iPad runs iOS 3.2, and iPad applications use many of the same UIKit views and controls you used in your iPhone application. This makes your experience in iPhone application development (and your knowledge of iPhone Human Interface Guidelines) very valuable.
Built on this familiar foundation, iPad ushers in a new user experience that differs significantly from the iPhone user experience. With its large screen and its compelling, highly interactive interface, iPad offers you a unique opportunity to create a new class of applications.
Expect to spend a large portion of your development time absorbing the iPad user experience and using this insight to design an application that feels at home on the device.
iPad introduces new characteristics that have a significant impact on your application’s user interface:
A large screen size of 1024 x 768 pixels.
No default or user-expected orientation.
The option for users to plug in an external keyboard and use it in place of the onscreen keyboard.
The ability for users to dock the device.
To help you get your bearings, note that iPad and iPhone share the following characteristics:
Memory is limited.
One application runs at a time.
Preferences are available in the Settings application.
Device orientation can change.
Onscreen user help is minimal and understated.
Applications respond to manual gestures, not mouse clicks.
Native, web-only, and hybrid software run on the device.
Artwork has a standard bit depth, specifically 24 bits (8 bits each for red, green, and blue), plus an 8-bit alpha channel. In general, the PNG format is recommended.
In iOS 3.2, UIKit includes some new UI elements and defines new behaviors for a few elements that are available in earlier versions:
Split view. You can use this iPad-only element to display more than one view onscreen at a time, such as to present data in a master-detail or source list–style arrangement. The split view is a common organizational element in iPad applications because it helps flatten the information hierarchy. Find out more about the ways you can use a split view in your application by reading “iPad User Experience Guidelines.” For usage guidelines, see “Split View.”
Popover. You can use this iPad-only view to temporarily display additional information, controls, or choices related to content in the main view. The main benefit of the popover is that it can contain information or choices that don’t need to be in the main interface all the time. To find out more about some of the ways you can use a popover, see “Use Popovers to Perform Some Modal Tasks.” For usage guidelines, see “Popover.”
Results list button. You can use this system-provided button to reveal search results from a search bar. (For usage guidelines, see “Search Bar.”)
Modal views have new presentation styles. You can use styles such as full screen, partial screen, and form to present a modal interface that’s more closely tailored to your application’s user experience and visual design. (For usage guidelines, see “Modal View.”)
Toolbars can be in additional locations. You can place a toolbar at the top or the bottom of a screen. You can also use a toolbar inside a split view or a popover. (For usage guidelines, see “Toolbar.”)
The edit menu can display custom items. You can supply menu items to augment or replace the standard Cut, Copy, Paste, Select, and Select All commands. (For usage guidelines, see “Edit Menu Additions.”)
The keyboard view can be customized. You can replace the system-provided keyboard view with a custom view that contains custom buttons. (For usage guidelines, see “Keyboard Customization.”)
The keyboard view can include custom input accessories. You can supply a separate view of auxiliary keyboard controls that users can tap to input application-defined content.
Custom text views can support text in multiple styles and offer advanced editing features. You can offer word-processing capabilities and support spell checking and autocompletion for text entry.
Last updated: 2010-08-03