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36 of 37 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of two books that excel at teaching the beginning iPhone app developer, November 8, 2009
This review is from: Head First iPhone Development: A Learner's Guide to Creating Objective-C Applications for the iPhone (Paperback)
This is the book you want if you want to build applications for the iPhone, you are an experienced programmer, and if you do not already know Objective C. The only book as good as or better than this one is Beginning iPhone 3 Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK. The first two-thirds of that book guides you through iPhone OS programming in general, concentrating on the display. Later chapters cover more advanced topics. What that book has in detail though, it somewhat lacks in perspective. In other words - it fails to step back and give you the big picture. This head first book excels in the big picture as well as the details.
This head first book covers everything you need to know just as long as programming is not something that is new to you. In particular, object-oriented concepts should be familiar to you as well as programming in a procedural language such as C. The book takes it from there. If you have used the head-first series of books before then you know what you are in for. The book uses cartoons, crossword puzzles, Q&A sessions, fake interviews with devices and programs, and strange looking photographs to make your brain remember what it sees. The book is not a reference book on Objective C, and honestly, if you are going to go far with iPhone application development, then you probably should have a conventional book on that very topic after you finish this book and all of its exercises.
This book also gets you going by building an iPhone app in the first chapter. It will also do odd things that make you think about a design, such as leading you down the wrong path in the design cycle so that you remember the right path. For that very reason it is important to go through this book from beginning to end and do all of the exercises. You won't get the most out of it if you do not. Highly recommended if you are teaching yourself this subject.
The table of contents is not yet listed for this book, so I show that next:
getting started
iPhone app patterns
objective-c for the iPhone
multiple views
plists and modal views
saving, editing, and sorting data
tab bars and core data
migrating and optimizing with core data
camera, map kit, and core location
leftovers
preparing an app for distribution
None of these chapter names will probably mean that much to you until you finish the book. Highly recommended for the experienced programmer who is a novice at writing iPhone applications.
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23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent, fun book to read, buuuuuut...., December 16, 2009
This review is from: Head First iPhone Development: A Learner's Guide to Creating Objective-C Applications for the iPhone (Paperback)
... there is a stupefying number of spelling errors. C'mon, Curt... Spelling errors? Big deal. Problem is, though, that this is a programming book, and a lot of the errors are in the code. Some of the errors are incorrect indicators on which file needs to be edited.
Honestly, this is the best book I've ever read for programming, but I get the impression that it was really rushed, and not proofread quite enough. Attention to detail is the hallmark of good programming practice, and the "fun, conversational style" of the book is no excuse.
That being said, if you want to learn iPhone development, get this book; it is worth it.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Don't let this book fool you, it uses advanced technology to teach you., January 4, 2010
This review is from: Head First iPhone Development: A Learner's Guide to Creating Objective-C Applications for the iPhone (Paperback)
Just as there are "Human Interface" concepts and techniques in wide use today, so it goes with the need for "Information Interface." Unfortunately, here in the Information Age, Information Interface just doesn't get the love and respect that it requires. It all comes at you in a big unordered tsunami and it's up to you to find your way through it. That's why I'm particularly keen on the Head First series of books, which takes Information Interface very seriously, in spite of first appearances. Believe me, this is not in any way a book for "dummies." Since Information Interface has been my field of study for the past 20 years, AND I'm an iPhone developer as well, I think that the Head First series is one of the most amazing things to ever come along! And it's a double bonus that there's one introducing iPhone development.
It's critically important that anyone pursuing iPhone development approach it in an orderly fashion, and this is why I agree with the other reviewers that Beginning iPhone 3 Development, along with Head First iPhone Development are the two most important must-have books which any new iPhone developer needs to use. It's my opinion, though, that YOU should decide based on your previous experience whether Head First iPhone Development is the first or the second book you'll go through cover to cover to learn iPhone development in the most quick and efficient way possible. I feel everyone should go through both books cover to cover at a minimum. The authors of Beginning iPhone 3 Development are no slouches either, and have paid incredible attention to your learning experience, albeit in a more traditional fashion.
Both books DO make sure you learn the things you need to know in an orderly fashion. However, Head First iPhone Development is excellent at making you think and making what you learn stick more deeply. It doesn't always hold your hand and helps you learn to fly on your own in gentle ways. It even cleverly avoids telling you some things which will make you wonder, and then later it almost always addresses what you were wondering about. The result is that you'll undoubtedly "love it" and not really know why, just as you love the Mac and iPhone. It all has to do with the fact that we're human beings, psychological creatures, and not machines.
As with ANY programming tutorial, you MUST FIRST go to the book's website and mark up your book with corrections before you even start on page one to avoid spinning your wheels and experiencing unnecessary frustration. It's also a great way to take a quick reconnaissance flight through the whole book as you correct any errors from its "errata" - a tradeoff of all printed material. Just do it and skip complaining about the errors.
As a co-administrator of an online iPhone development forum, I have answered a bazillion questions, and 90% are the result of not approaching your learning curve in an orderly fashion. Books are still the most efficient way for an individual to study. Having the hundreds of videos available to you are also important, but nothing can match an orderly self-paced introduction which delivers instant gratification all along the way that will keep you interested and encouraged, until you finally "get it" and can move ahead on your own. Head First iPhone Development is this developer's favorite programming book of all time, and finally, here in the second decade of the 21st century, "Information Interface" is finally getting some attention. There's far more to do than we realize when we decide to go for writing iPhone apps, and this is a critical piece in your "path of least resistance."
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