More Alternative iPhone App Development Tools
I wrote about 4 alternative iPhone dev tools. There are more.
iUi (http://code.google.com/p/iui/)
iUi is a JavaScript framework including CSS and images for developing iPhone web applications. In other words, if you are not that into developing native iPhone app via deep diving into its SDK and paying $99 to publish it, you can use iUi develop a similar look and feel with simulated basic behaviors web application for iPhone’s Safari browser.
With iUi you can create navigation menus and iPhone interfaces from standard HTML, even handle phone orientation changes.
iPhoney (http://www.marketcircle.com/iphoney/)
Ok, except SDK and $99, you don’t even want to have an iPhone for developing iPhone web app. Not a problem. iPhoney is just for that. iPhoney is no a simulator but it simulates the iPhone screen for testing your HTML based iPhone web app. It allows you test out the page, the rotation, zoom out etc. The down side of it (so far) is you still need a Mac to run this app.
iPhone on Rails (rails_iui plugin)
Noel Rappin put the iUi into a Ruby on Rails plugin so that you can develop a rails application for iPhone. That is, once you put the one line code into your rails controller, acts_as_iphone_controller(true), you will have:
- A method for creating the iPhone toolbar at the top of the view.
- Methods for creating the iPhone list structures from a list of elements that know their associated URLs, including a grouped list in the style of the iPod application
- Rounded rectangle classes
- A form helper for the iPhone toggle button, as seen in the settings page.
- A method to specify an Ajax callback when the phone changes orientation.
That’s why we love rails and rails developers!
iPhone on Rails too (Chris Haseman and Adam Schwem)
If you’d like to roll up your own Rails app for iPhone, these two did a fantastic job showing every bit of details how it could be done. Thank you guys!
IBM Chips in (Developerworks)
This article gives some good details on how to develop an iPhone web applicaiton with Ruby on Rails and Eclipse.
Slash Dot Dash Writes on (iPhone on Rails)
Slash Dot Dash publishes the Rails Magazine (free when download pdf). The post also goes into details about developing Ruby on Rails application using iUi.
I think there will be more tools/ways/frameworks surfacing to support/free the iPhone development. Do you know something new?
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Speaking of iPhone dev tools, another one geared towards game development is Shiva from stonetrip.com. Similar to Unity, it allows you to deploy for iPhone as well as web and PC/Mac standalone.
iBrent
Now you could add iSpectrum ( http://www.flexycore.com )
This allows you to develop your iPhone applications in Java with Eclipse, and to debug them with iPhone sdk simulator and deploy them on the appstore.
It free for open source projects.