I am work for myself, and on my own, trying to earn a living developing apps for iOS/OSX. What can I do to improve my skills, particularly because I don't have anyone to learn from, or bounce ideas off.
1. Define quality - what makes some code good and other code not good?
2. Consider the Point of View - an app may look brilliant to a user, but awful to a developer who has to maintain it
User's point of view - smart graphics, easy to use, useful
Tester's - easy to test
Developer's - easy to maintain, re-use components, understand - decent layout, helpful comments
Performance -
Architecture -3. Set aside time to read the documentation - I read the Apple Human Interface Guidelines ... 8 years ago, but I can't remember it
4. Is there a place where I can submit my code for review by fellow developers, if not, can I create such a site?
My bet is that the number of altruistic people outnumber the mean-spirits, and that there are plenty of developers who would happily review other developer's code, to suggest improvements and offer tips and insights. The number of people who contribute to stack overflow prove this. Maybe, people would be willing to review other developer's work5. Are there formal qualifications that I can get. If there are, are they useful?
6. What training material can I acquire, either for free or paid? I have used Paul Hudson's material and that is excellent.
7. What are the best text books to buy?
Some text books are just rehashes of the documentation, poorly written and a waste of time. I can't trust the Amazon reviews because sometimes it seems that the author's chums pile in with 5 start reviews.8. Recognise that iOS development is a fast moving domain
I'm already out of date from stuff that I learnt five years ago. To keep up I need to set aside time for learning. This can either be an a hour a day, a day a week, or maybe a week between major projects.9. Are there mentors in the field?
10. Can I ask other developers what they have done to improve their skills.
11. What area of iOS development should I concentrate on?
iOS development is so broad that it is impossible to be an expert in all areas. Can I identify which areas are the most important?
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