The first edition of my app, Fish Finder, is waiting for review in itunes connect. For any of you who plan on visiting Alaska this summer, you ought to check it out. Thanks guys for making app creation easy! I have a couple ideas on how to improve the basic layout of the app, and for that I have a couple questions. Getting directions is easy via the locations map, but if I want to direct users to an information page first, how do I give them the option of getting directions from that new page? Let me give you an example of how I envision the layout. Lets say users find 'Russian River' on the location map, and click the info button. I want users to be taken to a menu page labeled 'Russian River', with links to: Information, Regulations, Images, Weather, and Get Directions. How do I create this Get Directions link? Do I need to create a new location map, or is there a way of using the previous gps info to instantly take users to the same directions page they would have been led to had I chosen that 'info option'? (Does that make sense?) Secondly, is there a way to create a tableview search box where users can find page nicknames? (For instance, users can search for Russian River, and be brought to the Russian River menu page). An example of the look of this is here, but it uses extensive code (and I have a feeling I'd thoroughly mess it up if I went in beyond repairing BTinfo.plist files) http://blog.webscale.co.in/?p=228. Again, thanks guys, and I'll give you an update on whether or not Apple accepts the app.

Cool on the submission, good job. Because you mentioned nicknames, I'll assume you're workign with v1.5 - good, it's far more flexible. A: Directions. I can think of a few ways to do this. If you tapped Russion River on the map you could point the details button on the callout bubble to an information page. HTML's probably best. A pic or two, a short blob and the location, and as many links as you want. Make one of the links lead to google maps. Another way... load up one master map will all the locations (not sure how many you have). Map map for each spot. Tapping a pin on the master map loads the next map zoomed in on that spot. This new single location map could have the driving directions tap in the callout bubble and an icon in the top-right nav bar for details. I'm working on a tutorial to show how to load a large list of locations, filtered by 'nearest to the device. This could help if you have lots and lots of locs. Keep your eyes peeled for a video. B: Searching. We get lots of inquires about a search bar and have never really figured out what-to-search. So many different apps with so much content, it's been tough to engineer a usesable search. HOWEVER, I think you just nailed it! If the app owner creates nicknames strategically, with this search functionality in mind it could make perfect sense! I'll look into this idea. The search bar code is the easy part, figuring out what to show as results was the hard part. Great idea - thanks tons for this. Cheers from Monterey

B: Searching. We get lots of inquires about a search bar and have never really figured out what-to-search. So many different apps with so much content, it's been tough to engineer a usesable search. HOWEVER, I think you just nailed it! If the app owner creates nicknames strategically, with this search functionality in mind it could make perfect sense! I'll look into this idea. The search bar code is the easy part, figuring out what to show as results was the hard part. Great idea - thanks tons for this. PERFECT!

Great! I'm glad to hear that something I said might actually help you for a change. :) Any other issues you need an amateur look at? (Actually, do you have a list of current projects? It might actually be a useful tool to have users comment on them if the problem can be solved by adjusting your assumptions rather than creating ridiculously complicated code to fix a complicated problem). :P I have lots of locations. The first installment has about 60, with another 200 or so planned. I think the map within a map would work perfectly. Do I just make the info button on the callout bubble call out the new map? Is there an easy process in transferring current location gps coords? If not, I'll just just remake them. I need to make a master gps database anyways. Thanks again! Edit: What would you use to load a large list of locations? Excel? Something different? Before I start compiling a large database, I should probably make sure it'll work for this process. Thanks

Lets do this: I'm working out a tutorial / video with another app creator that is loading hundreds of locations. I'm doing this in an effort to see 'how he thinks' in terms of a non-programmer. This will allow my to better create the tutorial. We already have the locations being pulled into his app by way of the dataURL (map screen, advanced properties). I'm hoping to get this a video made about this process in the next few days. a) Plan to use a plain-text file (.csv, Excel then Save As csv) to drive your locations b) I'll get the video made in a few days This will save you from having to enter manually all your data ;-)