Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X by Aaron Hillegass

|
List Price: ££35.99
Our Price: ££17.99
Your Save: £ 0.00 ( % )
Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours
Manufacturer: Addison Wesley
|
Average Customer Rating:     

|
|
Binding: Paperback Dewey Decimal Number: 005.268 EAN: 9780321503619 ISBN: 0321503619 Label: Addison Wesley Number Of Items: 1 Number Of Pages: 464 Publication Date: 2008-05-15 Publisher: Addison Wesley Studio: Addison Wesley
|
|
|
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Best book to start with!
Comment: Awesome book, very approachable. For anyone coming to Mac programming for the first time, this is the book to start with.
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Not as scary as I thought.
Comment: I've had a project on the back burner for some time that required me to get to grips with Cocoa: no ifs, no buts. My timing wasn't ideal as XCode had gone from version 2 to version 3 without the documentation being updated, so I've been gingerly playing with Cocoa for about 5 months, but not really getting very far owing to the hurdles presented by the many interface changes.
Starting this book was nothing less than a revelation. I'm up to p77 of 418 pages and am surprised how quickly I'm getting to grips with tricky objective-c syntax (although it's really not too bad once you stop being scared of square brackets) and working with Interface Builder. The trickiest subject is memory management, and I must say I was rocking backwards and forwards gibbering 'this is hard, I'm not stupid' and clutching tightly to my degree certificate as Aaron recommends, but even this rather murky subject is beginning to sink in.
His writing style is very fluent and his many years of experience teaching people this technology is evident from the content. I'd shy away from saying this is a book for beginners, but if you've got a smattering of programming experience (PHP and a spot of Ruby is my background) and want to write good programs for the Rolls Royces of home computing, then this book has got to be at the top of your shopping list (assuming you've already bought a Mac that is! ).
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Beware Xcode3 is here!
Comment: I've just bought the 2nd edition of this book (yellow cover) to save money. It seems to be a good book - clear and well laid out... BUT THERES A PROBLEM...
To use this book, you download Xcode3 tool from Apple.com (easy and free)
The 2nd Edition of the this book (Yellow cover) relates to Xcode2 and is badly out of date.. its not possible to follow the picture instructions since one of the key applications (interface builder) has completely changed.
So I would strongly advise to buy the 3rd Edition (grey/green cover)... even though its a packet more expensive... I guess this is the cost of evolution!
Unless of course you would like to buy my 2nd edition.. which I now can't use?? :D
Customer Rating:     
Summary: The perfect starting point for learning Cocoa/Obj-C
Comment: As someone who made the switch to Macs/OS X just over 18-months ago, my interest in how the OS worked led me to buying this book. It's probably the best computer book I've bought full-stop.
This is THE BOOK you need to buy for a first-class authoritative introduction to Cocoa, the programming environment for OS X.
Customer Rating:     
Summary: A programming book that doesn't put you to sleep
Comment: I've just finished reading "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X" and have to say its amongst the best programming books I've ever read. It's aimed at people with C or Java experience who are new to objective C and Cocoa. The author demonstrates his skills as a teacher by delivering information in a progressive and easily digested manner. He begins by introducing the language and tools with a basic random number generator application and then builds on this with a number of tutorial applications. Topics covered include localisation, custom views, mouse and key events, fonts, images, printing, cut and paste, drag and drop, timers, sheets, printing, and creating your own Interface Builder Palates and controls. Cocoa is vast but this serves as an excellent starting block, covering the essentials and tasters required to progress deeper. Its very easy and enjoyable to read with challenges at the end of each chapter to help solidify your understanding. I read it from cover to cover which is unusual for me with a programming book.
I've been using OS X 10.3 which has had changes to the development tools since the book was written For example Project Builder is now called XCode, has code completion facilities and some of the menus have moved. However this didn't prove to be a problem and differences were rather obvious.
Can't really recommend it any higher!
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews: |
|
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Best book to start with!
Comment: Awesome book, very approachable. For anyone coming to Mac programming for the first time, this is the book to start with.
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Not as scary as I thought.
Comment: I've had a project on the back burner for some time that required me to get to grips with Cocoa: no ifs, no buts. My timing wasn't ideal as XCode had gone from version 2 to version 3 without the documentation being updated, so I've been gingerly playing with Cocoa for about 5 months, but not really getting very far owing to the hurdles presented by the many interface changes.
Starting this book was nothing less than a revelation. I'm up to p77 of 418 pages and am surprised how quickly I'm getting to grips with tricky objective-c syntax (although it's really not too bad once you stop being scared of square brackets) and working with Interface Builder. The trickiest subject is memory management, and I must say I was rocking backwards and forwards gibbering 'this is hard, I'm not stupid' and clutching tightly to my degree certificate as Aaron recommends, but even this rather murky subject is beginning to sink in.
His writing style is very fluent and his many years of experience teaching people this technology is evident from the content. I'd shy away from saying this is a book for beginners, but if you've got a smattering of programming experience (PHP and a spot of Ruby is my background) and want to write good programs for the Rolls Royces of home computing, then this book has got to be at the top of your shopping list (assuming you've already bought a Mac that is! ).
Customer Rating:     
Summary: Beware Xcode3 is here!
Comment: I've just bought the 2nd edition of this book (yellow cover) to save money. It seems to be a good book - clear and well laid out... BUT THERES A PROBLEM...
To use this book, you download Xcode3 tool from Apple.com (easy and free)
The 2nd Edition of the this book (Yellow cover) relates to Xcode2 and is badly out of date.. its not possible to follow the picture instructions since one of the key applications (interface builder) has completely changed.
So I would strongly advise to buy the 3rd Edition (grey/green cover)... even though its a packet more expensive... I guess this is the cost of evolution!
