Programming in Objective-C, Third Edition (Developer's Library) [Paperback]

Stephen G. Kochan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 20, 2011 | ISBN-10: 0321711394 | ISBN-13: 978-0321711397 | Edition: 3

Programming in Objective-C is a concise, carefully written tutorial on the basics of Objective-C and object-oriented programming for the iOS and Mac platforms.

The book makes no assumptions about prior experience with object-oriented programming languages or with the C language (which Objective-C is based upon). Because of this, both beginners and experienced programmers alike can use this book to quickly and effectively learn the fundamentals of Objective-C. Readers can also learn the concepts of object-oriented programming without having to first learn all of the intricacies of the underlying procedural language (C).

This unique approach to learning, combined with many small program examples and exercises at the end of each chapter, makes Programming in Objective-C ideally suited for either classroom use or self-study. While the Objective-C language itself has gone through relatively minor changes since the introduction of Objective-C 2.0, the Apple development tools that programmers use for Objective-C development on the Mac and on iOS have changed significantly in a very short period of time.

The third edition of Programming in Objective-C includes numerous updates and improvements throughout the book:

Improved organization for some chapters

Incorporation of feedback and suggestions from members of the author's forum for readers, including more detailed descriptions for some of the examples

A new introduction to blocks with examples

Replacement of deprecated methods with newer methods

Updated diagrams and steps for using Xcode 4

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Programming in Objective-C, Third Edition
An introduction to the Objective-C language for iOS and Mac OS X development

Stephen G. Kochan

Objective-C has become the standard programming language for application development on the iOS and Mac OS X platforms. A powerful yet simple object-oriented programming language that’s based on C, Objective-C is widely available not only on Apple platforms but across many operating systems that support the gcc compiler, including Linux, Unix, and Windows.

Programming in Objective-C provides the new programmer a complete, step-by-step introduction to the Objective-C language. The book does not assume previous experience with either C or object-oriented programming languages, and it includes many detailed, practical examples of how to put Objective-C to use in your everyday programming needs.

The third edition of Programming in Objective-C features updated and expanded coverage of the latest developments in Objective-C as well as new tools such as Xcode 4. It shows how to take advantage of the Foundation framework’s rich built-in library of classes and provides an introduction to iOS programming.

About the Author

Stephen Kochan is the author and coauthor of several bestselling titles on the C language, including Programming in C (Sams, 2004), Programming in ANSI C (Sams, 1994), and Topics in C Programming (Wiley, 1991), and several Unix titles, including Exploring the Unix System (Sams, 1992) and Unix Shell Programming (Sams, 2003). He has been programming on Macintosh computers since the introduction of the first Mac in 1984, and he wrote Programming C for the Mac as part of the Apple Press Library. In 2003 Kochan wrote Programming in Objective-C (Sams, 2003), and followed that with another Mac-related title, Beginning AppleScript (Wiley, 2004).

Product Details

• Paperback: 552 pages
• Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; 3 edition (June 20, 2011)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0321711394
• ISBN-13: 978-0321711397
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.1 x 8.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (47 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #436,754 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

40 of 40 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Outstanding. But Kindle Edition is tough for reading code. June 30, 2011

By tall-latte

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book is outstanding. It provided just the right balance of a fast pace but not too fast as to be overwhelming. It is a prerequisite for any other iOS development book, unless perhaps if you are an experienced developer of Mac apps.

It covers Xcode 4, which is good for anyone starting out (why start out with an already outdated version of Xcode?). If you don't yet have Xcode 4, you will need to either pay $5 in the Mac App Store (prepare for a several hour long download) or pay the $99 annual developer program fee. I found Xcode 4 to be worth the upgrade price versus the free Xcode 3.

The book is extremely well written, assumes little to no prior C knowledge (although prior development experience will no doubt help), and explains basic concepts. I appreciated that it sometimes took "the long way" in example code, in order to have more readable code, rather than resorting to abbreviated shortcut code that can be much harder to read.

Even though the book is focused on Objective-C, it has a nice small section at the end that covers iOS development and walks you through a basic iPhone app: a fractions calculator. However, if you already have expertise with Objective-C and are just wanting to learn iOS, then this book might not be the best for you. This is best as the first book an iOS developer reads, and then additional books focused just on iOS would be the logical next steps after this book. But reading an iOS book without first having the understanding of Objective-C will likely set you up for failure.

