Apple Watch App Development

Build real-world applications for the Apple Watch platform using the WatchKit framework and Swift 2.0

About This Book

• Find out how to download and install the Xcode development tools before learning about Xcode playgrounds and the Swift programming language
• Discover everything you need to know about the WatchKit platform architecture, its classes, as well its limitations
• This book introduces you to the very latest mobile platform with hands-on instructions so you can build your very own Apple Watch apps

Who This Book Is For

This book is for developers who are interested in creating amazing apps for the Apple Watch platform. Readers are expected to have no prior experience of programming.

What You Will Learn

• Navigate within the WatchKit interface using the page-based, modal, and hierarchical navigation techniques
• Work with context menus to allow your users to interact with the Apple Watch and respond to their actions to perform a task
• Use the MapKit framework to display a map within the WatchKit interface to track the user’s current location
• Build effective user interfaces for the WatchKit platform and integrate iCloud capabilities to synchronize data between the iOS app and the WatchKit UI
• Design your apps for the Apple Watch platform by adhering to the set of User Interface design guidelines set out by Apple
• Reinforce image caching to display animations within the Apple Watch user interface
• Explore WatchKit tables, which allow your users to purchase groceries and pay for them using Apple Pay
• Analyze the new layout system to ensure that your Apple Watch apps work with various screen sizes

In Detail

Wearable are the next wave of mobile technology and with the release of Apple’s WatchKit SDK, a whole new world of exciting development possibilities has opened up.

Apple Watch App Development introduces you to the architecture and possibilities of the Apple Watch platform, as well as an in-depth look at how to work with Xcode playgrounds. Benefit from a rapid introduction to the Swift programming language so you can quickly begin developing apps with the WatchKit framework and the Xcode Development IDE. Get to grips with advanced topics such as notifications, glances, iCloud, Apple pay, closures, tuples, protocols, delegates, concurrency, and using Swift Playgrounds, with each concept is backed up with example code that demonstrates how to properly execute it. Finally, discover how to package and deploy your Watch application to the Apple AppStore.

By the end of this book, you will have a good understanding of how to develop apps for the Apple Watch platform, and synchronize data using iCloud between the wearable and the iOS device.

Style and approach

This book takes a step-by-step approach to developing applications for the Apple Watch using the Swift programming language and the WatchKit UI. Each topic is explained in a conversational and easy-to-follow style.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Introducing the Swift Programming Language
Chapter 2: Understanding Apple Watch
Chapter 3: Exploring WatchKit Controls
Chapter 4: Using the Core Location and Watch Connectivity Frameworks
Chapter 5: Navigating Around in WatchKit
Chapter 6: Implementing Tables Within Your App
Chapter 7: Adding Menus to Your App
Chapter 8: Incorporating the Glance Interface in Your App
Chapter 9: Incorporating Notifications within Your App
Chapter 10: Image Compression and Animation
Chapter 11: Packaging and Deploying Your App