by Caryna St. John

Created on: November 30, 2009

By now you've probably heard stories about independent software developers striking it rich selling simple applications for the iPhone. Although it's hard to believe, these stories are absolutely true, and there is still plenty of opportunity for creative developers to make their fortune in the same manner.

Over the next few paragraphs, you'll learn how to begin writing applications of your own. Before you can write programs for the iPhone, you'll need to make sure you have everything needed to get started. The first requirement, and the perhaps the biggest obstacle for many, is access to an Intel-based Macintosh computer.

Once you've got the hardware, you can download all of the software you'll need by joining Apple's iPhone Developer Program. It's free to sign up and download the tools, though there is a $99 fee once you're ready to load your programs onto an actual device or put them on the iTunes App Store.

Unless you've written programs for Macintosh computers in the past, you may find getting started a little more daunting than picking up some other technologies. This is due to the fact that programs for the iPhone are written in a language called Objective-C, which is not widely known outside the Apple world. Although it's based on the C language, the syntax is different enough that it's initially a little difficult to read. Once you get the hang of it, however, you'll find it a pleasure to work with.

There are many books available that provide excellent tutorials and example source code. Despite the abundance of literature, however, not all books are good guides for beginners. Take your time and select the book that you think is right for you.

Read the first chapter in the book store if you can, and make sure it's talking on your level. If you find that a book is too simple, you may be inclined to skip topics that will be essential later on. Conversely, if a book is too difficult for a beginner, you may feel like you've gotten in over your head, which should definitely not be the case. There wouldn't be over 100,000 applications in the App Store if it were that difficult.

One of the best resources for learning iPhone programming is a series of classes available for free through iTunes U. These classes are recordings from a course given at Stanford University and are taught by Apple employees. All of the associated course material is available online, and you can follow along as if you were actually taking the class, including building a full-fledged Twitter client from the ground up.

Programming the iPhone is a challenging, yet rewarding experience. Unless you're already familiar with Mac programming, prepare for a slightly steeper learning curve than if you simply chose to learn another programming language. Whatever you do, however, don't give up. Use every resource at your disposal, and before you know it, you'll be an expert iPhone developer.

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