iOS 5 Programming Pushing the Limits: Developing Extraordinary Mobile Apps for Apple iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch [Kindle Edition]

Rob Napier (Author), Mugunth Kumar (Author)

Book Description

Open the door to endless new app development possibilities

Pushing the Limits with iOS 5 Programming is an expert guide for developers aiming to create unique applications for Apple's iPad 2, iPhone, and the iPod Touch, which includes the latest version of the Apple iPhone SDK, iOS 5. This text goes beyond the basics to keep you ahead of the technology curve and spark your innovative nature to create seamless, functional, and fun apps. With a focus on advanced techniques for app development, you will learn to differentiate your apps from all the rest.

With this must-have book, you'll explore advanced coverage of a variety of development topics, such as developing with deep Objective-C, while you learn to create amazing applications for Apple's iPad 2, iPhone, and iPod touch. Veteran mobile developers and authors guide you through maximizing your programs as they delve into topics not commonly found elsewhere.

• Provides a solid foundation in the patterns of iOS
• Shares tips for running on multiple platforms and best using security services
• Discusses topics such as controlling multitasking, advanced text layout and more
• Demonstrates how to think differently with blocks and functional programming
• Teaches table view, performance, and money-making optimization
• Eliminates common challenges with memory management and iOS information flow

Pushing the Limits with iOS 5 Programming allows you to take on the future with confidence in your new, stand-out app design skills.

Product Details

• File Size: 5479 KB
• Print Length: 432 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 2 edition (December 5, 2011)
• Sold by: Amazon Digital Services, Inc.
• Language: English
• ASIN: B006OP97QI
• Text-to-Speech: Enabled
• X-Ray: Not Enabled
• Lending: Enabled
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,577 Paid in Kindle Store (See Top 100 Paid in Kindle Store)
  • #87 in Books > Computers & Technology > Mobile Phones, Tablets & E-Readers > Programming & App Development
  • #89 in Books > Computers & Technology > Apple > Development & Programming > iOS & App Development

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 43 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Great for an experienced iOS programmer January 18, 2012

By D. Solberg VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

Don't buy this book if you're just learning iOS -- it's written with an assumption that you know how to write a complete program on your own. For example, the author will often write things like, "After that, it's just like using a normal xib file," or assume you know the difference between a view's frame and bounds. Another example -- the section on storyboards assumes you know how to deal with iOS 4 transitions. These might be pretty basic things, but it would be frustrating for someone who isn't at that point yet.

Basically, if you've written a few applications and want to extend your abilities, you'll love this book. If you're in the target audience for this book, each section is clearly explained and contains just the right amount of information to take you to the next level. In particular, the author is very good at explaining those odd conventions that make you want to scream without over-explaining everything else. I highly recommend it.

26 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic guide to going beyond the basics January 18, 2012

By Carl Veazey

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

I've been developing iOS apps professionally for over 3 years now. Every chapter this book surprises and amazes me with new tricks and has opened my eyes to new techniques and ways of thinking. The writing style is approachable and makes for a quick read, and the code samples convey the point without unnecessary clutter. Also of use is the references given throughout the text, which have led me on reading expeditions that reveal even more information to me.
The one complaint I have so far is that the section on interacting with REST services is based on ASIHTTPRequest, which sadly will no longer be maintained. It would have been better to just use NSURLConnection or CFNetwork, or one of the extant libraries such as AFNetworking.
That aside, this is a valuable book and if you're a professional iOS developer you owe it to yourself to give it a read.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What You Don't Know You Don't Know February 14, 2012

By Glenn R. Howes TOP 500 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

As a long time iOS programmer, I thought I knew a thing or two about the platform, but my day job has been demanding for the last year or so and I'd fallen behind on new developments and techniques, and some not so new. And along comes this wonderful book to remind me of all the little things I could be doing to make my Objective-C do more with less code or do things I didn't know it could do.

This book is up to date as of the beginning of 2012. For example it covers such iOS 5 APIs as Storyboards, iCloud integration, and Automatic Reference counting, along with such still cutting edge technologies as Blocks and Grand Central Dispatch, and older tech that still frustrates such as the use of Core Animation and Key Value Observing. Through it all, I don't think I went 5 pages without encountering an idea, concept or fact new to me. I was also happy at the high level walkthrough of Xcode 4, as I'm still transitioning from 3.2 with some unhappiness. Topics were seemingly picked for their relevance to the working coder so plenty of dealing with web servers and optimizing table performance.

[Update: and time marches on, and now iOS 6 is released with things this book couldn't possibly have covered like PassBook, FaceBook and other social network integration, new Location Services APIs, Collection Views etc. Still a useful book, just not cutting edge.]

One bit of elegance stood out for me, that I could create an NSDictionary from a JSON snippet and turn around and call setValuesForKeysWithDictionary: on my object and bam it would configure all its properties (or perhaps most of them with a few unfortunately named properties needing a little help). Maybe this is obvious. Maybe everyone else in the world does this, but to me, that encapsulates the power of Objective-C combined with pervasive use of key value coding.

Many parts of the book will be useful to Mac programmers as well. For example, the chapter on Core Text, or the chapter on the inner workings of the Objective-C runtime.

The one chapter for which I didn't get the point was about working offline, as the author's didn't quite make their case as to why I would choose NSKeyArchiver over Core Data, but even this weakest chapter was better than you'd find in most programming books.

If you are a pro iOS coder or aspire to be. buy this book and read it as fast as you can.