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iOS

Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon
839 Points

Build a Self-Destructing Message iPhone App

When will the last few stages be finished for the Build a Self-Destructing Message iPhone App series that was just announced (trying to judge whether to start the series now, or wait for its completion).

Thanks!

Janine Suvak
Janine Suvak
14,954 Points

Start now. Even though the particular project series isn't completed, each stage covers general knowledge/skills that you can apply to anything.

2 Answers

Ben Jakuben
STAFF
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

The last two stages are in the works and will hopefully be ready in a few weeks. I split the project like this to get some content out faster to students. The breaking point after stage 5 is convenient because the app is fully functional at that point. The last two stages will focus on enhancing the UI and UX. So definitely get started with the first 5! :smile:

Hi, any word on when the UI and UX parts of the tutorial will be out? I've finished the rest and waiting on that one.

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

They are in post-production now! We revamped a few things for iOS 7 and are just about ready. I should have a release date very soon.

Janine Suvak
Janine Suvak
14,954 Points

Looking forward to it - thanks Ben!

Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon
839 Points

Can't wait! Do you think Parse is in a way a 'stepping stone' to learning how to setup your own web backend, or would Parse be a satisfactory backend even for major projects? I was reading that, seeing that it's entirely JSON encoded data, it would be fairly easy to set up a backend that does everything that Parse does, it would just be heavily time consuming. Do you, personally, think it is worth it?

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

I honestly think Parse (or similar services) is a fantastic solution for many real-world apps. There are three main reasons I can think of for building your own backend:

  1. You need custom functionality that isn't available from Parse. They have a pretty comprehensive system, but you just might need full control for some reason.
  2. The cost of Parse at some point might be higher than building your own. I have to think this would be a very high break point as Parse is very affordable for LOTS of transactions, but if your app is hugely popular then you might end up paying a lot.
  3. You want to learn how to build the backend. This is a great learning exercise, but certainly not required!

I plan on using Parse as much as possible for my apps. I've worked on backend systems and I'm glad to know how to implement them, but I enjoy the front-end stuff better and I enjoy working with Parse. That has been working for me lately. :)

Jack Solomon
Jack Solomon
839 Points

Thanks. I have found the same thing, and continue to use Parse when I develop apps. I do think it can be helpful, however, to have basic JSON parsing knowledge, I found this recently. Also, on the content roadmap for the second part of the self-dest. message app, there is a link (https://teamtreehouse.com/ios-development/build-a-selfdestructing-message-iphone-app), however it is broken. Just thought I'd let you know...

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

Thanks for the tip! The UI project is finally almost here! It grew into four stages. :)

Janine Suvak
Janine Suvak
14,954 Points

Self-inflicted scope-creep? ;)

Ben Jakuben
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

Hahaha - totally! Originally it was all going to come out before iOS 7, but once we got close to the date, it made sense to redo this half for iOS 7 so it would have a much longer shelf-life. :)

Ben Jakuben
STAFF
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse Teacher

So sorry about all the delays! The project is finally here. Thanks for your patience, and I hope you all enjoy it! http://teamtreehouse.com/library/implementing-designs-for-iphone