Amazon.com
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.
Customer Reviews:
Priceless.......2007-08-07
This book is written like Mac products are designed. It reads easily and is complete in content. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone beginning to program on the Mac OS X platform.
Simply the best.......2007-07-24
This is quite simply the best Cocoa book on the market. Aaron has a clean and easy way of describing the most complex topics. I've read several others and they just can't compare.
Even if not perfect - still no other book on Cocoa comes close.......2007-07-07
To avoid reapeating what has been written by many other readers, I'll be brief: if you want to get a grip on Cocoa - look no further. You won't find a better book on this subject as of the time I write these words. If you are new to programming in general - learn the basics (elsewhere) first.
Great introduction for Windows Programmers.......2007-04-17
I have been developing windows applications since 1987. I found this guide to be well written, and I was able to get my first few applications up and running in short order.
Excellent book for people new to cocoa........2007-03-02
This book does not go into deep details of Cocoa or Xcode but it does what it promises and that is to teach you enough to start building Cocoa programs. And it does that with great quality and makes sure that you understand the concepts that it is teaching. It does not go deep into Objective-C so I highly recomend for those with little C experience to grab a copy of "Programming in Objective-C" by Stephen Kochan. Those 2 books together are easily the most valuable books a programmer beginning Mac OS X programming can own.
The only thing I wished it had more of is to give a little bit more info on how to use various features of Xcode. look to "Beginning Xcode" for that info.
Average customer rating:
- Great Start to Learn OS X Programming
- OK...
- A good book, but not the best book
- Indispensible Guide for Moving from C to Object Orientation
- Good try, but needs a bit more work
|
Learning Cocoa with Objective-C, 2nd Edition
James Duncan Davidson , and
Inc. Apple Computer
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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Step into Xcode: Mac OS X Development
ASIN: 0596003013 |
Book Description
Learning Cocoa with Objective-C is the "must-have" book for people who want to develop applications for Mac OS X, and is the only book approved and reviewed by Apple engineers. Based on the Jaguar release of Mac OS X 10.2, this edition of Learning Cocoa includes examples that use the Address Book and Universal Access APIs. Also included is a handy quick reference card, charting Cocoa's Foundation and AppKit frameworks, along with an Appendix that includes a listing of resources essential to any Cocoa developer--beginning or advanced. Completely revised and updated, this 2nd edition begins with some simple examples to familiarize you with the basic elements of Cocoa programming as well Apple's Developer Tools, including Project Builder and Interface Builder. After introducing you to Project Builder and Interface Builder, it brings you quickly up to speed on the concepts of object-oriented programming with Objective-C, the language of choice for building Cocoa applications. From there, each chapter presents a different sample program for you to build, with easy to follow, step-by-step instructions to teach you the fundamentals of Cocoa programming. The techniques you will learn in each chapter lay the foundation for more advanced techniques and concepts presented in later chapters. You'll learn how to:
- Effectively use Apple's suite of Developer Tools, including Project Builder and Interface Builder
- Build single- and multiple-window document-based applications
- Manipulate text data using Cocoa's text handling capabilities
- Draw with Cocoa
- Add scripting functionality to your applications
- Localize your application for multiple language support
- Polish off your application by adding an icon for use in the Dock, provide Help, and package your program for distribution
Each chapter ends with a series of Examples, challenging you to test your newly-learned skills by tweaking the application you've just built, or to go back to an earlier example and add to it some new functionality. Solutions are provided in the Appendix, but you're encouraged to learn by trying. Extensive programming experience is not required to complete the examples in the book, though experience with the C programming language will be helpful. If you are familiar with an object-oriented programming language such as Java or Smalltalk, you will rapidly come up to speed with the Objective-C language. Otherwise, basic object-oriented and language concepts are covered where needed.
Customer Reviews:
Great Start to Learn OS X Programming.......2005-07-02
This book is a great start to learn the best OS X programming technology. As a professional developer. The title says it "Learning Cocoa with Objective C". Avoid the book "Cocoa in a Nutshell" until you know Cocoa and Objective C and want a good refeerence.
I also plan to read: "Programming in Objective C" and "Cocoa Programming", but only after mastering the material in this book.
