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In this video, we take a look at the development tools that we'll be using while developing the application. These tools include Google Chrome and the iOS Simulator. Links: Google Chrome iOS Developer
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[Development Tools]
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[?music?]
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[Jim Hoskins] So now that we've decided what libraries we want to use
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in our application--or at least try to use in our application --
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let's start getting our development environment set up.
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The first thing we want to set up is a local web server.
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Now, this is outside of the scope of this particular application,
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and we could technically develop all of this just using the file system,
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but for our cases, we simply want to be able to open our web server of choice
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whether it's Apache or some sort of package, and be able to go to localhost
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and maybe even a subdirectory within it
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and be served our application.
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Now, since the entire application is using the front end, JavaScript,
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there's no back end necessary.
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We don't need anything like PHP, Python, or Ruby
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in order to handle our application.
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It's all static files, so we just need a simple web server
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to host those files.
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The second we obviously need is a browser.
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Now, you'll notice I'm using Chrome right now google.com/chrome
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and besides being my normal development kit,
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it also makes for being one of the best development kits
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to work with jQuery Mobile. jquerymobile.com
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That's because jQuery Mobile it optomized for webkit browsers
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and Chrome is a webkit-based browser.
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You can also use Safari, apple.com/safari
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but Chrome, I find, has better development tools and is a lot faster.
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So we're actually going to be using Chrome more than anything to test our application.
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We could test everything in the iPhone Simulator, which we'll see in a moment,
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but it's faster to refresh something in Chrome
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as well as we'll have the development tools at our fingertips, like so,
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to debug any problems that we run into.
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Now, while the browser will give us a great idea of what our application looks like
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and behaves, the next thing we want to use is a Simulator
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to actually test what it would be like in the actual mobile browser.
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The easiest one for us to set up is the iOS Simulator,
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but of course, this is only going to work on the Mac.
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Now, we've seen the iOS Simulator before and it looks a lot like this.
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We can open up our Safari browser
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and simply visit localhost like we would in any other browser.
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So to get this installed, we actually need to download the iPhone SDK from Apple.
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Now, this is the full application developer or software developing kit
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from Apple, so it's actually a very large download.
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To get it, we're going to go to the Apple iOS Development Center
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developer.apple.com/devcenter/ios/index.action
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and we want to download the iPhone SDK.
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Now, you do need to register as an iOS Developer, which is free.
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It will cost you money if you want the license in order to be able to
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submit your apps to the App Store, but for simply obtaining the iOS Simulator,
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you do not need to pay a fee.
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So if you don't have an Apple ID already, simply click Register
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and we'll log in.
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Now, I'm going to log in.
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And once you sign in, you'll be taken to this page.
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We can click on Downloads or simply scroll down to this Downloads section here
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and you want to Download the latest X Code Version
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with the iOS SDK, and right now that Version is X Code 3.2.6
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and the iOS SKD for iOS Version 4.3.
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Now, this is going to be several gigabytes--usually around 5 gigabytes--
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so it's something you want to be doing before you actually need it
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and I have already obviously set it up.
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Once you download it, simply run the installer.
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From your Macintosh hard drive, you're going to want to open the Developer folder,
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the Platforms folder, the iPhone Simulator.platform,
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Developer, Applications, and the iOS Simulator.
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You may want to create a shortcut for this on your desktop
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or Dock, or you can simply open it by typing iOS Simulator
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into the Spotlight Search on the Mac
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and it'll bring it up very quickly.
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Doing so will open up the iOS Simulator,
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and you can simply open up Safari and navigate to whatever you want.
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Now, while simulators are nice, nothing beats having an actual phone.
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If you have an iPhone or an Android phone, use it while developing your application.
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If you have a friend or colleague who has another kind of phone,
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maybe ask if you can borrow it.
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Besides just eliminating the differences between the simulator and the real phone,
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testing on an actual device really gives you a feel for how the application works,
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so whenever you have the chance, always try to develop on a real device.
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