While the book is excellent, the Kindle edition is a bit difficult when reading code samples. Also, some tables were completely unreadable on my 2nd generation Kindle.... What I had to frequently do was fire up the Kindle iPad app (or the Kindle Mac app would work, too) in order to read the sample code and tables that were too small on the Kindle. This worked well. I read about 80% of the book on the 2nd generation Kindle, and the other 20% on an iPad 2 (using Kindle app). It actually works nicely to prop up the iPad next to your Mac as you type in the sample code.

If you only have a small Kindle and no larger device to read the Kindle book on, you might prefer the print edition of this book.

I highly recommend this book. Read more ›

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Despite what you see in the iOS dev forums... June 28, 2011

By Terrance Shaw

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

This is an incredible book for any developer's library. Yes, Apple's development library is both free and as in-depth as it comes, but the problem there is that they're explained assuming prior knowledge in either Objective-C or some other object-oriented programming history in your past. Reading through about all of them aside from the HIG, I found my head spinning and a distinct lack of comprehension setting in.

I was quick to buy Kochan's second edition of this book, and I wasn't disappointed with what I found there, though I knew it could be better if it was up to date with current material.

Enter the third edition, utilizing Xcode 4.

It shows you EXACTLY what to do in each project without having to assume what to do between the then-current Xcode 3 and the currently current Xcode 4.

I'd fully recommend this to any budding iOS or Mac developer.

28 of 29 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for learning Obj-C without learning C first June 23, 2011

By B. Alter

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

I have been looking for a way to learn how to write iOS apps in Objective-C without having to learn C first. Almost every book I've looked at for iOS programming either assumes you already know Obj-C or C. This book doesn't. I'm only 3 chapters into the exercises, but I've skimmed the book for other topics and found it to be consistently well done.

If you want to learn Obj-C from scratch, without previous C knowledge, your money would be well spent on this book. I'm using the Kindle version. It looks great on my iPad, and is also well formated on the smaller screen of my Kindle.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Research before you buy July 31, 2011

By Chris

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

First, this is a great book. Now that's out of the way, here is the rest of my review.

If you have never programmed for Mac or iOS (iPhone, iPad, etc..) then buy this book. Programming for the Apple platforms has two parts. The User Interface and the code. This book covers mainly the code and only touches on the User Interface. If you have never programmed for Mac or iOS then you need to know the code behind the cool looking applications to build anything but simple calculator and temperature conversion apps.

I have been a programmer for many years on Windows (Visual Studio) and even done some web programming. I spent at least two weeks researching the best way to learn to program for the Mac. Know the Objective-C first (you don't need to master it) then work on the User Interface. You can make programs without the User Interface, but you cant make programs without knowing at least some Objective-C.

With all of that said, I have been working my way through the tutorials and exercises and I am currently on chapter 5 in only two days. The code is really easy to pickup and the examples are clearly documented and well thought out. Don't be afraid to mix-up some of the code and experiment as you go, just don't get ahead of yourself. If you purchase the Kindle Edition don't just copy and paste the examples. Type them in. Trust me on this. You need to get used to typing in all of this code and making mistakes and typos and finding them will only help you becoming a better programmer. You won't break anything.

Its really simple, of you have never programmed for anything made by Apple and have never touched languages "C" or "Objective-C" then you need to get this book and work through all of the tutorials.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect place to start July 18, 2011

By B. Wilson

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

If you want to learn Objective C (and who wouldn't?) this is the perfect book. It is very well written, assumes no prior programming knowledge, and each chapter builds nicely upon previous chapters. In addition, there is a comprehensive online forum where the author and students are very active. I bought the second edition about a year ago and worked my way though most of the book before I got sidetracked. Now I'm back at it with the third edition and have noticed a few nice improvements. One section in particular had me stumped in the second edition, but in this third edition it is thoroughly explained. I also bought the Kindle edition for the iPad to use when traveling or reading in bed late at night - I still prefer the feel of a book but there is nothing wrong with the electronic version that I have found.

On a side note, I have been using the pre-recorded webcasts this time around as well and have been amazed by how helpful these have been. There were a few sections I struggled with the first time through the book - having them presented in a classroom style while watching the author work through the examples in Xcode has made a huge difference. (A word of warning - the production quality is abysmal, however, the quality of the content is priceless.)

I have shelves filled with technical books covering everything from robotics to web design. This is easily the most well written book of the lot.