Developing an app for the itunes app store can seem a little daunting. Java script, xcode, certificates, provisioning profiles – all things you will come accross in the process but could put you off even before you begin.

DONT BE PUT OFF!!!!

There are plenty of tools out there to help you get an app developed and published with very little coding skills necessary. All you need is a lot of patience, a clear head and a little bit of help. From idea to creation and finally distribution there is a very natural (and some times long winded) timeline that is followed and for this reason this tutorial is split into three parts allowing you to follow each part at your own pace and whilst you are embroiled in the particular segment of the process.

Before you begin you will need an Apple mac for development, there are a number of hacks around that permit development on the PC but rest assured that is the quickest way to NOT get your app approved by Apple in the app store. A basic Apple Mac-Book will be ample for what is required. An iPhone or ipod touch will also come in handy for testing although not completely necessary (further on in the tutorial we will discuss the iPhone desktop simulator).

So lets get going… Head on over to the Apple development center http://developer.apple.com/iphone/ and get yourself registered. Here you will find mountains of documentation, videos and most importantly the iPhone SDK (software development kit) download this and install on your Mac. The SDK has a number of applications such as Dashcode  and Xcode that can be located in HD>developer>applications. I would recommend having a play around here and reading as much of the documentation as you possibly can, even following some of the many tutorials available.

The first time consuming step of the process begins here. In order to distribute Native Apple apps you must enroll in the iPhone developer program here http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/apply.html . The standard fee is $99 dollars and the time scale for acceptance is a piece of string. To be accepted into the program Apple will run a number of checks relating to verifying that you actually exist, ranging from proof of address to company registration number. This process can take quite some time ( anything from 2-3 weeks to 2-3 months) and you quite literally are in the hands of the gods, the Apple gods that is…

This brings the first part of tis guide to a close and gives you plenty to be looking at whilst waiting for your program application to be approved. In the next installment we will look at development and some of the tools that are available to make the creation of an app as simple as possible.