Version 1.1 of Subnet Calc has been released. You can download it from iTunes – just search for Subnet Calc or if you already have v1.0 installed then you can choose to upgrade.

New features in v1.1 include being able to name a subnet and save it into a table for quick access in the future.

My experience with releasing my first iPhone OS application, Subnet Calc, has been a process which has taken me through learning a new programming language to trying to grapple with legal contracts. I thought I’d share some of my experiences…

So it all started around mid-October 2008 when I decided to finally take a look at the iPhone SDK that I had downloaded and installed. This involved learning how to use XCode which is Apple’s integrated development environment and learning the language of choice from Apple, Objective-C. XCode I found easy to learn how to use – it’s a very good piece of software which does a very good job. Objective-C on the other hand was quite hard to get to grips with. I found it hard to get my head around memory management and the syntax. I have come from a good C++ background and so I found it hard to understand the strange syntax of Objective-C. But after reading a couple of books I begun to understand it more.

After having figured out XCode and Objective-C, I decided to try my hand at creating an iPhone OS application. I decided to start out small and develop an application to help network administrators with remembering information about the subnets which they manage. So I started work on Subnet Calc.

It took just a couple of weeks to get a working copy of Subnet Calc which I then decided I would take the plunge and pay the £59 fee for membership into the iPhone developer program. This meant that I could then test my applications on my iPod Touch and eventually release them to the App Store.

So, after a week of testing on my iPod Touch I was ready for release! I submitted using the online iTunes Connect web-app which was relatively painless, but what I didn’t realise is that by submitting the application, I had kicked off the process of getting a contract in place to enable me to sell applications on the App Store. This contract ended up taking THREE WEEKS to process to completion! That really was quite annoying, especially because I was only submitting a free application!

Anyway, eventually Subnet Calc managed to find its way into the App Store! It has been quite a strange month or so, but it’s been rewarding and I am pleased to have something available in the iTunes App Store.

Subnet Calc version 1.0 has finally been released! You can download it through the App Store by searching for ‘Subnet Calc’ or using the direct link. Please could you review the app if you decide to try it out – I’d like to get lots of feedback on it if possible.

I’ve already got version 1.1 ready for release, but I’ll hold back on it for a week or so.

Thanks Apple!

Well Apple still havn’t accepted my contract for free applications so Subnet Calc is still stuck in the queue for approval. The actual application itself has been approved, it’s just waiting for the contract phase now. I guess that Apple have a lot of contracts to process at the moment, so that’s why it’s taking so long. At least once I’ve gone through this once I won’t have to do it again for other applications / updates, that is until I come to want to make “paid-for” applications and then have to get a different contract processed.

Back on the development front, I’ve pretty well finished the second version of Subnet Calc. This one allows you to save subnets which you have created and then reload them whenever you want. I’ve been having a few issues with working out how best to layout the process of saving / creating / loading subnet definitions, but I think I’ve come to a process which should hopefully be easy to work out for users.

So, fingers crossed that Apple approve my contract soon!

Well, it’s been a few days coming, but Subnet Calc has finally been accepted into the iTunes App Store – yay! It’s my first application which I’ve released so the whole process has been somewhat a learning process. But Apple have made it relatively easy to do and I am impressed with how Apple good the documentation is regarding the developer portal and releasing applications.

I do now have to wait until my contract has been completed before Apple will allow my application to appear on the App Store, but hopefully that will just be a formality and won’t take too long.

So, thanks Apple!

I’ve decided to split off my iPhone applications onto a new website as it’ll be easier to have them separated from my main blog site. So, watch this space for news about my iPhone applications!