Apple wants to make it easy for non-programmers to build iOS apps
A new digital content authoring tool from Apple could make it simple for people without a background in programming to build their own iOS applications for the iPhone and iPad.
Apple's interest in making iOS development simpler than ever was revealed in a new patent application published this week and discovered by AppleInsider. Entitled "Content Configuration for Device Platforms," it describes a new authoring tool that would allow users to create content without needing to understand or access computer code.
The application notes that computer programming languages are a "hinderance to content creation," as many content creators and designers simply lack the skill and knowledge to work on the technical side of computer programming.
This problem can be addressed with "WYSIWYG" software using a graphical user interface to build software, such as a webpage development tool. But Apple notes that while these tools can assist in the creation of content, they have limited capabilities and often require users to make hands-on edits to code like CSS.
Further, Apple states in the application that current tools can make it difficult for an inexperienced user to ensure that their content can be viewed optimally on multiple screens. Currently, iOS applications can be written for either the iPhone or iPad, or both, but Apple's filing also mentions the possibility of displaying such content on multiple screens with various resolutions, including televisions and computers.
"Due to such diverse devices having such diverse capabilities, content must now be created not only once, but often several times so that it can be configured for multiple device types," the filing reads. "This development has introduced a new barrier to content creation and delivery."
Current solutions to this problem, Apple says, utilize a "lowest-common denominator approach," in which the content is converted so it can be displayed on any mobile device. In doing this, devices that can display greatly enhanced content are not utilized to their full potential.
Apple proposes to resolve this myriad of issues with a new graphical software creation tool. With this tool, non-technical users would be able to do things like animate assets without the need for writing code.
"Each animation can be controlled by an action, and the actions can be tied to a time axis for execution," the filing states. "By relating actions to a time axis, animations based on the actions can be more easily viewed and reviewed."
Apple's described digital content authoring tool would cater to both amateur and professional content developers alike. Those with less experience could completely bypass the need to understand or access computer code, while skilled programmers would still have the option available.
The authoring tool would also be designed specifically for a number of Apple's electronic devices with diverse hardware capabilities, allowing simple support for different screen sizes and form factors.
The authoring software would use "an additional layer of abstraction between the graphical elements represented in the graphical user interface and the code that represents them." By doing this, variables could be modified using a widget like a graphical user interface inspector, rather than requiring the user to modify variables in the code itself.
Apple's solution would also rely on a JavaScript library to implement additional code. This would allow the authoring tool to include alternate implementations of an object, event handling behaviors, and error handling.
"The authoring tool also leverages a JavaScript library running in the background to enhance the code elements, by writing additional code that facilitates the smooth functioning of the objects defined by the code elements, even when those objects are implemented on diverse devices," the filing reads.
"The JavaScript library instantiates the objects specified by the user using the authoring tool and generates additional code (HTML/CSS/JavaScript) as needed to display the content. This allows the authoring tool to substitute alternate implementations for various situations, such as diverse devices, as needed."
The JavaScript library could, for example, determine which features of an application are not supported on a specific device. The filing gives the example of the system disabling graphics processor dependent functionality, such as shadows, gradients and reflections, on an unsupported device.
Much of the application deals with advertising content, and illustrations found in the filing also include pictures of iAd. In this way, Apple's content creation tool could be leveraged to allow those without coding experience to create advertisements for the company's own mobile advertising platform.
In addition, the design of the program appears similar to Apple's own iAd production tool for Mac. However, the application applies to any type of digital content authoring, and not just advertisements.
In other accompanying art, the filing shows a number of examples of software that could be created with an amateur-friendly content creation tool. One simple example is a game of tic tac toe, another shows a menu from a coffee shop, and a more complex example features the ability to purchase video of live performances from the show "American Idol."
Creating these applications would be a simplified process in which the user could select a template for their software. From there, they would begin to fill in the pieces and build their own iOS application, webpage, or advertisement.
The filing suggests that Apple sees this new, simplified iOS software creation tool as a way that small businesses, in particular, could get involved in application creation. In another example, a restaurant called "The Legends of Rib" has an interactive menu on the iPhone.
The detailed 72-page application was first filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in December of 2011. It is credited to Genevieve Garand, Steve Edward Marmon, Ralph Zazula, and Michael Paul Stern.
[ View article on AppleInsider ]
Comments
Something on the order of HyperCard, in terms of programming complexity, would offer a nice intermediate approach that a lot of people could use without having learn too much about what is ?under the hood?
I'm thinking REALbasic. But that's the idea. I'd like to do programming for use at my university (as I've done in supercard and REALbasic) but the hurdle to learning IOs has been too great.
Continuing the X = pro, i = personal theme.
This has been tried before...ultimately, to get a good and unique app, you will still need to get under the hood and do some coding.
Exactly. You can't write business logic with icons.
Jason
And then they can discontinue it, like iWeb.
It's iWeb for your iDevice!
This might be nice for creating simple apps to advertise a product, act as an interactive guide or the like.
iCode?
Continuing the X = pro, i = personal theme.
iCode is one the few times I would encourage the 'i' nomenclature.
Last time I saw anthing like this it was a tool called Matrix Layout back in the 90s, and it was utter junk. If anyone can make this work Apple can, but as a programmer I've yet to be convinced that these types of tools can do much more than create photo albums and very simple, generic apps.
I'm not seeing this for anything remotely complex, but to give users app widgets. SImple utilities that they can personalize themselves or download themselves. Perhaps even simple enough to not have to know HTML/JS/CSS.
icode
I've never really understood the need for apps which are just repackaged versions of a company website. Just make a mobile version of your website.
Now, even a dope like me can get in on the App Store goldrush goodness!
I call dibs on "Angry Farts" !
As already mentioned, it sounds a lot like App Inventor for Android. I don't think there's much value in it - especially when Apple already rejects apps for being too basic.
I wouldn't think these would be App Store apps.
As already mentioned, it sounds a lot like App Inventor for Android ...
No.
App Inventor, (as well as this) are just copying a long, long, long, line of programs that have tried to do this same thing.
I'm pretty sure I've seen this line here:
Those with less experience could completely bypass the need to understand or access computer code, while skilled programmers would still have the option available.
In at least a couple of dozen product descriptions since 1985 or so.
If Apple wants to create an animation tool, they would probably do better to take something from Adobe like Illustrator or Director or whatever people are using these days, and fix it so non-technical types can actually use it.
Remove all the crud and the bad UI and the MS Windows crap, throw away all the useless whiz-bang features and make it clear, graphical and most importantly, understandable. A tool like that would be way more valuable than trying to make a content creation app that uses no code and works across multiple devices/platforms. That's just a crazy promise that cannot be kept.
The whole idea behind programming is that, since computers cannot think by themselves, you have to tell them exactly what to do. So unless you are 'programming' the umpteenth soundboard, or some picture of a monkey that starts making sounds if you shake the phone, you will have to figure everything out by yourself, and translate it into code.
The list of things you can do by just tying together some pre-fab components and hook them up to UI events is limited to only the most useless of applications. If software development were as simple as that, you wouldn't need years of education and experience to get good at it. It's almost an insult to software engineers and programmers like myself, as if you could teach anyone to build bridges by just showing them how you can bolt some girders together.