iPad ViewController configuration for document-based app

Question

Hello,

I was wondering what would be the best configuration of view controllers and views for an app that I’ve been planning out. Conceptually, the way I would like to lay out the app is with an initial loader/browser view, likely with document thumbnails. When a user chooses to open one, a new view comes up that forms the main document-editing mode. The user can also choose to bring up a third view that contains an alternative document-editing mode.

I suppose this is very much like the way the Pages for iPad works, with first a row of document thumbnails to choose from, then the main word processing view, and accessible from a popover a third page setup view. Document browser view, and two document editing views.

Now, I can think of, and have been playing around with a few different set-ups, but in each case I can see problems that I’ll be running into later. So really, I’m looking for advice on a configuration that you think would keep things as neat and manageable as possible.

I hope this is not too open a question, and I would very much appreciate any answer.

Thank you,

Answer 1

I will probibly get shot in the head for making a suggeston like this, but I'll make it anyway:

In learning iOS programming, I spent a lot of time studying (as most people do - and as is taught by every tutorial on the planet) on how to use Navigation Views, and toolbars, and all the standard type views that assist in different types of navigation.

On the latest app I have been working on - I spent a lot of time and frustration trying to figure out how to best characterize what I was doing - and moreso trying to fit it into what the iOS frameworks would use to implement this stuff. Then (of course) I got stuck trying get things to do what they weren't supposed to - like when a navigation view wouldn't let me use the "back" button to jump out of the navigation herirarchy I'd set-up, etc.

In short - when I stopped worrying about the specifics of what all these different types of views and controllers were - and how they interacted and how I was supposed to do it - and started worrying about how I wanted my application to work - and working from a basis of generic views, custom toolbars, etc - the whole think made a whole lot more sense.

In my case, I liked the look-and-feel of the Mapquest app - and they way it dealt with toolbars that your could open and close from the top and bottom of the screen - which had buttons - which could switch to other views etc. So I started using "generic" views to implement this functionality - and the whole entire thing clicked together.

So in-short:

1 . I'd decide how you want it to look and what you want it to do

1. Use a third-party app as your inspiration, if needed

2. Decide when/where/if some of the "standard" practices apply - and use them where/when they do.

3. Have fun!

-BKG