iPhone 4.0 OS and developer choice
2010/04/12 // Leeds // // Feed
There is currently a massive hoo haa within the iPhone and iPad developer community surrounding Apple’s recent disclosure of requiring iP(hone/ad/od) applications (distributed on the app store) to be developed in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript (as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine). In particular this implicitly highlights the barred usage of Adobe Flash to Objective C language compilers.
3.3.1 — Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs. Applications must be originally written in Objective-C, C, C++, or JavaScript as executed by the iPhone OS WebKit engine, and only code written in C, C++, and Objective-C may compile and directly link against the Documented APIs (e.g., Applications that link to Documented APIs through an intermediary translation or compatibility layer or tool are prohibited).
There have been many takes on the matter, all with valid opinions.
However, one point that I feel people are missing is the ongoing issue with the app store development/release process and static downloadable application binaries. People are worried about these restrictions enforced by Apple crushing their personal choice of language by locking them in to using only a select few languages for the development process. In a way I’m not suprised Apple are doing this, however you look at it Apple are creating a closed environment for them to capitalise as best as they can on the dominance of their very popular platform. They want to do this in a way that applications distributed on the platform are unique to that platform, a niche application on an iPad is another reason to get an iPad.
For quite a few applications the web (as a platform) would suffice. A lot of apps don’t need access to these private API’s, multi tasking abilities or {insert other feature here} as a reason to choose the native application development path. I for one see this as a ongoing point that developers are free to harness the web as a platform for these devices, where there is little no chance of being locked into a corner. When the dust has cleared I’m sure we’ll all move on and find a way to make these platforms work in our favour, whatever route we take.