Introduction to Apple Watch development

1. Apple Watch
Development
Introduction to Watch Kit
Mike Bluestein @mikebluestein

2. Apple Watch
• Requires an iPhone (5c or above)
• Connects to watch via BlueTooth
golfwatchscorecard.com

3. 2 Watch Sizes
• 38mm and 42 mm
• Same aspect ratio

4. Apple Provided Apps
• Some Apple apps and features work without phone
• These apps have access to sensor data
• Full animation capability

5. 3rd Party Apps
• Run entirely on iPhone
• Installed when installed on paired iPhone
• Watch is for UI presentation layer only
• Limited SDK - Watch Kit
• “Full” SDK later this year

6. Yes You Can
• Create simple user interface
• Present data from the parent iPhone application
• Present notifications
• Present glaces
• Create image-based animations

7. No You Can’t
• Run apps without a connect iPhone
• Build watch-only apps
• Capture biometric sensor data
• Capture motion data
• Create timing based animations

8. App Structure
• Parent iPhone App
• Watch Extension
• Watch App
• Shared Code

9. UI Navigation
• Two types of UI navigation
• Page-based
• Hierarchical
• Cannot mix them (unless using a modal controller)

10. Layout
• Groups
• Easy to use
• Far less complex than auto-layout

11. Controls
• New set of UI controls
• Designed specifically for Apple
Watch
• Easy to use
• Not as full-featured as UIKit

12. Menus
• Open with force touch gesture
• Controls for menu and menu items
• Handle selection in WKInterfaceController

13. Watch App
• Contains the user interface and static resources
• Storyboards are required
• No code runs on the watch

14. Watch Extension
• Runs on the phone
• Has its own lifecycle
• Handles user interactions raised from watch app
• Updates user interface on watch remotely
• Performs shorter running tasks
• Access shared data

15. iPhone App
• Parent app to the watch app
• Performs longer running tasks
• Access shared data
• Does not share security
• Separate process from watch extension

16. App Groups
• Share data between iPhone and Watch Extension
• Can share files, settings, database
• Requires shared group entitlement

17. Communication
• App groups
• OpenParentApplication
• HandleWatchKitExtensionRequest
• Darwin notifications

18. WormHoleSharp
• Bridge between iOS app and
Watch Extension
• Pass data or commands
• github.com/Clancey/WormHole
Sharp
I’m being
controlled
from Apple
Watch!

19. Images
• SetImage - works with UIImage
• SetImageData - works directly with bitmap data
• Both send data from iPhone to Apple Watch
• SetImageNamed - sends only name to watch
• Image is loaded from bundle or cache
• Used to create animation
• 20 MB cache with simple cache API

20. Notifications
• Local or remote notifications
from iPhone
• Short-look - initial display of
notification to user
• Long-look - displayed after
user looks at short look for a
few seconds
• Long-look is scrollable and can
have action buttons

21. Glances
• Quick access to brief, relevant information
• Swipe up from watch face to access
• Not interactive
• One glance controller per app
• Tap glance to open watch app

22. App Store Requirements
• No alpha in images
• Use 42 mm for screenshots
• No mention of watch in iPhone app images
• Other?

23. Demo

24. Thanks!
Mike Bluestein
@mikebluestein
mike.bluestein@thinkaheadsoftware.com