We are living in a modern world where engineers started incorporating computers in all living and non living things around. One of the most interesting thing that we had in 2014’s Consumer Electronics show is Wearable Technology, though it has been evolved earlier.
Apple and Google released their own Smart watches in 2014. We all have got a new interesting API to work on and that is WatchOS.
Mobile apps have limitations when compared to PC apps, Same like Smart watch apps has limitation when compared to Mobile apps.
Start programming for Apple watches today,
Developing for Apple Watch means providing your users with important, helpful, and impactful information in the most immediate, convenient way.
Your watch app contains two separate bundles,
- Watch app
- Watchkit extension
Watch app contains the UI components, Storyboards, Resources and WatchKit extension contains Controllers for managing the actions of UI items.
There are few components in Watch app,
- Glances
- Notifications
- Complications
Glances:
- A single screen which is non scrolling, read only and meant for very important information. (i.e Airline app might display gate information and departure time for an upcoming flight)
- Tapping on the Glance screen launches your watch app
- Glance screen is readonly, So doesn’t contain Controls
Notifications:
Both Local & Remote notifications can be received by your watch app which is paired with iPhone app. Notifications has static interface by default. It can be designed in custom style by “Has Dynamic Interface” in Storyboard. Notification screen has two different looks.
- Short look – Shows up once the user raises up his wrist
2. Long look – This will show up if the user keeps his wrist raised for sometime (meaning looking at the notification)
You can create actionable notifications like iOS and there are WKExtensionDelegate methods available to handle the action items in the notification interface.
Complications:
These are small elements which appear in Watch face. As user can customize the watch face, this might be shown as per the space and position available. Also user can choose complications to install. System already provides few built in complications like weather info, calendar events etc.
Complications work with Clockkit framework, to load and display the data in timely manner.
Managing complications:
- Identify the data you want to display in your complication
- Select the complication template
- Implement datasource to provide data to Clockkit
Writing a Watch application, creating the above features will be written as separate post.
Thanks for reading. Happy learning 🙂