Build Your First Mobile App

1) Building an Android app

Setting up the environment : Download the Android SDK from http://bit.ly/3jNWwL. Then, install the free Eclipse IDE (Classic) from http://bit.ly/5YPO6 . Start the SDK manager and it will automatically install all the necessary tools needed. You will need to then setup the plugin for eclipse, for which Google has a good tutorial at http://bit.ly/O13Dm4.

Start coding: The Android developer website offers a great first-time tutorial for beginners to Android at http://bit.ly/JDS7VL. Another great place to start is on this codeproject tutorial at http://bit.ly/AkWFjB.

Market launch: Android apps have to be published into Google Play to gain maximum visibility and revenue. To publish an app in Google Play, one has to first register a publisher account , which includes a one-time US$25 registration fee.According to the latest post on Android Developers Blog, Indian developers now have official support to sell paid apps with monthly payouts to their local bank accounts!. Once the registration bas been done, you can use the Developer console to get a complete overview of your app and analytics to track progress. You can find out more on this at http://bit.ly/N9L1L7.

2) Building an iOS app

Setting up the environment : First off, you need to have a Mac to develop iOS apps, as XCode, Apple's IDE, is supported only on Mac products. XCode is available for free on the Mac App Store. To test the app on devices and publish the app, you need to register as a certified developer and pay $99/year. You can register at http://bit.ly/9Qy5SP.

Start coding: Apple provides a beginner's tutorial to get started at http://bit.ly/NZzJLM. Also, you need to learn Objective-C, Apple's object oriented language, to code for iOS. A good starter point for Objective-C would be Apple's own tutorial: http://bit.ly/QHdxEa. Learn how to write a simple “hello,world” article at http://bit.ly/486xHr. Apple provides an end-to-end tutorial of creating a basic app at http://bit.ly/PX5RSh.

Market launch: To launch an app in the iOS app store, the developer first needs to enroll in the program, then use the Member Center to add members to his team.The iOS provisioning portal will be used to get certification for your app and improve security, while iTunes Connect is used for the financial and marketing aspects of the app. After approval from the app store, it can be published officially. For full details, refer to this site:http://bit.ly/TrRQK7.

3) Building a Windows 8 app

Setting up the environment: To develop a Windows 8 app, you need to be running a version of Windows 8 RTM. Next you need to download Visual Studio Express 2012, which includes the Windows 8 SDK, Blend for Visual Studio and templates. You need to register for a developer license, which can be done the first time you start Visual Studio 2012, and this allows you to run uncertified apps on your local machine.

Start Coding: The advantage with Windows 8 apps is that you can use a variety of languages, including JavaScript, C#, C++. You can refer to the Microsoft tutorial at http://bit.ly/Nq3EMd. Also look at Windows 8 samples offered at: http://bit.ly/rouj6V. Windows also offers a product guide for a developer at http://bit.ly/zACVLd.

Market launch: Using the store menu in Visual Studio, you can create an app package for your app that readies it for upload to the Windows Store. When you are finished with the app, you can directly upload the package from the IDE itself. The Windows Store provides all necessary tools for marketing and tracking the statistics of the app.