Mac Programming for Dummies [Paperback]

Dan Parks Sydow (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 15, 1996 | Series: --for Dummies

This revised work covers the latest programming languages for the Mac and is aimed at Mac users interested in customizing their computer.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

"The best, if not the only, book for the budding Mac programmer."

Long before the shelves were littered with titles like Chihuahuas for Dummies, there was this certain charm to Dummies books. They took difficult subjects and made them palatable. Along the way, the books were entertaining. Never condescending. Oh, those were the days. Fortunately, Mac Programming for Dummies is one of those old-flavor books. Like a few other authors, Dan Parks Sydow "gets it" when it comes to writing a Dummies book.

Macintosh programming is insane. I've tried it. I gave up. That was back in 1989 or so. Then one day I got an e-mail from a Mac user who enjoyed my C programming books and wanted something specific for the Mac. I picked up Mac Programming for Dummies, read it, and now recommend it to anyone wanting to program on the Mac. Sydow takes a complex, obnoxious task and boils it down into nice, happy, chewable chunks.

I admit I was disappointed at first. The book is really rather skimpy when it comes to actual programming--but it's a great read and highly informative. Sydow uses his knowledge of the subject to carefully orient the reader to the important programming aspects of the Mac--as opposed to rushing off and doing a "Hello, World" program. No, that approach wouldn't work on a Mac, which I now know after reading this marvelous book.

The book comes with a CD-ROM (which is the reason for the hefty cover price), and on it you'll find a miniversion of the popular Code Warrior programming package. On the downside, there aren't enough true programming examples or hard information, so you will need additional references if you plan on continuing a Macintosh programming career. But for a start, this book is awesome. --Dan Gookin --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Mac Programming For Dummies, 2nd Edition, is for those who have never programmed before or for those who have tried programming but quit in frustration. This easy-to-use reference breaks down programming basics into small, manageable, individual topics and provides you with the information you need to start programming right away!

Inside, find helpful advice on how to:

• Get the fundamentals you need to create a great Macintosh program
• Use ResEdit to create graphical program elements, such as windows and menus, without any programming
• Follow along on a guided tour of the development process for Macintosh programs
• Get a thorough introduction to CodeWarrior, the tool that turns code into a full-fledged Mac program
• Discover why you should use the C programming language and how it differs from other languages
• Peruse special appendixes that provide helpful tips on problem solving and act as handy references for Toolbox calls and the C language
• Plus Dan's Lists of Top Ten Mac Programming Tips:
  • Ten steps to creating a Mac program
  • Ten Toolbox functions you can't live without
  • Ten common Mac programming mistakes

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Hungry Minds Inc; 2nd Bk&CD edition (August 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0764500422
• ISBN-13: 978-0764500428
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.4 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,044,465 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Misleading and basic, but gives a little taste of programmin, January 27, 2000

By 

Matt Greer - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mac Programming for Dummies (Paperback)

This book is very simple and basic, using a "hold your hand" approach to programming on the Macintosh. The problem is you never really learn to program. The author seems more interested in having the reader play around with menus and windows than actually teaching how to create solid programs and build a programming foundation.

This book has some glaring errors like failing to distinguish well enough between the Apple toolbox functions and actual library functions and keywords of the C programming language. If this is the reader's first ever book on programming, they will walk away with a strange hybrid of Macintosh specific code and actual C code. They may be in for a rude awakening if they try to apply any of this knowledge on another type of computer.

The other problem with this book is the author often never describes fully what a specific function does or what a variable is for. Instead he takes the "just trust me" approach. This forces the reader to always stick with him and never allows them to explore their own ideas, which is a great way to learn how to program. Further enforcing this is the fact that the compiler that is included with the book is just shy of useless. It does not allow you to create your own programs, but only edit the programs the author provided. This format denies the reader the ability to create any of their own code, and thus removes a very important aspect of learning to program.

This book is very light reading and easy to handle for complete novices. So it could be a fairly decent way to get a small taste of what programming is like. The problem is this taste is misleading, and if the reader were to pursue even further they may find themselves confused or having to unlearn a lot of stuff.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good start book, just start, October 3, 2000

By 

A worker (Northern California) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Mac Programming for Dummies (Paperback)

No doubt this is a good book for starter and in all just that. Some very basic like dialog box design or a little bit advanced like memory management are all missing from the book.

However, if you're first on Mac programming, take two days read this book to get rough ideas. Then read 'Programming Starter Kit for Macintosh'. It's an old title but contains some more info. CodeWarrior Professional CDROM includes the whole 2nd book.

But, where is a C++ book for CodeWarrior!!??

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best programming book ever, May 8, 1999

By 

[e-mail] (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mac Programming for Dummies (Paperback)

Before I bought this book, I knew only the Basic language. I had bought several other books that did not help at all. The first day that I bought this book, I was instantly creating programs for my mac. I gave this book a five because it goes through each and every line of code and tells you exactly what everything does. Not like those other so called beginner programming books that show you the code and expect you to know what it all is for. After the basics, I could easily understand all the other C programming books on my shelf. As most beginner programming books only teach you programming in a text window, this book will let you access the toolbox from the first example. Shows how to create a window, use event handlers, create menus, draw pictures and text to the screen, play sounds and animation. I strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in the field of Macintosh programming. Has everything you need to write a Macintosh program, Codewarrior Compiler, sample code ect.