OK..........2005-02-25
While this book is very detailed and has a lot of information in it about Cocoa programming, it starts off too quickly. You might be discouraged by the assumptions the author makes about how much C (and programming in general) you know. If you are experienced in computer programming, then you will find this book to be a blast and will learn objective -C in no time at all. However, if you aren't too good with programming, start off with some online tutorials or other books, as you will get lost after reading the first two chapters or so.
A good book, but not the best book.......2004-05-10
A very popular book, and greatly improved in its second edition. Very example and tutorial oriented; somewhat out of date at this point, however. Helps the user learn Interface Builder, ProjectBuilder and Objective-C, too. Possibly a bit shallow to get the reader writing their own Cocoa programs from scratch, but a good introduction. Ultimately, probably not as recommended for a first purchase as Cocoa Programming by Scott Anguish or Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X by Aaron Hillegass.
Indispensible Guide for Moving from C to Object Orientation.......2004-02-23
Being an old Pascal and C programer from the earlier Mac OS (systems 6 and 7) I was finding 1) that Carbon documentation was a mess, and 2) that Cocoa's object orientation was incomprehensible. So, in deciding which environment to work in to upgrade my old scientific apps, I felt stuck between two impossible choices. I wanted the power of quartz and the familiarity of C in a format I could learn. This book provides the indispensible introduction to object orientation that is a prerequisite for Cocoa and ultimately Apple's latest and greatest stuff under the hood. From there, the developer documentation and Garfinkel's or Hillegrass' books can take you the rest of the way. But, this is the place to start if you're conversant in c but not objects.
Good try, but needs a bit more work.......2004-01-16
This book needed one more pass by the proofreaders. There are an annoyingly large number of typographical errors and other mistakes. What surprised me is that after introducing a number of features of Interface Builder, the author tends to manually write code (e.g., outlet declarations) then load the results into Interface Builder to make the various object connections. It would have been better in my view to simply use Interface Builder to perform these tasks (certainly less error prone).
Overall, the book is helpful in explaining a lot of issues, but I would have like the book to touch more in internationalization issues, such as how to handle input method editors and product localization. In real world programing, I'll need internationalization and input method editor handling before I need to worry about speech synthesis.
Book Description
Cocoa® is more than just a collection of classes, and is certainly more than a simple framework. Cocoa is a complete API set, class library, framework, and development environment for building applications and tools to run on Mac OS® X. With over 240 classes, Cocoa is divided into two essential frameworks: Foundation and Application Kit. Above all else, Cocoa is a toolkit for creating Mac OS X application interfaces, and it provides access to all of the standard Aqua® interface components such as menus, toolbars, windows, buttons, to name a few. Cocoa in a Nutshell begins with a complete overview of Cocoa's object classes. It provides developers who may be experienced with other application toolkits the grounding they'll need to start developing Cocoa applications. Common programming tasks are described, and many chapters focus on the larger patterns in the frameworks so developers can understand the larger relationships between the classes in Cocoa, which is essential to using the framework effectively. Cocoa in a Nutshell is divided into two parts, with the first part providing a series of overview chapters that describe specific features of the Cocoa frameworks. Information you'll find in Part I includes:
- An overview of the Objective-C language
- Coverage of the Foundation and Application Kit frameworks
- Overviews of Cocoa's drawing and text handling classes
- Network services such as hosts, Rendezvous URL services, sockets, and file handling
- Distributed notifications and distributed objects for interapplication communication
- Extending Cocoa applications with other frameworks, including the AddressBook, DiscRecording, and Messaging frameworks
The second half of the book is a detailed quick reference to Cocoa's Foundation and Application Kit (AppKit) classes. A complement to Apple's documentation, Cocoa in a Nutshell is the only reference to the classes, functions, types, constants, protocols, and methods that make up Cocoa's Foundation and Application Kit frameworks, based on the Jaguar release (Mac OS X 10.2). Peer-reviewed and approved by Apple's engineers to be part of the Apple Developer Connection (ADC) Series, Cocoa in a Nutshell is the book developers will want close at hand as they work. It's the desktop quick reference they can keep by their side to look something up quickly without leaving their work. Cocoa in a Nutshell is the book developers will want close at hand as they work. It's the desktop quick reference they can keep by their side to look something up quickly without leaving their work.
