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Imagine Creating iOS Apps for the iPad Pro

How the cloud and Swift Playgrounds can alter how we create apps

You don't always get creative or inspired while you're in front of a computer. Working differently requires direct manipulation, dragging things, and working closer to the screen while using tablets in the workplace (or away from it).

How the cloud and Swift Playgrounds can alter how we create apps

You don't always get creative or inspired while you're in front of a computer. Working differently requires direct manipulation, dragging things, and working closer to the screen while using tablets in the workplace (or away from it).

We are keen to see more enterprise-level apps on the iPad as tablets appear to be taking on a more significant role in the workplace. Professional programmes like Photoshop and Sketch haven't even successfully transitioned to tablets in the design industry.

Steve Streza wrote on why the iPad Pro needs Xcode when the 12.9" iPad Pro was unveiled. The developer community has engaged in extensive debate on the idea of such a product, both in favour of it and against it. A full version of Xcode, in my opinion, is not particularly necessary. It does numerous tasks in a variety of precise ways. It would be an extremely ambitious endeavour to put a complete Integrated Development Environment (IDE) on a tablet.

A tool with more intent and focus, though, might be advantageous. Imagine a tool that developers and designers could use to quickly experiment with concepts and see the results right away, comparable to Swift Playgrounds and Interface Builder.

Being able to examine the outcomes and output of your code without having to do a build each time seems to be the start of that line of thinking, as demonstrated by Swift Playgrounds in Xcode.

Since this is only an exploration, many factors, such as hardware capability, memory, etc., have not yet been properly taken into account.

I drew up a simple flow, which is just a screen that allows you to view projects and start new ones (perhaps via iCloud or Git).

A lot of people would be thrilled to have an iPad app that merely allowed them to experiment in Playgrounds, but it could be developed to do far more.

The previous few years have seen a remarkable improvement in storyboards. What if this iPad app allowed you to edit storyboards and access the storyboard's detail view to add interface elements? Simply rearrange your storyboards, include segues, and make any minor adjustments.

A fresh perspective and approach

Bret Victor mentions "being able to try ideas as you think of them" in his talk "Inventing on Principle." Working in Xcode in front of your Mac is not necessarily where inspiration strikes. It frequently happens while you are out and about in a more mobile setting, such as a cafe.

What if you could watch your code's results while you were writing it? Think of an app that would allow you to run it seamlessly on a supplied device nearby or that would allow you to view the build on the native device rather than a simulator. This is precisely like compiling a build while developing a Mac application.

Consider the potential projects you could work on to help guide some of the decisions you make, even if you did not use this for production code in the ios app Development you are developing.

Recyclable Elements

Being an interface designer, I find the inability to reuse items in design prototypes to be a major source of irritation. Designers can thoroughly explore high fidelity interactions using beautiful and amazing prototype tools like Framer, Principle, Pixate, Quartz Composer, and Form. What if we could use that framework to produce work that didn't require re-engineering but was instead usable?

What if someone could establish a branch in their git repository to use some of these fundamental parts to work on their app or possibly have this app experience synchronised to iCloud?

What will happen with Apple is still uncertain. The rumours and speculations will undoubtedly intensify, especially with WWDC quickly approaching. Personally, I'm looking forward to the further development of tablet apps that will enable us to approach the issue from a fresh angle.