Meeting plans

Meeting plans provide suggestions for your club activities to help you learn SwiftUI foundations, basics of data modeling, and spatial computing.

Pick a topic for your club.

If you’ve never used Xcode, Swift, or SwiftUI before, get started with SwiftUI foundations.

SwiftUI foundations

  • 5 tutorials completed independently

  • 10 meetings with group activities

Learn the basics of app development through building apps with SwiftUI. Follow step-by-step tutorials to create prototypes, app screens, and fully functioning apps. Then apply what you learn to create something unique to you, with the help and support of your club.

Note: You don’t need an iPhone to preview your apps. Xcode includes tools that show you how your app will look and work, right on your Mac.

Get started by reading Welcome to Develop in Swift Tutorials.

Chapter 1

Explore Xcode

Get to know Xcode and SwiftUI by creating a prototype of a messaging app. Learn about syntax for Swift and how to use the source editor and preview.


Meeting 1

Preparation: Complete the Hello, SwiftUI tutorial before the first meeting.

Group activity: Work together or in small groups to complete two suggestions from the “Extend your app” section of the Wrap-up: Explore Xcode article.

Meeting 2

Preparation: Read the “Reflect on the concepts” section of the Wrap-up: Explore Xcode article.

Group activity: Start a new Xcode project called MyselfInSixWords. Use Text views to display six words that describe you. Give each word some padding and a different background color. Try displaying the words horizontally by replacing the VStack with HStack. Then, for an extra challenge, mix HStack and VStack views to create different layouts for your app. Can you embed an HStack of views inside a VStack or the other way around? What happens if you do?

At the end of the meeting, take a few minutes per person to showcase your MyselfInSixWords project.

Chapter 2

Views, structures, and properties

Learn how to build a custom view to create a multiday weather forecast. In your view, you’ll use properties to customize the display for each day.


Meeting 3

Preparation: Complete the Customize views with properties tutorial.

Group activity: Work together or in small groups to complete one or two suggestions from the “Extend your app” section of the Wrap-up: Views, structures, and properties article.

Meeting 4

Preparation: Read the “Reflect on the concepts” section of the Wrap-up: Views, structures, and properties article.

Group activity: Practice using computed properties. Add a computed property to return different colors if the high temperature is above 80 (high > 80). Use the .foregroundStyle modifier to change the text color depending on the value of the property.

Take a few minutes per person to present what you accomplished. Note what you were able to add to your project and what you still need help with or time to complete.

Chapter 3

Layout and style

Build two onboarding screens for an iOS app to learn useful tools for putting views where you want them onscreen and inspecting their size. Define colors in the asset catalog and use them to create gradient backgrounds.


Meeting 5

Preparation: Complete the Design an interface tutorial.

Group activity: Add a third page to the onboarding flow. Include whatever elements you want in the new page. If there is time, edit the design and colors of the app.

Meeting 6

Preparation: Read the “Reflect on the concepts” section of the Wrap-up: Layout and style article.

Group activity: Practice swiping between multiple views. Start a new Xcode project and create a short story using .tabViewStyle(.page) so you can swipe between the pages of your book. Make the first page look like a book cover, including a large title, author name, one or more SF Symbols, and some splashes of color. For the pages in the story, think of creative ways to display chapter titles, text, and pictures.

Take a few minutes per person to present what you were able to accomplish in your book project. Discuss your plan for what you are going to keep working on.

Chapter 4

Buttons and state

Explore adding buttons to your apps. Learn about Swift closures and their relationship to buttons. Use state properties to update the user interface automatically.


Meeting 7

Preparation: Complete the Update the UI with state tutorial.

Group activity: Instead of having an image of a dice and a Roll button beneath it, modify DiceView so people can tap on the dice itself to randomize it.

Meeting 8

Preparation: Read the “Reflect on the concepts” section of the Wrap-up: Buttons and state article.

Group activity: Create a simple button app. Start a new Xcode project and create a one- or two-button app of your choice. You can use the Design a Simple App project to help you come up with an idea.

Take a few minutes per person to present your button app design and project. Share with your club what you thought was easier and harder than you expected.

Chapter 5

Lists and text fields

Create a dynamic interface that stores a set of items in an array and displays them using lists. Use text fields and bindings to let people enter text.


Meeting 9

Preparation: Complete the Create dynamic content tutorial.

Group activity: Choose one of the suggestions from the “Extend your app” section of the Wrap-up: Lists and text fields article.

Meeting 10

Preparation: Read the “Reflect on the concepts” section of the Wrap-up: Lists and text fields article.

Group activity: Format an address label. Start a new Xcode project named AddressLabel. Use @State properties and text fields to collect the different elements of an address, like city and country. Then display a complete formatted address at the top of the screen. Customize the fonts, sizing, and colors of the intake form and address.

Take a few minutes per person to share what you plan to do after this club ends. How are you going to continue learning app development? What app do you want to make?

Next:

Data modeling