into iOS apps. And it is also used on millions of websites and has become the official standard for embedding location maps. You can also create interactions where a customer can pass a search result and click on the map to highlight its location.
Conclusion
The smartphone industry is growing fast and reaching new heights. This year, there were 500 million Indians using smartphones. Out of that 25.6%, chose Apple. So, you can now explore a profitable consumer base by creating an iOS app with your mobile app development project.