Customer Reviews:
A Great Purchase.......2007-03-24
One of the best books a Cocoa programmer can buy! It references most of the Cocoa API and Objective-C, as well as providing a few good examples. I find it indispensable.
A Good Reference -- Not a Tutorial!!!.......2005-07-24
This book may be recommended by Apple Computer as reading for programmers aspiring to be OS X Cocoa programmers, but these "In a Nutshell..." books from O'Reiley are like the dictionary. They are good references, but not good to learn from.
A much better starting place to learn Cocoa programming -- the best OS X technology for new Mac-OSX only software -- is the book "Learning Cocoa with Objective-C'. This book is also on Apple's recommended reading list for programmers aspiring to master Cocoa.
The ISBN number of "Learning Cocoa..." is: 0-596-00301-3.
I plan to continue my study of Cocoa with "Programming in Objective-C:A Complete Introduction to the Objective-C language". I feel that I need this book even though I know C and C++. Objective-C is quite a bit different. ISBN 0-672-32586-1
Then, I plan to read: "Cocoa Programming" ISBN 0-67232230-7.
That brings me back to the book that I started with. "Cocoa in a Nutshell". Then, I'd be ready for a reference book, and I would also use Apple's web reference, and on-disk reference materials that are on your hard disk when you install Apple's free development tools.
Average customer rating:
- An excellent intro to Obj-C for those who need the depth
- Handy, well written Objective-C Reference!
- A great resource for digging deeper into Objective-C
- Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic
|
Objective-C Pocket Reference
Andrew Duncan
Manufacturer: O'Reilly Media, Inc.
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ASIN: 0596004230 |
Book Description
Objective-C is an exciting and dynamic approach to C-based object-oriented programming; it's the approach adopted by Apple as the foundation for programming under Mac OS X, a Unix-based operating system gaining wide acceptance among programmers and other technologists. Objective-C is easy to learn and has a simple elegance that is a welcome breath of fresh air after the abstruse and confusing C++. To help you master the fundamentals of this language, you'll want to keep the Objective-C Pocket Reference close at hand. This small book contains a wealth of valuable information to speed you over the learning curve. In this pocket reference, author Andrew Duncan provides a quick and concise introduction to Objective-C for the experienced programmer. In addition to covering the essentials of Objective-C syntax, Andrew also covers important faces of the language such as memory management, the Objective-C runtime, dynamic loading, distributed objects, and exception handling. O'Reilly's Pocket References have become a favorite among programmers everywhere. By providing important details in a succinct, well-organized format, these handy books deliver just what you need to complete the task at hand. When you've reached a sticking point in your work and need to get to a solution quickly, the new Objective-C Pocket Reference is the book you'll want to have.
Customer Reviews:
An excellent intro to Obj-C for those who need the depth.......2004-05-10
Probably the best book to read to learn Objective-C, if Apple's PDF on the language is not enough for you. Covers Objective-C both from Cocoa and non-Cocoa perspectives. Try Apple's PDF first, and if it's not enough to let you jump into one of the Cocoa programming books (which all mostly assume knowledge of C and Objective-C), then this book is recommended.
Handy, well written Objective-C Reference!.......2003-11-15
Andrew Duncan's Objective-C Pocket Reference is just the book that budding Cocoa programmers should have on their desk. It is well written, well indexed, and succinct enough to read in an evening if desired.
After reading it cover to cover, I think this will be a valuable resource for looking up any Objective-C related questions I have.
Note, you should have an understanding of C before trying to read this book. Also - it will probably make more sense to you if you already have some experience with Cocoa. This is a quick reference - probably not the best way to learn the language. However, the book contains a list at the end which recommends other books and websites which are more thorough.
I'd say it's well worth the cost.
A great resource for digging deeper into Objective-C.......2003-09-30
O'Reilly's OBJECTIVE-C POCKET REFERENCE follows in its line of slim booklets designed for quick reference while at the computer. I found it a very helpful book.
