Apple is working on making it easier for people with no programming background to build their own iOS apps for the iPhone and iPad. A new patent application published this week reveals Apple’s proposed new authoring tool.
AppleInsiderApple’s interest in making iOS development simpler than ever was revealed in a new patent application published this week and discovered by AppleInsider. Entitled “Content Configuration for Device Platforms,” it describes a new authoring tool that would allow users to create content without needing to understand or access computer code.
The application mentions that computer programming languages are a “hinderance to content creation”. Many creators and designers simply lack the skill and knowledge to be able to work on the technical side of app development.
Apple’s content authoring tool would be useful to both amateur and professional content developers alike. Those with little or no experience could bypass the need to understand or access low level code, while skilled programmers would still be able to dig into the guts of the code.
The authoring tool would also be designed specifically for Apple’s devices with their various hardware capabilities, allowing simple support for different screen sizes and form factors.
The design of the program appears similar to Apple’s own iAd production tool for Mac. However, the application applies to any type of digital content authoring, and not just creating advertisements.
The 72-page application was filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in December of 2011. It is credited to Genevieve Garand, Steve Edward Marmon, Ralph Zazula, and Michael Paul Stern.
