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Step into Xcode: Mac OS X Development
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by Fritz Anderson
Sales Rank: 98156
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Discount: 37 %
$19.94
At Amazon
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Paperback: 496 pages
Publisher: Addison-Wesley Professional; Pap/Cdr edition February 9, 2006
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0321334221
ISBN-13: 978-0321334220
Product Dimensions:
9.1 x 7 x 1.1 inches
Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds
Back Cover Copy
A Step-by-Step Guide to the Xcode Mac OS Development Environment
Every copy of Mac OS X comes with Xcode, the powerful development suite that Apple uses to build applications ranging from Safari to iTunes. But because Xcode is complex and subtle, even experienced Mac programmers rarely take full advantage of it. Now, Mac developer Fritz Anderson has written the definitive introduction and guide to using Xcode to build applications with any Macintosh technology or language.
Anderson helps you master Xcode's powerful text editor, industry-standard gcc compiler, graphical interactive debugger, mature UI layout and object linkage editor, and exceptional optimization tools. One step at a time, you'll develop a command-line utility, then use Xcode tools to evolve it into a full-fledged Cocoa application. Anderson provides expert guidance on development frameworks, source code management, Core Data modeling, localization, and much more.
Coverage includes- Understanding Xcode workflow and the Mac OS X application lifecycle
- Porting established legacy projects into Xcode
- Using the Model-View-Controller design pattern to build robust graphical applications
- Building static libraries and working with Xcode's build system
- Making the most of bundles and package directories
- Creating applications compatible with older versions of Mac OS X
- Creating universal binaries to run on both Intel and PowerPC Macintoshes
- Adding Spotlight searchability to data files
- Leveraging Xcode's built-in support for unit testing
- Using Xcode on makefile-based UNIX development projects
Step Into Xcode's breadth, depth, and practical focus make it indispensable to every Mac developer: current Xcode users upgrading to Xcode 2.1, experienced Mac programmers migrating from CodeWarrior, UNIX/Linux programmers moving to Mac OS X, and even novices writing their first programs or scripts.
About The Author
Fritz Anderson has been a Macintosh developer since 1984 and is currently a Macintosh programmer for the University of Chicago. Also a Macintosh programming consultant, Anderson's articles have been published in the Macintosh Products Guide, MacUser, and MacTech. He holds a degree in physics from Kenyon College and a law degree from Georgetown University.
Customer Reviews & Comments
I am currently more than halfway through this book now and already I can say that I am very happy with my purchase. Firstly, this is not a programming how-to book. Plus, I don't think it should be your first Mac development book. The purpose of this book is to provide you with a solid understanding of the Xcode tool and to teach you some smart application design methods. I recommend that you start reading this book already knowing some Objective-C and Cocoa (at least a little anyway) because you will take with you so much more than just how to use the Xcode tool. Actually, without any Cocoa programming knowledge, you may just end up confused. The reason I say this is because the examples use intermediate to advanced Cocoa programs to illustrate Xcode as you advance through the book. This book starts you off with some background information about what happens when you compile a Cocoa application, how the runtime system works and some basic debugging skills. It then instructs the reader to build a command line tool which eventually buds into a mature Cocoa application as the chapters go by, each chapter adding a major feature to the application while introducing additional Xcode features as you go. Some of the Xcode features that I've already learned include: Including a command line tool in a project as a target dependency, how to build and include a static BSD library in a project, using Text Macros to add language-specific code patterns to the Xcode menus, I've expanded my knowledge of Cocoa bindings, how to include a framework target, working with dynamic libraries and more. Follow the examples! I was actually pleasantly surprised at the Cocoa skills I've learned simply from the examples' code. They are not typical. I've already assimilated the following intermediate to advanced Cocoa programming skills: Calling a command line tool from a Cocoa app using pipes and tasks, building and calling functions from a BDC static library, design skills that promote code decoupling and mixing C and Obj-C conventions together. I do have some gripes: Technical errors! I've never written a book but how difficult is it to make sure that the samples work once you reach the end of a chapter? And I'm not talking about the intentional errors the author left in the code that are later fixed. For example, in one chapter the book instructed me to add 3 object controllers in Interface Builder. By the end of the chapter the program didn't run because I was never instructed to configure one of the three controllers. I went back to make sure I didn't miss anything. I was able to figure it out myself after some time (another reason you should not be a newbie reading this book) but this error and others should not have made it into the book. Don't authors proof read their own work or at least have a couple of other people read the book and try out the examples? Sheesh! Also, be warned. I have yet to find any errata or contact info for the author for this book. So if you need help, you may not find any. This book is an easy read. No nonsense and straight to the point. Most chapters are between 10 and 20 pages, which provides you with plenty of opportunity to stop, rest and take in what you've just read. I wanted to rate this book ***1/2 for the errors and lack of help, but I can't give half-stars here. This book doesn't deserve 3 stars, so I gave it a 4. Note [16-MAR-2006]: Wouldn't you know it, I just found the official Step Into Xcode web site complete with downloadable code, errata and author contact info! Here it is: http://six.manoverboard.org/ I now officially increase this books rating from ***1/2 to ****. :)
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Step into Xcode: Mac OS X Development
Discount: 37 %
Available from Amazon
Price: $19.94
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