While titled "a pocket reference", the book is not something that should be put on the shelf right away and merely consulted from time to time. For a beginning Objective-C programmer, reading the book straight-through can be very enlightening. The basics of Obj-C are easy to grasp, and an Obj-C beginner can immediately start constructing solid applications without knowing about categories, protocols, or root objects. But O'Reilly's book is the best place to start becoming familiar with these obscure topics that might just help one solve a particularly tricky problem.
I have only a few complaints about the book. One is that it talks about the #import preprocessor directive, but nowhere does it mention the advantages of using #ifndef guards. Another problem is that in some parts it is Cocoa-specific; I would have preferred that it concentrate on the OpenStep standard in general so that other OpenStep implementations might not be left out (but the book does occasionally mention GNUstep, which is great).
O'Reilly proves itself the best publisher for developers again with this book, and any Objective-C programmer should invest in it.
Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic.......2003-01-29
I have three different books for objective C programming, which by the way are very hard to find. This book, which was published just recently, is the best objective c book I have read yet.
Objective C is a great language for all platforms, not just the Mac OS, and this book leads you to it. It gives you both Cocoa and standard C information. If you are interested in learning Objective C, this is the book for you! It's inexpensive, small concise and packed with information.
Book Description
Cocoa Programming is a comprehensive work that starts as a fast-paced introduction to the OS architecture and the Cocoa language for programmers new to the environment. The more advanced sections of the book will show the reader how to create Cocoa applications using Objective-C, to modify the views, integrate multimedia, and access networks. The final sections explain how to extend system applications and development tools in order to create your own frameworks.
Download Description
The most comprehensive programming book on Mac OS X. * Write Mac OS X applications in Cocoa in Objective-C using object-oriented techniques. * Includes tips and tricks that boost programmer productivity, * Written by four leaders in the Mac OS X programming community.
Customer Reviews:
Very well written.......2006-05-04
(Review written July 2004, reposting because it disappeared) This is a big book, so I was at first leery about whether I would be able to get through it without becoming depressed or lost. I did get through it, I didn't get lost, and I felt in capable hands all the way through. Furthermore, it was worth every minute of time I put into reading it.
Although there are three authors of this book, listed alphabetically on the front cover, it reads as if written by a single author. It becomes readily apparent that the authors know Cocoa as well as the best programmers know it. But even more important to me was that they craft every single sentence with care for the context they're building, and they don't violate our faith with out of context material. Time and time again I was silently appreciating their skill and care for quality writing.
Great, but outdated.......2006-01-22
I've really gotten a lot out of this book, and I would highly recommend it, except for the fact that it came out in 2002 and only covers 10.1 (with an appendix entry discussing the new features in the "up-coming 10.2"). Many of the methods documented here have been long since "deprecated."
If you can find this book at a reasonable price, it would pair well with a more current book. I found it contained valuable information not present in some of the more recent books.
If this guy ever releases an updated version of this book, I would buy it in a Nano-second (a little iPod humour there)(Yeah, very little).
Great to bring you up-to-date, modern Mac OS X application development.......2005-07-16
This book is great for people who want to develop serious Mac OS X applications.
The essence of Cocoa.......2004-10-11
Cocoa is an OO framework for programming for Mac OS X. It has a vast amount of classes, protocols, and even functions. Thought Apple has done a great job of advancing and improving their own documentation on Cocoa over the last 2 or 3 years, you have to have a certain amount of familiarity with the framework to get your way around it. This book would be your best bet for such a guide on Cocoa. I've been using this book for a year now, and it has never let me down. It helped me to develop over the time that unique way of thinking, which you need to have to be productive and effective user of any framework. Thank you guys for writing this great book!
On a side note, I should say that the publisher has not done its job with book layout and such, so don't be intimidated by its size, it could have been much slimmer.
About the relevance. Yes, the book was written before even 10.2 came up, but it still has its purpose fulfilled. Yes, there is nothing in it on Cocoa bindings, but as I said in the beginning, it will give you a good start to get your way around the Cocoa reference documentation to find all the details. I urge the authors to update the book in the light of the recent developments.
To conclude, if you are serious about staring the software development in Cocoa on Mac OS X, this is the BOOK to read and have around.
From an author.......2004-09-16
Disclaimer: I am one of the authors.
