How Newbies Should Start Learning iOS User Interface Programming

When you’re just starting out in iOS development, there are so many options in which to place a button. There’s storyboard, auto layout, and even SwiftUI — that’s just scratching the surface. How should someone new to programming the platform chart a learning path?

Modeling In-App Purchases Inventory

There are four types of in-app purchases in Apple’s App Store, with their own unique ways to manage it. The challenge is how to isolate the intricacies of these product types from the rest of the application. Otherwise a move from non-consumable in-app purchase to a subscription type would involve a major rewrite. Learn how to manage an app’s inventory of purchases and get the code base resilient to changes in the business side.

Time-Limited in-App Purchase

What if you need to create a “holiday special” in-app purchase? The item would only be available at a limited period some time in the future. However those who have bought the item would be able to use it beyond the purchase-able period, including restoring purchases should they need it.

I want to let some non-consumable iAP items just be sold during a particular period of time. Also the user who purchased these items still can restore and use it after the time period has elapsed.

Creating time-based in-app purchases (iAP) can be difficult. First all iAPs would need to go through App Review, hence they would need to be available before your app is live. Second is that there’s practically no way for the app to differentiate the app review environment versus the actual production environment – nor does Apple want you to.

But what if I say it can be done? What if you can have a non-consumable iAP, pass it through app review, and only made it for sale only during a specific period in the future? Interested? read on.

How Developers can Draw Icons for iOS Apps

Are you an iOS developer who believes that making icons is purely witchcraft? Perhaps you have an inkling to be able to do some of that wizardry yourself? Here is a step-by-step process on how to create icons for tab bar buttons as well as other glyphs. Techniques that you would find useful for those times when you don’t have access to a good graphic designer.

How to Get Core ML Produce Images as Output

Core ML’s tools to convert other framework’s machine learning models is a pretty awesome feat in itself. However it is by no means complete. I found some issues in converting models which outputs images. Issues which took me a few weeks to solve even after many consultations to Google and Apple’s own forums. But here’s the solution and I’m sharing it with you so that you don’t have to experience the same predicament which I had.