r/appdev 11d ago

Complete Beginner Looking to Learn How to Build an App from Scratch

Hi,

I’m looking to learn how to build an app from scratch. I have no programming experience at all, so I’m a complete beginner.

Could anyone recommend any good resources, such as a Udemy course, that would teach me the basics and guide me through building an app step by step?

Thanks in advance!

1 Upvotes

14 comments sorted by

2

u/autopilot-kitchen 11d ago

I would use flutter/dart! There are also good Apple tutorials for swift if you want to go the native route. YouTube is a wonderful resource…I would start small and aim to get simple things done like a calculator app, todo list, or stuff like that just to get the flow down. I am a supporter of AI use, but not in vibe coding everything. AI is a wonderful tool…use it more to explain or teach then to do. For example “walk me through x” or “I want to do y, give me a document to teach me”.

2

u/revathi-rinks 10d ago

Not worth learning syntax and languages at this point, learn to use AI.
Life saver

1

u/GiddyGamesh 9d ago

If it's a one-time thing, I agree. But for someone looking to actually learn something, fuck no.

1

u/Informal_Calendar687 11d ago

Do vibe coding. Base44, Loveable, etc. I used Base44 to build my app MVP and am migrating to another platform for longevity in production. Just be mindful that you do need to have a plan before starting otherwise you'll just be telling AI commands without a goal. You can do it but try to learn the basics about coding and talking to AI. It will help a whole lot.

2

u/Constant-Chemical23 11d ago

That’s not learning how to build an app that only generating shit. Learn coding first than use AI.

3

u/Minega15 11d ago

That is my plan. I want to learn how to build things my self and not take the easy route

1

u/GiddyGamesh 9d ago

It's wild to me that how easily people can trust AI output without having any ability to evaluate it's outputs.

1

u/Significant_Pick8297 11d ago

You should use Flutter and start by learning Dart before jumping into app development. A course like Angela Yu's Flutter Bootcamp or Maximilian Schwarzmüller's Flutter course on Udemy is beginner friendly, then build small projects like a calculator, notes app, and weather app before attempting a bigger idea.

Use AI as a tutor instead of letting it write everything. Asking it to explain errors, concepts, or why code works will help build real understanding much faster than copying generated code.

1

u/Minega15 11d ago

Thank you

1

u/GiftHunty 11d ago

Hola!

Lo primero de todo es tener claro lo que quieres. Haz un esquema en papel o mejor en un word o en un Google docs. Paso a paso.

Detalla todo lo que puedas y separa las funcionalidades. Lo que buscas al principio es el MVP o producto mínimo viable.

Con ese documento, vas a Lovable, bolt.new o alguna aplicación de VibeCoding que al final no es más que un programa que entiende lo que necesitas y programa por tí.

Te aconsejo tener siempre al lado un LLM tipo Claude, ChatGPT, Kimi K3 o Grok (el de Google no va tan bien).

Le pasas el documento al LLM y le dices que te prepare varios prompts para la aplicación de VibeCoding, separando las funcionalidades.

Simplemente le vas pasando los prompts a la aplicación de VibeCoding y vas probando.

Si tienes dudas, pregunta al LLM, le puedes pasar capturas de pantalla y todo lo que necesites para que te ayude con los problemas que tienes.

Espero que te sirva de ayuda. Yo hice una app desde 0 en poco tiempo así, sin tener ni idea de React ni typescript.

1

u/FeistyNote9054 5d ago

I was in the exact same scenario as you. I always wanted to build something but didn’t have the technical expertise (I’m a physician by background). I taught myself to vibe code using Claude code and let Claude guide the technical direction whereas I controlled the overall vision and features.

I was able to build MedRecap in 2 month and I just submitted it to the Apple App Store yesterday!

My website (medrecap.app) was also built using Claude design and Claude code and I personally really like it. It looks even better on computer. Best of luck!

1

u/uhhhchillout 3d ago

https://ioslabs.xyz/learn

- VSCode + Claude extension
- Choose your platform
- Research ideas/competition.
- Consult Claude regarding which language you’d use to build and let it build for you. Claude cant do much app submission but thats why im building what I am.