Cocoa Programming provides intermediate and advanced programmers with the knowledge and techniques to produce powerful full-featured Cocoa applications. Cocoa Programming communicates the wisdom and design experience of three top-notch veteran Cocoa developers and includes technical information and insights that are not available from any other source.
Cocoa is Apple's powerful and mature object oriented development technology for creating Mac OS X applications quickly and efficiently. Apple recommends that all new applications written for Mac OS X use Cocoa. Cocoa is distinguished from other object-oriented development environments in several ways: Cocoa is mature, consistent, and broad. Cocoa is based on a cross-platform specification and has evolved from a cross-platform implementation. Cocoa is extraordinarily extensible, flexible, and dynamic in part because of Objective-C, the language used to implement it.
This comprehensive book covers virtually every aspect of Cocoa application development from the tools used to build programs to sophisticated multi-media and low level implementation details. Topics ranging from client-server networking to game development are covered. Examples that can be used directly in application code and a companion Web site, http://www.cocoaprogramming.net/, provide a treasure chest of reusable objects that illustrate the best practices developed through years of use.
Average customer rating:
- Error-ridden and too little actual teaching
- Try a different book first.
- Well written book...
- Too much of some, not enough of other intformation
- More than adequate Cocoa introduction
|
Building Cocoa Applications : A Step by Step Guide
Simson Garfinkel , and
Michael K. Mahoney
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Learning Cocoa with Objective-C, 2nd Edition
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ASIN: 0596002351 |
Book Description
Cocoa is an object-oriented development environment available in Apple's Mac OS X environment. Mac OS X, a unified operating system and graphical operating environment, is the fastest growing Unix variant on the market today. Hard-core Unix programmers, developers who cut their teeth on classic Mac operating systems, and developers who cherished NeXTSTEP, the decade-old system on which today's Cocoa is based -- all are flocking to Cocoa, and they need a lot more practical information than is currently available from Apple. There is a lot to learn. Building Cocoa Applications is an ideal book for serious developers who want to write programs for the Mac OS X using Cocoa. It's a no-nonsense, hands-on text that's filled with examples -- not only simple and self-contained examples of individual Cocoa features, but extended examples of complete applications with enough sophistication and complexity that readers can put them to immediate use in their own environments. Building Cocoa Applications takes a step-by-step approach to teaching developers how to build real graphics applications using Cocoa. By showing the basics of an application in one chapter and then layering additional functionality onto that application in subsequent chapters, the book keeps readers interested and motivated. Readers will see immediate results, and then go on to build onto what they've already achieved. The book is divided into four major parts: Part I introduces the Mac OS X graphical user interface (Aqua) from a developer's point of view, Cocoa developer tools (such as the Interface Builder, Project Builder, and gdb debugger), object-oriented concepts, the Objective-C language in which Cocoa is written, and the basics of Cocoa programming itself. Part II focuses on building the first complete application, Calculator, a simple four-function calculator. The chapters in this part of the book extend the application, piece by piece, by introducing such features as nibs, icons, delegation, resizing, events, and responders. Part III focuses on building an application called MathPaper, which is similar to a word processor but which instead solves mathematical expressions the user supplies. The chapters in this part of the book extend MathPaper by developing both the front and back ends using a variety of Cocoa classes and methods. They introduce Cocoa'sdocument-based architecture, tasks, pipes, Rich Text format, handling document files, and using Quartz to draw in windows. Part IV focuses on building the GraphPaper application, a more complex multithreading application that graphs mathematical functions in multiple dimensions and that uses mouse-over capabilities to identify graph points. The chapters in this part of the book add more advanced Mac OS X features such as multithreading, color, mouse events, zoom buttons, pasteboards, services, preferences, and the defaults database. By the end of the book, readers who have built the applications as they have read will have a solid understanding of what it really means to develop complete and incrementally more complex Cocoa applications. The book comes with extensive source code available for download from the O'Reilly web site, along with an appendix listing additional resources for further study.
Customer Reviews:
Error-ridden and too little actual teaching.......2004-05-10
Not recommended, although some people like it a lot. More errors in the text than others, making you go to the web for errata pages. Relies too much on just presenting source code for the reader to type in, without adequate explanation of what the code does and why it's structured the way it is. Less of a gentle introduction than Hillegass's book "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X", less comprehensive than Anguish's book "Cocoa Programming".
