Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X - Softcover

Hillegass, Aaron

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0321213149 ISBN 13: 9780321213143

Publisher: Addison-Wesley, 2004

Synopsis

Provides step-by-step instructions for learning Cocoa, discussing such topics as Objective-C, controls, helper objects, archiving, Nib files and NSWindowController, and creating interface builder palettes.

About this title

Review

There's a reason that a large slice of the open-source movement has defected from running Linux on its laptops to running Mac OS X. The reason is the Unix core that underlies Mac OS X, and the development tools that run on that core. Cocoa makes it easy to create very slick Mac OS X interfaces for software (as well as to create applications in a hurry), and this new edition of Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X does an excellent job of teaching its readers how to put a Cocoa face on top of code (Objective-C code almost exclusively). If you know something about C and/or C++ programming and want to apply your skills to the Mac, this is precisely the book you want.

Author Aaron Hillegass teaches a Cocoa class, and his book reads like a demonstration-driven lecture in a computer lab. That is, the book takes a heavily example-centric approach to its subject, beginning with simple announcement windows and proceeding to cover the more advanced controls and object-oriented features of Cocoa and Objective-C. Throughout, he hops back and forth between descriptions of the goal to be accomplished, listings of the code that does the job, and instructions on how to use the Mac OS X development tools to speed the development process. --David Wall

Topics covered: How to write software for Mac OS X in Objective-C and, especially, with Cocoa. The new edition shows how to use NSUndoManager, add AppleScript capability to an application, do graphics work with OpenGL, and use Cocoa under Linux using GNUstep. As well, all the basic controls and design patterns are covered.

From the Back Cover

The highly acclaimed introduction to Cocoa—recommended most by experienced Mac OS X developers now updated and expanded.

Here's what critics said about the first edition:

"Reading this book is the absolute best way to learn how to harness the power of this amazing technology."
—Andrew Stone, President, Stone Design, www.stone.com

"Make sure this is the first one you pick up. It's the best book for a beginning Cocoa programmer."
—From the review on HyperJeff.net&

"I love this book. The descriptions are clear, the examples logical. Everything a programmer needs to get up to speed on Cocoa."
—Dave Mark, Editor, MacTech Magazine

To help programmers develop applications for Mac OS X, Apple is now giving away XCode, Interface Builder, and the Cocoa frameworks—the tools used to create Safari, GarageBand, Mail, and the iApps. Cocoa® Programming for Mac® OS X, Second Edition, will give you a complete understanding of how to use these tremendously powerful tools and frameworks to write full-featured applications for the Mac.

Guiding programmers through the key features of Cocoa, this book emphasizes design patterns that enable you to predict the behavior of classes you have never used before. Written in a tutorial format, it takes you step-by-step through the creation of six applications and an Interface Builder palette. Each project introduces several new ideas, and as each concept or technique is discussed, the author, drawing on his own extensive experience, shows you the right way to use it.

Updated for Xcode and Mac OS X 10.3, new chapters in this second edition include coverage of OpenGL, AppleScriptability, the undo manager, creating frameworks, and a brief introduction to using GNUstep on Linux.

About this edition

• Publisher: Addison-Wesley
• Publication date: 2004
• ISBN 10: 0321213149
• ISBN 13: 9780321213143
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 448