Professional iPhone Programming with MonoTouch and .NET/C# [Paperback]

Wallace B. McClure (Author), Rory Blyth (Author), Craig Dunn (Author), Chris Hardy (Author), Martin Bowling (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 2010 | ISBN-10: 047063782X | ISBN-13: 978-0470637821 | Edition: 1

What .NET C# developers need to enter the hot field of iPhone apps

iPhone applications offer a hot opportunity for developers. Until the open source MonoTouch project, this field was limited to those familiar with Apple’s programming languages. Now .NET and C# developers can join the party. Professional iPhone Programming with MonoTouch and .NET/C#is the first book to cover MonoTouch, preparing developers to take advantage of this lucrative opportunity.

This book is for .NET developers that are interested in creating native iPhone applications written in .NET/C#. These developers want to use their existing knowledge. While .NET developers are always interested in learning, they also recognize that learning Objective-C and the specifics of the iPhone can be overwhelming. Those developers interested in MonoTouch will recognize that the cost of MonoTouch is easily made up by the ability to quickly target the iPhone using a language that they are already familiar with.

This book is designed for .NET developers that want to target the iPhone. It is designed to help you get up to speed with the iPhone, not to really teach you about the .NET Framework or C# language, which we assume you already know.

This book is designed with introductory material in Chapters 1 thru 4. You should read Chapters 1 thru 4 sequentially. These chapters introduce the MonoTouch product, the basics of developing with MonoTouch and MonoDevelop, and finally, the basics of presenting data to a user with screen and data controls and how to develop a user interface for the iPhone. Once you are comfortable with these concepts, you can typically move from one chapter to another and not necessarily have to read the chapters sequentially

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Develop iPhone apps using tools you already know—C# and .NET

MonoTouch opens the door for .NET and C# developers to create Apple iPhone and iPad applications using C#. Written by a team of leading community experts, this unique book walks you through the process of writing applications for the world's most exciting mobile platform while leveraging the features of the Microsoft .NET Framework.

Professional iPhone Programming:

• Introduces MonoTouch and the MonoDevelop IDE

• Shows how to use UI controls following Apple's guidelines

• Demonstrates displaying data and using tables for navigation

• Reviews programming video and audio APIs

• Investigates device support for proximity, orientation, and more

• Looks at building iPad applications with large-screen controls

• Explains how to deploy to the App Store and make a profit

Wrox Professional guides are planned and written by working programmers to meet the real-world needs of programmers, developers, and IT professionals. Focused and relevant, they address the issues technology professionals face every day. They provide examples, practical solutions, and expert education in new technologies, all designed to help programmers do a better job.

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About the Author

Wallace B. McClure is a Microsoft MVP, ASPInsider, member of the national INETA Speaker's Bureau, and has a popular blog and podcast.

Martin Bowling is a software developer and marketer working with small and medium sized businesses.

Craig Dunn has worked on web technologies in corporate environments since 1993.

Chris Hardy, an ASPInsider, works at a digital agency in Manchester, UK.

Rory Blyth has worked in the software development industry for nearly a decade.

Product Details

• Paperback: 384 pages
• Publisher: Wrox; 1 edition (July 13, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 047063782X
• ISBN-13: 978-0470637821
• Product Dimensions: 7.4 x 0.8 x 9.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 2.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #703,760 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Good introduction April 2, 2011

By Michael S. Muegel

Format:Paperback

Good introduction to MonoTouch-based developmement on iOS. Every code listing has a complete MonoDevelop solution available for download, so it is very easy to run and experiment with the listings included in the book.

6 of 12 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Kindle edition is a joke December 16, 2011

By dmacd

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is not a review of the books contents as I have not gotten far enough for it to begin contributing materially to my capabilities, but the example code formatting in the kindle edition is awful. Its not completely unreadable, but clearly no qc was done.

1 of 4 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars MonoTouch is a Closed System April 23, 2013

By Richard L. Wohletz

Format:Paperback

With MonoTouch, you can write iOS apps using C#/.NET instead of Objective-C. But that's it. If you want your app to also run on Android or Windows7 or other devices, you can't. You have to rewrite your apps into other languages. This is because Apple chose to be a closed system. This is in conflict with the whole concept of Mono (Mono Project) and the .NET Framework that it should be Operating System Independent. If you want your app to work on multiple devices, there is Mono for Android. Unfortunately, this is still an immature technology.