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I wanted to get some clear "real world" info on what kinda backend is required when running a newsstand app.

The app i intend to make should have the following features.

  1. Issues, each issue with a bunch of articles.
  2. An Issue can be "Free" or "Paid" depending on how its "Pushed"
  3. Auto subscriptions
  4. Push notifications
  5. Data collection - getting some stats from the users.

I currently have no server, in this case, whats the server requirement? All i want is a print magazine kinda app, essentially a PDF. Is it possible to let Apple host the data with current issues.

Another question besides the server is, how are these Issues packaged? Forexample if its a text file or a pdf?

Any direction would be great

jasonIM
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1 Answers1

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Taking your points in turn:

I currently have no server, in this case, whats the server requirement? All i want is a print magazine kinda app, essentially a PDF. Is it possible to let Apple host the data with current issues.

Apple does not provide hosting for newsstand content. You need your own server for this. It needs to hold the issues, and usually also respond to requests from your app about available and new issues.

Another question besides the server is, how are these Issues packaged? Forexample if its a text file or a pdf?

They are packaged however you like - you tell the newsstand framework which asset(s) need downloading for a particular issue (based on the response youve given about the issues above) Typically you'd bundle it all together in a zip file and unpack / process it on the device when the download is completed.

It's important to note that newsstand is not much more than a framework to enable backgrounded downloads and notifications, and to maintain a library of assets in your app's caches directory. The content and its display is entirely up to you, the developer.

jrturton
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  • thanks for the reply man, just a followup question, I plan to have "regional" issues within a single app itself, does that seem like a good idea ? or should there be a different newsstand app for different regional magazines. – jasonIM Oct 14 '12 at 17:23
  • Don't know really. It may depend on your definition of a region, and how you plan to determine which region a user is in. I haven't done anything like that so can't really advise. – jrturton Oct 14 '12 at 18:42
  • @jrturton Are you sure Apple does not provide hosting for newsstand content ? Because I looked out for it but didn't find sufficient information, so getting confused whether to proceed with Apple hosting or not. – Ajay Sharma Feb 27 '13 at 05:35
  • @AjaySharma they didn't when I was working on a newsstand app a few months ago, I doubt that has changed. – jrturton Feb 27 '13 at 07:22