Unless of course you would like to buy my 2nd edition.. which I now can't use?? :D
Customer Rating:     
Summary: The perfect starting point for learning Cocoa/Obj-C
Comment: As someone who made the switch to Macs/OS X just over 18-months ago, my interest in how the OS worked led me to buying this book. It's probably the best computer book I've bought full-stop.
This is THE BOOK you need to buy for a first-class authoritative introduction to Cocoa, the programming environment for OS X.
Customer Rating:     
Summary: A programming book that doesn't put you to sleep
Comment: I've just finished reading "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X" and have to say its amongst the best programming books I've ever read. It's aimed at people with C or Java experience who are new to objective C and Cocoa. The author demonstrates his skills as a teacher by delivering information in a progressive and easily digested manner. He begins by introducing the language and tools with a basic random number generator application and then builds on this with a number of tutorial applications. Topics covered include localisation, custom views, mouse and key events, fonts, images, printing, cut and paste, drag and drop, timers, sheets, printing, and creating your own Interface Builder Palates and controls. Cocoa is vast but this serves as an excellent starting block, covering the essentials and tasters required to progress deeper. Its very easy and enjoyable to read with challenges at the end of each chapter to help solidify your understanding. I read it from cover to cover which is unusual for me with a programming book.
I've been using OS X 10.3 which has had changes to the development tools since the book was written For example Project Builder is now called XCode, has code completion facilities and some of the menus have moved. However this didn't prove to be a problem and differences were rather obvious.
Can't really recommend it any higher!
Suitable for anyone with a little C++ programming experience who wants to create software for the newest Mac platform, Cocoa Programming for Max OS X provides a slickly packaged and approachable tutorial that will get you started creating state-of-the-art Mac programs. The smart presentation style and easy-to-understand code examples help make this text an excellent resource. It also helps that Hillegass is a truly engaging writer. He first explains how legacy NeXTSTEP platform has evolved into Cocoa on the Mac OS X. Starting with short examples illustrating the actual Cocoa tools in action, the author gets you started with simple programs for a random number generator, a raise calculator and other comprehensible examples. Rather than just listing APIs and classes, the emphasis is on hands-on Cocoa development. An early standout section provides a nice tour of essential Objective-C features you'll need to learn to use Cocoa effectively. This book covers the several dozen built-in Cocoa controls, from basic text and buttons to more advanced widgets (including lists and tables). Subsequent sections look at user interface design (using the Interface Builder to create nib files) and how to add programmatic processing behind the visual layout. Along the way, the author introduces coverage of essential Cocoa APIs for strings, arrays and dictionaries. Later chapters look at saving and loading documents (and user defaults) and how to tap the powerful graphics abilities available in Cocoa. (Besides image and basic drawing, there are short sections on PDF support and printing.) More advanced user interface features get their due by the end of the book, including cutting and pasting data through the Cocoa pasteboard and also adding drag-and-drop support. Final sections look at creating new controls for use with the Interface Builder palette, and, briefly, how to use Java with Cocoa (an option that the author doesn't necessarily recommend). Throughout this text, the author provides more advanced, challenging problems at the end of each chapter for the "more curious" reader. This approach helps that beginners will not get lost in the details of Cocoa development, but will give the more advanced reader something more to do. While there a comparably fewer books on Mac OS X compared to other platforms, readers are lucky to have this one available. Anyone who wants to get onboard with Cocoa development will be well served by this title. It's a fine tutorial that earns high marks for its approachable, clear examples and an excellent presentation by an author who knows his stuff and, better still, knows how to teach it to others. --Richard Dragan
|
|
|
- Ask about this education product "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X" in the forum
- Give review on this education product "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X" in the forum
- Search related information in the forum
|
|
|
|
| OOEN Referral Program Spotlight |
 | | ECPI
A tech degree from ECPI means success in the real world. For over 36 years, ECPI has taught courses that focus on the skills employers need. Accredited programs such as Networking, Software Development, or Electronics are available. ECPI has locations in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and online classes. Complete your Tech degree in as little as 16 months. | |  | |
 | | Eastwick Colleges
Interested in a career in nursing, business, allied health, ultrasound, welding or electronics? Eastwick Colleges, including HoHoKus Schools and RETS Institute, offer five convenient New Jersey locations for your career or future degree. With a commitment to your success, Eastwick Colleges offer practical, skill-focused programs, as well as tutoring services at no additional cost. Post-graduation career placement services work with you to find the job that fits your lifestyle. Financial aid is available for those who qualify. Take advantage of Eastwick Colleges’ reputation for excellence in career training and placement. | |  | |
 | | Florida Career College
Train for a successful career in healthcare or information technology—two of today’s hottest fields—with real-world skills from Florida Career College. Earn your degree, diploma, or certificate at times convenient for you. Our flexible day, night, and weekend classes allow you to achieve your dreams without altering your lifestyle. Our state-of-the-art facilities expose you to the latest technology and healthcare equipment, giving you an edge on the competition from other colleges. We offer individual tutoring to help you choose the best career, and to help you achieve success in your chosen career. Get started today! | |  | |
|
What is OOEN Referral Program Spotlight?
OOEN provides comprehensive listing of online courses, degree programs, colleges and universities.
Also OOEN provides links to their information request pages; if you want to find out more about any course,
degree program, college or university, you can just fill out the form linked from OOEN and request information.
It is completely free for anyone to request information, and you can request information from as many colleges
and universities as you'd like. We list featured schools and their brief information
in this "OOEN Referral Program Spotlight" section of OOEN Store for Education,
in case that you are interested in taking a class or two or even pursuing degree program
through these featured schools.
|
|
|