When you are a newb app developer like me with very limited programming skills, you will run into problems that you can’t figure out on your own and you will be screaming for help!
There is an amazing amount of resources online and people willing to help. But you have to ask for it the right way.
Three great resources are Stack Overflow, the iPhone SDK forums, and the official Apple Developer Forums (you have to be a iOS developer member to access them of course)
The key thing to remember?
ALWAYS SEARCH YOUR QUESTION BEFORE ASKING YOUR QUESTION
I can’t stress that enough. Nothing will get you spanked quicker than asking a question that has already been asked numerous times and already answered. They really hate that.
There are a few frequent posters on the Apple Dev forums who “do not suffer fools” and anyone who asks a question like that should expect some snarky comments in reply.
UPDATE: If you use third party development tools, be prepared for more than a few “You are on the wrong forum, ask on the “insert development tool you used here” forum…” if you ask on the Apple developer forums. Some of the posters really have a hate on for it, and for some reason enjoy wasting their time to post things like that. I don’t know why they just don’t ignore it, but I guess it makes them feel better?
If you are a new poster to Stack Overflow, it gives you a nice overview before you post. READ IT!
Some other tips:
-Post in the right category. If they have areas for certain problems or topics, make sure you are posting in the right one. On the Apple Dev forums the admins usually move topics if they are in the wrong one, but again, that will annoy them. Just to note, Stack Overflow is only about programming questions. If you have questions about marketing your app, the app store, etc…the Apple Dev or iPhone SDK forums are your place to go.
-Ask CLEAR questions. Make sure your problem is easy to understand. A lot of time is wasted clarifying if you aren’t. You’ll also risk annoying the people who want to help you.
-Post your code. These people know what they are doing, and if they can see your code, they’ll find the mistakes and quickly make the fixes or suggest them.
-DON’T post the same question more than once. Super annoying.
-Be PATIENT. Most of these people have day jobs and their own work to do, and they aren’t going to drop everything to help you.
-DON’T try to use the sites as a promotion for your app. On the Apple forums especially you will risk getting booted if you do. If the site has a section for app info, then promote away. Follow their rules or face the consequences!
It’s also important to GIVE BACK. Browse or look at the other discussions. If someone is having the same problem you had previously, tell them how you fixed it! On Stack Overflow you can help people gain reputation by accepting their answers and edits, which most of them will appreciate.
There are also a lot of great websites and podcasts for developers.
Here are a few I would recommend:
The maker of Collect and Memory Jar Stuart Watson just put out a good series of short blog posts on a variety of topics.
My AppVenture
A great podcast by Scotty Ruth (who is working on a cool app called Quotely) which has interviews with devs on a wide range of topics. (I was honored to be the first guest, sharing my own newb app adventures!)
Two great groups, lots of members.
The App Entrepeneur and Idea To Appster both have a lot of good articles and tips.
Do you have any great resources you’d like to share? Post a comment!
Noel
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