Apple doesn't care.

To paraphrase Steve Jobs, "You're doing it wrong". Just build a web app.

If you are paying an annual fee just for the privilege of being permitted to write software for Apple's platform, Apple can safely bet that you'll put up with the rigmarole of app deployment as well.

The "modern flexible HyperCard" would be something like Swift Playgrounds today. SwiftUI might have all sorts of problems for building large apps or getting very specific with UI design, but it absolutely excels for building "informal apps".

Only problem is that there's no iOS version. :/

The UI front still has a long way to go but I found that Shortcuts in iOS has some pretty powerful abilities if you know what you’re doing.

My partner and I have a shortcut for “what floor is the car on” since the car is parked in a neighboring garage without assigned spots. We have a shared note and the shortcut appends a line with the date and floor on it. A second shortcut will read the last line of the note and parse the floor and present it.

Shortcut hacks we found:

- parse text from a shared note. Remember scaling is a non-issue.

- there is a “ssh to a server” shortcut option to trigger python scripts or background tasks (or home assistant, etc)

- edit on mac app

- iOS major updates break things :(

A common person isn't able to do what the author did, meaning they'll have to reach for the app store. Conveniently, Apple gets a cut of sales on the app store. The conflicts of interest are clear.

The author is “a common person” though? They’re a fiction writer who doesn’t and hasn’t worked professionally as a software developer. that was the point. They’re “home chefs” not professional.

Aren't free apps a conflict of interest then?

I can imagine that a good platform for making "home-cooked apps" would be beneficial both to Apple and to buyers of their products.

I believe Shortcuts was a move in the right direction.

> Aren't free apps a conflict of interest then?

They are indeed, I think. When was the last time you saw a really great free app? That was at the beginning of the App Store ecosystem, I think they've moved away from it.

Arent all the best/popular apps free these days? I have no data to back this up, but in my experience people have gotten less willing to pay money for an app than when the app stores launched (presumably because everyone is used to "free" apps that you pay with your data to use).