Most of the text in our apps is baked in at build time, whether using strings and stringsdict files, or ideally the String Catalogs that were introduced with Xcode 15. However, on some occasions we may need to derive our text from a backend service, like if our app's content needs to be updated dynamically outside of our usual release cycle, or if we have user journeys based on external content hosted in a CMS. In these scenarios it is easy to lose the benefits of the platform provided localisation tooling. But with a little bit of work, we may continue to utilise NSLocalizedString and maintain all of its benefits, even when deriving our strings from external sources. Today we will explore how to do this. Read more…
In the previous article we looked at the advancements that Apple has made in string localisation with the newly introduced String Catalogs for Xcode 15. Today we will look at how a new development tool, DJAStrings, makes using your app's localisations a breeze, with advanced code-completion and documentation features coming for free out of the box. Read more…
String localisation is the most important step to take for making your app accessible to users across the world. By translating your app's copy to multiple languages, you are able to provide the user experience that your customers expect in locations around the globe. Today we will take a look at how the process of string localisation has been managed on Apple platforms up until now, and then take a dive in to the advancements that have been made in Xcode 15. Read more…
Typography is a key design element across all Apple platforms, supported by customised fonts that are included specifically for user interfaces across iOS, macOS, watchOS and more. Starting with the San Fransisco typeface introduced in iOS 9, Apple has iterated on the standard font to include support for compressed and expanded variants, as well as introduced new typefaces to support monospaced, rounded, and seriffed fonts. As well as different visual styles, Apple platforms have a set of built in semantic font types, allowing fonts to be chosen based on their purpose, rather than specific point sizes. This allows fonts to automatically update to match the user's preferred text size settings - a feature known as Dynamic Type. It is this feature that has seen an update in iOS 17. Read more…
With the release of iPadOS in 2019, Apple confirmed their commitment to treating the iPad as a serious computing platform in its own right. Additions to the user interface such as slide-over and split-view multitasking, App Exposé, redesigned sidebars, and Multi-Window UIs all demonstrate how Apple is focussed on transitioning iPad from a content consumption device to a "traditional computer" replacement for many users. As their technical underpinnings are identical, iPadOS is primarily differentiated from iOS via changes to the user interface of the operating system. Read more…
With the release of iPadOS 14, Apple introduced a new sidebar style for app navigation, designed to provide quick access to top level collections of application content. Sidebars allow users to quickly navigate to the data that they care about, and also provide a user interface that easily adapts to macOS when built using Catalyst. Building a sidebar-style app starts with using a UISplitViewController, so let's begin by taking a look at the new APIs added in iPadOS 14 to facilitate this new kind of app design. Read more…
WWDC 2019 saw the introduction of a new operating system - iPadOS - for iPad. The first features of iPadOS listed on Apple's webpage that distinguish it from iOS are Slide Over, Split View, Apps in Multiple Spaces, and App Exposé. All of these features are powered by iPadOS's multi-window user interface, and today we are going to explore how to leverage these features in your apps using the powerful new "scene" APIs introduced with iPadOS. You will see that with a relatively small architectural change, your app will benefit from multi-window support. With a little bit more work, your app can support multiple scenes to support the various different workflows of your power users. Let's get started! Read more…