Ever since the App Store found and the first app developer complained publicly about having his app rejected , Apple ’s received a lot of literary criticism about how it ’s execute the App Store . Developers have been tempestuous that rejection pass off without vindicated reasoning and are inconceivable to appeal .
Recently , more developers cause up in weapon about a alteration to Apple ’s developer guideline that banned all app development outside of Apple ’s Xcode organization , shutting out not just Adobe ’s Flash , but other puppet such as RealBASIC and Runtime Revolution , and throwing into question the position of many apps that use scripting languages as a part of their construction .
In recent month it ’s been clear that Apple has been stung by the criticism — or at least , is aware of the bad publicity it ’s been getting for its App Store policies . At several public events , Steve Jobs has gone out of his way to explicate Apple ’s iOS philosophical system : that while web - base apps are a completely open playing field , the App Store is a carefully curated environment .
Unsurprisingly , those statements did n’t really satisfy the company ’s critic . ButThursday ’s announcementthat Apple has modified and clarified its app - rejection policy will go a long way of life toward making developer feel more comfortable about write apps , as well as deal the malarkey out of the canvass of some of Apple ’s App Store critic , admit myself .
Development tools
The determination about ontogeny puppet is perhaps the most reverberative turnaround of all Thursday ’s declaration . In April , Apple changed the terms of its developer agreement to ban any app that was n’t originally write in the C programing oral communication . This happened just as Adobe was make Flash Packager for iPhone , a putz that lets Flash developers output native iPhone code for entry to the App Store . Essentially , Apple ’s move meant that no app designed with Flash Packager would ever be approve for sale .
If you ’re wonder what else was travel on in April , here ’s a reminder : the iPad was give up , unsurprisingly without any musical accompaniment for Adobe ’s Flash in the Web browser app . Though Apple has n’t ever defend Flash on the Io , the release of the iPad ( a more naturalistic laptop computer permutation than an iPhone or iPod touch ) seemed to explode coverage of Apple ’s lack of Flash support . Adobe certainly fanned the flames , portraying itself as a victim while using the coverage to promote its forthcoming Android - based Flash player .
Apple ’s amended guidelines occurred against this backdrop , which excuse why some members of the media have conflated the two events , leading to many dazed headlines Thursday about how Apple has backtracked when it come to its ban of Flash . News alerting : Flash still does n’t flow on the iOS . alternatively , Apple ’s amend guidelines allow Flash developer to habituate Flash Packager to compile aboriginal iPhone apps and submit them to the App Store , where they ’ll be approximate not by the color of their exploitation surround but the substance of their interface .
But this is n’t just about Flash . It ’s about other tools that do n’t use traditional programming methods . Many game developers use the Lua script language for in - app scripting ; technically that violates Apple ’s late guideline , but not the new ones . Google latterly generated some bombilation with itsApp Inventor for Androidtool , a supposedly comfortable way to build Android apps . With Apple ’s guideline revisions on Thursday , a like tool could now be built for the iOS . Then there are simplify app - ontogenesis environments , such as the Hypercard - inspiredRunRev Mobileand the BASIC - inspiredReal Studio , both of which are now free and clear as iOS development environments .
So while people will make a big deal about the Adobe thing , there are a mint of other development environments out there that could potentially make it much easier for some programmers and even regular people to create iOS apps . focalize on the Apple - Adobe catfight does not do the news report justness .
Why did Apple make this alteration ? My guess is that it has a lot more to do with plot developer and even with simplified environments like RunRev than it does with Adobe . I still trust that Apple is concerned that Flash - make apps do n’t make in force iOS apps , but with the modification the party has made today , it ’s saying it will turn down spoiled Flash - build apps because they ’re risky , not because they ’re built with Flash . I guess maybeLucy is going to allow Charlie Brown sound off that footballafter all .
App review guidelines
If there ’s a common complaint I take heed from iOS developer , it ’s that the rules of App Store acceptance and rejection are mysterious and capricious . There has n’t appeared to be a rulebook of any sort , when it comes to what ’s allowed and what is n’t . Some apps get reject , others get approved , and nobody really experience why .
Thursday , Apple remove a first crack at an prescribed rulebook for app review , and it ’s a marvelous first whole step . It gives developers some clear “ don’ts , ” as well as a few “ do ’s ” to boot . It ’s write in a very personal , insouciant tone ( one surmise it was dictated by Steve Jobs or craft by a very talented ghostwriter ) and admit such treasure as “ If you want to criticize a religion , compose a book ” and “ We do n’t need any more Fart apps . ” More broadly , it makes the point that Apple has reason for keeping the App Store closed , and explains why that philosophy live . you may correspond or disagree with that ism , but at least now developers have a bit clearer understanding of what it is and how it work .
John Gruber has done a good caper ofsumming up many of the changes , including lineal quotes from the document ( which is only available to register Apple developer ) . I wo n’t get into detail here , but the text file truly seems to codify most of what we ’ve intuited were Apple ’s standards , and add together in a few more .
If you ’re a developer , lucidity is full of life . Why invest thousands of dollar bill ( or much more ! ) in building an app if you ’re afraid it will never be approve ? The more clarity that what you ’re doing is going to be approve , the more likely you ’ll be to develop that app . By releasing this written document , Apple has done a large problem of giving developers clarity .
That said , Apple ’s text file is also quite clean-cut on the fact that new intellect to reject apps will come along in the future . “ This is a living written document , ” it say , “ and new apps stage new interrogative sentence may ensue in new rules at any meter . ” With any portion , Apple will keep this “ living written document ” up to date , so that developer can be apprised of change to the criterion in a timely fashion . Yes , new rules could appear at any fourth dimension , so developer do n’t have complete lucidity — but their view into the process is respectable than it ’s ever been before , and that ’s good news .
The review board
Perhaps the most intriguing announcement from Apple is that it ’s created a “ Review Board ” to act as as a form of appealingness motor inn for app rejections . Many developer have complained that they finger they have no resort when their app is disdain . They want to explain why it should n’t be eliminate , but there ’s nowhere to go . Ideally , Apple ’s new reexamination plank will supply them with a fair auditory modality and even more clarity about why their app was rejected and what their recourse should be .
Apple ’s new guidepost papers acquaint the review article card concept and declares , “ If you escape to the press and scrap us , it never helps . ” That ’s not totally on-key , because several metre get going public with word of a ridiculous rejection has extend to the rejection being rescinded . ( count last twelvemonth ’s temporary ban on a dictionary app for include vulgar words or the inverse rejection of Pulitzer Prize - pull ahead editorial cartoonist Mark Fiore ’s app , to name just two examples . ) But with Apple now providing this new charm outgrowth , developers should be able to get their score study before have to take a concluding pang at salvation through the court of public notion . That ’s unspoiled for Apple , which will stand fewer dark eyes courtesy of press fib about dumb rejection , and it ’s probably good for most developer , too .
Will Thursday ’s actions quiet Apple ’s critic ? Well , that seems unlikely . But the critics that are most significant to Apple — iOS app developers themselves — will chance Apple ’s policy changes and increased revelation very well intelligence indeed .
