Friday, December 11, 2009
Apple temporarily approving applications using private APIs?
Friday, December 11, 2009 
I read an article this morning where a developer received this communication from Apple in regards to their submitted application:
While Apple has taken it on the chin to a degree in regards to it's approval process, I actually think that this approach to the private APIs is a bad thing.
If a developer bases a core bit of functionality in their application using private APIs, their only course of action is to either replace it with something else or try to perhaps try and recreate (if possible) the functionality provided to them by the private APIs in the first place. Who loses there? The user of the application.
From one version to the next something is going to change - potentially dramatically. Which means usage will probably change, GUI or UI interactions with change. Resulting in confusion or a lesser experience.
I think Apple should either make public some of the more interesting private APIs or be strict about them. It's like telling your kids if they don't behave they won't get dessert. And then you end up giving them a little dessert anyway. Not a great thing.
Thank you for submitting your update to iSimulate to the App Store. During our review of your application we found it is using a private API, which is in violation of the iPhone Developer Program License Agreement section 3.3.1; “3.3.1 Applications may only use Documented APIs in the manner prescribed by Apple and must not use or call any private APIs.” While your application has not been rejected, it would be appropriate to resolve this issue in your next update.
While Apple has taken it on the chin to a degree in regards to it's approval process, I actually think that this approach to the private APIs is a bad thing.
If a developer bases a core bit of functionality in their application using private APIs, their only course of action is to either replace it with something else or try to perhaps try and recreate (if possible) the functionality provided to them by the private APIs in the first place. Who loses there? The user of the application.
From one version to the next something is going to change - potentially dramatically. Which means usage will probably change, GUI or UI interactions with change. Resulting in confusion or a lesser experience.
I think Apple should either make public some of the more interesting private APIs or be strict about them. It's like telling your kids if they don't behave they won't get dessert. And then you end up giving them a little dessert anyway. Not a great thing.
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