Wanting to learn to code for iOS

By Dave Matters, 12 June, 2017

Forum
App Development and Programming

Hello All:
I want to get into learning to code for iOS. I have very little coding experience, however, I do have some scripting type experience. I have installed Playground on the iPad, and will be installing x-code on the Macbook.

I am looking for some good starting points regarding resources, forums, communities, etc suited for someone blind or visually impaired. Do all of you blind developers hang out anywhere specific? Pointers, advise, suggestions, mentors, and/or mocking welcome.
Thanks for any input.

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Comments

By splyt on Friday, June 23, 2017 - 01:45

Coding for iOS is not easy because xcode is in the edge between unusable and not productive.

Can you learn hhow to ccode? Yes.

Will you be able to code eficiently and productively? The response by the current time is no you will not.

Learning to code for the Apple environment itself is harder than learning to code. This means that if you are not an experienced code your learning of coding will compet directly with your learning of how to code using Apple screen reader on Apples integrated environment.

You will not be able to use reliably the simulator, something that sighted learners always do so you will have to learn provisioning to test stuff on your i device if you have it.

You will not be able to easily layout components, something that sighted people do easily because the layouts constraints and guidelines are presented on a non intuitive, very confusing way and nobody on the internet will have a tutorial explaining what those concepts are exactly and how you should use them out of a visual way and that way will make no sense to you.

You won't be able to easily provide connections between UI elements and code because the visual and intuitive way sightted people hdo it is not accessible using keyboard only and the undocumented, almost tryal and error way visually empired folks have to do it is frustrating, not obvious and very frequently not fully reproducible at all for all cases.

When you finally manage to make connections, you will not be able to easily track then and you are better not having mistakes because fixing one of those is virtually almost impossible at the current time.

You will not be able to easily build links between cenes and to use tabbed interfaces or anything that put cenes and views together, something that sighted people do easily.

You will not easily be able to code reliably unless you happen to have all the enourmous sdks specifications on your head, because code completion and contextual documentation will let your environment so unstable that you will be forced to turn them off and navigating through on-line documentation is a kind of a nightmare for voiceover users.

You will not be able to debug code, because the cursor focus is not tracked by any means while you navigate through the code being debugged and the inspectors are thousands of keystrokes away for that same code.

With all that said, there are blinds who code for iOS and Mac OS on the Apples id but I do not think that one should take this as a first step in learning how to code.

I have been using xamarin latelly. Accessible, stable and letting you design your interface as decently as anybode else because of the xml layout based feature and using Windows visual studio and NVDA you can produce working code for iOS and Android.

I would prefer to have a minimally acessible xcode but believe me noothing signalizes at the moment that Apple will care as they never did it meaningfully before.

By Dave Matters on Friday, June 23, 2017 - 01:45

Thanks for the response. I appreciate the thoughts and honesty.

All the above considered, what would you suggest? I currently have no other equipment other than my Macbook and iDevices. I know programming is/would be a pain from a blind perspective to begin with, so any ideas where to start or tips to making it easier? Should I focus on a particular language, app protocol, or what?

By splyt on Friday, June 23, 2017 - 01:45

Programming iis not painful by no means for blind people at all.

I have been a professional full time developper for fifteen years already and although I do have dificulties so sighted people also have.

It is just that Apple development is specially hard.

What to pick? This is something that you have to decide by yourself. Do you like internet? Choose javascript / css / html. Do you want to make games and things similar? So python or ruby (preferred for me) is something cool. Want to become a enterprise system programmer? Then php or java is the right stuff. Want delve into app development?

To be pragmatic I would do the following:

1- Install bootcamp or a vm with Windows.
2- Master the use of NVDA.
3- Install visual studio. NVDA and visual studio being free Windows would be the only cost.
4- Start to learn Xamarin.
5- Install Android studio and start to learn the kothlin language and stuff related to Android. If you really want to become a mobile developper you have to understant not only Apple's way of developping but also Google's way.

Marlon

By hamiltonthemusā€¦ on Tuesday, January 23, 2018 - 01:45

Hello, I am following this post as I am totally blind and wants to learn to code as well.

By JAVilla on Wednesday, May 23, 2018 - 01:45

In the same order of ideas. I wanted to ask. What is the preferable plain text editor for programming accessibility wise?.

Long days and pleasant nights.

Jonnathan A. Villalobos