WatchKit Programming - Learning Part 1

The idea of Apple Watch is that instead of pulling the iPhone out of pocket, users can glance though the important information looking at their watch.

Just including a nice picture of the Apple Watch here. Courtesy is Apple web site in references:

There are two parts in an Apple Watch Application, A Watch app that runs in the user’s device and a Watchkit extension which runs in the users paired watch. 

These two are bundled together same like a normal regular extension and when the app is installed, it will prompt the user whether or not the watch kit extension to be 

installed on the paired watch. 

The Watch app contains only the storyboards and resource files associated with the app’s user interface. The watch kit extension contains the code for managing the watch app’s user interface and responding to user interactions. 

Below are the different types of interactions we can support on Apple Watch: 

- The Watch app contains apps full user interface.  The user launches the app from the Homescreen and uses the app view to manipulate the data 

- A Glance is an optional user interface that actually not required to be used in the app, but if present it is a good way to provide timely access to the data. 

- Custome Notification interfaces can be used by the app to alter the default ui in which the notifications are displayed and add custom Graphics, images etc. 

The WatchKit extension is the brains of the Application. Because WatchKit extension runs in the iPhone, it can request location updates and perform long running tasks etc.  

A Glance is a focused interface for presenting important notifications that user needs right now. Glances do not scroll, so the glance ui should fit exactly in one screen. Glances are read only and cannot have actionable ui elements such as buttons, switches or other interactive buttons. Tapping the Glance launches the Watch App. Logic for glances reside in the Watchkit extension. 

The notifications are customisable in the Watch Kit extension. Apple Watch initially displays a minimal version of the UI for the notification. When user interact with the notification, it changes to a detailed view. App can supply the graphics for this detailed view. 

apple watch also supports interactive notifications that is supported in the iOS 8.0. This  behaviour is same as the one which is about specifying the category, 

References:

https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/iOS/documentation/General/Conceptual/WatchKitProgrammingGuide/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014969-CH8-SW1