What programming languages can one use to develop iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS) applications?

Question

What programming languages can one use to develop iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad (iOS) applications?

Also are there plans in the future to expand the amount of programm

Answer 1

It is also now possible to use OCaml for developing iOS applications. It is not part of the standard distribution and requires modifications provided by the Psellos company. See here for more information: http://psellos.com/ocaml/.

Answer 2

objective-c is the primary language used.

i believe there is a mono touch framework that can be used with c#

Adobe also is working in some tools, one is this iPhone Packager which can utilize actionscript code

Answer 3

With plans to slowly retire the long-used Objective-C, Apple has introduced a new programming language, called Swift, for designing apps and applications to run on Apple iOS devices and Apple Macintosh computers.

Apple says: "Swift is a new programming language for iOS and OS X apps that builds on the best of C and Objective-C, without the constraints of C compatibility. Swift adopts safe programming patterns and adds modern features to make programming easier, more flexible, and more fun. Swift’s clean slate, backed by the mature and much-loved Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, is an opportunity to reimagine how software development works."

Introducing swift

Answer 4

Only Objective-C is allowed by now... but since a few months ago you are allowed to write scripts that will be interpreted in your application.

So you may be able to write a LUA interpreter or a Python interpreter, then write some part of your application in this scripting language. If you want your application accepted on the App Store, these scripts have to be bundled with the application (your application cannot download it from the Internet for example)

see new app store rules

Answer 5

The SDK agreement and App store guidelines have been changed (circa Sept 2010).

You can now probably use any compiled language that will compile to the same static ARM object file format as Xcode produces and that will link to (only) the public API's within Apple's frameworks and libraries. However, you can not use a JIT compiled language unless you pre-compile all object code before submission to Apple for review.

You can use any interpreted language, as long as you embed the interpreter, and do not allow the interpreter or the app to download and run any interpretable code other than code built into the app bundle before submission to Apple for review, or source code typed-in by the user.

Objective C and C will likely still be the most optimal programming language for anything requiring high performance and the latest API support (* see update below), as those are the languages for which Apple targets its iOS frameworks and tunes its ARM processor chipsets. Apple also supports the use of Javascript/HTML5 inside a UIWebView. Those are the only languages for which Apple has announced support. Anything else you will have to find support elsewhere.

But, if you really want, there are at least a half dozen BASIC interpreters now available in the iOS App store, so even "Stone Age" programming methodology is now allowed.

Added: (*) As of late 2014, one can also develop apps using Apple's new Swift programming language. As of early 2015, submitted binaries must include 64-bit (arm64) support.

Answer 6

The programming language of iOS(and Mac OS) is Objective-C and C. You have to use Xcode platform to develop iOS apps, on the next version that is now available on beta release, Xcode 4 supports also C++.