London iPhone Developer wanted for MIR class: Is this possible?

I’d like to build an iPhone application myself.

I don’t reckon it’s that difficult.

Whilst I’m an avid PHP programmer — one of my companies provides rapid-application-development for the financial industry here in London (LOVE helping out whenever I can) — but I don’t know if I’ve got the time to learn how to program for the iPhone.

In fact, let me revise that: I don’t have the time. I don’t want to sit and spend a few days poking and peering and trying stuff out, just to get to ‘hello world’.

So here’s what I’d like to do —

I’d like to be guided through the process of creating an iPhone application over 3-5 hours in one afternoon.

I’d like to turn up at 1pm to some airy office place (maybe I could book a room at One Alfred Place) with my Air or my MacBook Pro, along with an open mind and the intent to finish the afternoon having created a rather simple iPhone app.

To join me, I’d like to invite members of the MIR audience who’ve got some kind of programming background (or are willing to rapidly get stuck in). I’m thinking a ‘class’ of 5-8 people maximum.

I’d like an iPhone developer chap (or lady) to lead the afternoon. I’d like them to send us all an email with the pre-requisites.

e.g. Before you come along, download this.

Here’s the schedule I’m thinking:

1pm: Hello, introduction, quick demonstration of the process of creating a very, very simple application. ‘Hello World’ or something like that.

2pm: Distribute some templates or a template file — anything to get us all up to speed quickly. Do the boring low level stuff for us. Email or physically hand us a USB key with the templates.

2.30pm: Guide us through some possibilities on how to tweak/update the templates and how to view the results in an emulator.

3pm: Go round each of us and provide some assistance while we all have a play.

4pm: Help us export the demos we’ve created on to our own iPhones (do we need to register for the iPhone app store for that? Possibly, I think).

5pm: Finish. Everyone can go to the pub and show off their own — shitty but functional — iPhone app.

I think it’d be a wicked opportunity for a lot of the Mobile Industry Review readers I know — especially some of the executives in the bigger companies who’d like to know, first hand, how to do this.

I’m not talking code. I’m not talking hours of object wrangling. Indeed I think the developer should create a very basic ‘press this button’ app. So that when you press the button, the app will display a message — that WE can all find and customise ourselves. That sort of thing. Augmented application programming.

The objective for us is that we all get to actually sample how it’s done, without getting too stuck into the code. So that in meetings we can actually say ‘yeah, I made my own iPhone app, yeah.. yes, it’s.. well it’s not very complicated, but… yeah, would you like to see it? [insert proud demo].

What we need for this to happen is, of course, a wicked shit hot iPhone developer who’s eloquent enough — and patient enough — to handle up to 8 seriously excited mobile industry executives.

And then we need some attendees willing to have a go.

I wouldn’t expect the developer to do this for free, and of course, there’s some kind of room-booking fee. But for me, for the chance to get accelerated immersive learning (without having to mess around at the low level setting things up), I’d be happy paying for. Indeed I think quite a few executives would be.

I reckon we’d need to restrict the participants to those who have half-a-clue when it comes to programming. Those who, perhaps, are familiar with HTML and some basic constructs. Otherwise the leap for the developer trying to explain stuff might be too much. That said, even the opportunity to observe a developer building an iPhone app and talking the process through as he goes would be hugely valuable for many.

Cash wise — some fag-packet calaculations: I think it’d need 200 to cover the room and some refreshments, sandwiches and so on. And then I reckon you’d need to drop the developer 500 quid for their time (and the preparation time leading up to the afternoon). On the basis of 8 participants, that’s £87.50 each.

So: Total rubbish or do you think it’s got some legs? Would you be interested in participating or being the developer chap/lady to help?

Oh and substitute ‘iPhone’ for Android. The same goes for Android.