So I Found Ways to Develop for iPhone

To develop for the iPhone, you have a few choices:

Web applications

Advantages:

• choose your tools, choose your development platform
• can make it available to non-iPhone users
• requires connectivity

Disadvantages:

• requires a hosting provider
• limited to safari interface (i.e., tap, rotate, two-finger scroll, pinch zooming, no accelerometer, little iphone glitz)

Toolkits available:

• WebApp.net Possibly the most complete toolkit, offers CSS, Javascript, AJAX functionality. New BSD license.
• iPhone User Interface Solid CSS/Javascript toolkit, active development, getting documented in existing and upcoming books. (New BSD License)
• UiUI - Universal iPhone User Interface AGPL toolkit for iphone-ui for webapps - just CSS

Additional tools/techniques:

• Web clip bookmark icon create an icon for use in the home screen (hit + in Safari, then “Add to home screen”)
• Data links allow you to encapsulate webapp and state in the URL. Provides a mechanism to save a “bookmarklet” (”webclip”) that encapsulates the application. If we can also sync back to the online application, that would complete the round-trip.
• iPhone in Action book has discussion of tradeoffs of web vs native applications

Native applications via the Apple SDK

Advantages:

• best tools available, including the simulator
• access to all documented iPhone SDK features
• publish your application in the AppStore
• lots of books published or being written

Disadvantages:

• iPhone only
• Limitations on application functionality from iPhone SDK agreement (no interpreters, no plugins, …)
• Requires Apple approval of application for listing in AppStore
• Requires signing a non-disclosure agreement (NDA)NDA lifted!
• requires Mac OS X as development platform

Toolkits available:

• Apple iPhone SDK

Native applications via the open source tools

Advantages:

• no NDA to sign
• develop on your platform of choice
• full access to anything the community has discovered
• (possibly more than the documented SDK)
• you can even develop ON the iPhone

Disadvantages

• lack of documentation - iPhone Open Application Development book
• only be deployable to Jailbroken phones?
• no AppStore - but Cydia
• any path to come in from the cold?

Toolkits available:

• Open Source Toolchain

So, there you have it. Three options.

What will you do?