Try a different book first........2004-04-05
This book has potential, but in general I am pretty dissatisfied.
Good things:
(1) It is pretty well thought-out.
(2) The progression through 4 projects is good.
(3) There is working code for the examples available online.
Bad things:
(1) The book is riddled with errors. If you include the unofficial errata from OReilly's Website, the book becomes about 200% more usable.
(2) Why has this book not been reprinted? At LEAST OReilly should have released an official errata for this book at this point!!!
(3) This book does NOT cover 10.3 and the XCode software (still uses project builder). In most cases this is ok and you can figure much of it out. However, there are times that the differences are too significant to overcome without a lot of effort.
--
I have been very happy with O'Reilly books in the past, but this one is substandard.
I would recommend trying a different book unless this one is overhauled.
Well written book..........2003-09-25
I tried using Aaron Hillegass' book, Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X, but this book was much easier to follow for me. I don't mean to rag on Hillegass' book - it's still well written - just a not quite as easy for me. This book takes the time to *explain* the concepts before diving into a program. However, if you're looking for a reference book, this isn't it. This book will teach you how to use Cocoa by taking you through the construction of three fairly fancy applications - a calculator, and two word processing oriented programs.
Too much of some, not enough of other intformation.......2003-09-11
Let me start off by saying that chapter 1 is completely useless. I bought this book to learn about programming - not to learn tips and tricks for the OS! Chapter 1 has lessons on things like emptying the trash, getting file information, etc.! If I'm buying a book on programming, shouldn't it be assumed that I already know how TO MOVE AND COPY A FILE WITHIN THE OS??!!! Sorry, but it is useless in this book and SHOULD NOT be in there! A serious waste of space by the publishers.
That said, the rest of the book is pretty good, but I wish it were more comprehensive (Hmmm, maybe skipping the chapter on how to rename folders and adding some extra programming information would have been good...) and like another reviewer, I wish the code examples were explained better.
I would recommend this book as ancillary to more comprehensive programming manuals.
More than adequate Cocoa introduction.......2003-07-12
Finding the online Cocoa documentation (that comes with the Dev Tools) to be seriously lacking, I went to the bookstore and quickly found this book. Just judging from the table of contents, it's clear the book covers a wide variety of topics, more than enough to get any programmer off the ground with Cocoa. The book employs a tried-and-true programming book style, introducing each topic with a general discussion, and then following by giving you code to type into your program. There are four parts to the book, with the first part being an overview of various things, and each subsequent part containing several chapters in which you study Cocoa features pertinent to a specific project, which you build throughout each chapter.
I have only one beef with this book: it may not be enough for very novice programmers. I have previously programmed the Mac Toolbox and I have a lot of C and C++ experience, so I usually knew what was going on. But someone with less experience may have trouble because frequently the book will just tell you to enter a bunch of code, and not really give an adequate explanation of what's happening.
Of course, even experienced programmers may find this book a little too "hold my hand and follow me" to actually get started with Cocoa programming. But the book does do a very good job of getting you familiar with the classes and methods you'll be needing to use when you do get off the ground. I highly recommend buying this book, as my experience with it has been very positive. If you do not get the confidence you need to build your own Cocoa apps just from this book, though, then I (as well as the authors of this book) recommend "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X" by Aaron Hillegass as a supplement. Together the two will give you an even more comprehensive knowledge of Cocoa, as well as two sources to consult if you get confused (two is always better than one).
(In addition, before reading any Cocoa book, I recommend reading "The Objective-C Programming Language", which can be found in the Developer Tools documentation under Cocoa. Most Cocoa books do provide a brief Objective-C tutorial, but it will be to your advantage if you already know the language, as these tutorials are not terribly adequate.)
Book Description
Cocoa Recipes for Mac OS X takes a practical, no-nonsense, hands-on, step-by-step approach, walking you through the details of building a Cocoa application from start to finish. It explains in detail what the code is doing and why it works, Cocoa Recipes places a decided emphasis on getting an application to work correctly as quickly as possible. This collection of, do-it-yourself recipes guides you through the process of creating classes and subclasses, objects, outlets, and actions. Cocoa is one of the main object-oriented software development environments for Mac OS X.
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