Objective-C Fundamentals

Collin Ruffenach, Johannes Fahrenkrug, Christopher Fairbairn

• Publisher: Manning
• Year: 2011
• Print ISBN: 9781935182535
• eBook ISBN: 9781638351665
• Topic: Computer Science
• Subtopic: Hardware
• Index: Computer Science

Summary

Objective-C Fundamentals is a hands-on tutorial that leads you from your first line of Objective-C code through the process of building native apps for the iPhone using the latest version of the SDK. You'll learn to avoid the most common pitfalls, while exploring the expressive Objective-C language through numerous example projects.
About the Technology
The iPhone is a sophisticated device, and mastering the Objective C language is the key to unlocking its awesome potential as a mobile computing platform. Objective C's concise, rich syntax and feature set, when matched with the iPhone SDK and the powerful Xcode environment, offers a developers from any background a smooth transition into mobile app development for the iPhone.
About the Book
Objective-C Fundamentals guides you gradually from your first line of Objective-C code through the process of building native apps for the iPhone. Starting with chapter one, you'll dive into iPhone development by building a simple game that you can run immediately. You'll use tools like Xcode 4 and the debugger that will help you become a more efficient programmer. By working through numerous easy-to-follow examples, you'll learn practical techniques and patterns you can use to create solid and stable apps. And you'll find out how to avoid the most common pitfalls.

No iOS or mobile experience is required to benefit from this book but familiarity with programming in general is helpful.

Purchase of the print book comes with an offer of a free PDF, ePub, and Kindle eBook from Manning. Also available is all code from the book.
What's Inside

• Objective-C from the ground up
• Developing with Xcode 4
• Examples that work unmodified on iPhone

Table of Contents

PART 1 GETTING STARTED WITH OBJECTIVE-C

1. Building your first iOS application
2. Data types, variables, and constants
3. An introduction to objects
4. Storing data in collections

PART 2 BUILDING YOUR OWN OBJECTS

5. Creating classes
6. Extending classes
7. Protocols
8. Dynamic typing and runtime type information
9. Memory management

PART 3 MAKING MAXIMUM USE OF FRAMEWORK FUNCTIONALITY

10. Error and exception handling
11. Key-Value Coding and NSPredicate
12. Reading and writing application data
13. Blocks and Grand Central Dispatch
14. Debugging techniques

Table of contents

• Copyright
• Brief Table of Contents
• Table of Contents
• Preface
• Acknowledgments
• About this Book
• Author Online
• About the Cover Illustration
• Part 1. Getting started with Objective-C
• Chapter 1. Building your first iOS application
• Chapter 2. Data types, variables, and constants
• Chapter 3. An introduction to objects
• Chapter 4. Storing data in collections
• Part 2. Building your own objects
• Chapter 5. Creating classes
• Chapter 6. Extending classes
• Chapter 7. Protocols
• Chapter 8. Dynamic typing and runtime type information
• Chapter 9. Memory management
• Part 3. Making maximum use of framework functionality
• Chapter 10. Error and exception handling
• Chapter 11. Key-Value Coding and NSPredicate
• Chapter 12. Reading and writing application data
• Chapter 13. Blocks and Grand Central Dispatch
• Chapter 14. Debugging techniques
• Appendix A. Installing the iOS SDK
• Appendix B. The basics of C
• Appendix C. Alternatives to Objective-C
• Index
• List of Figures
• List of Tables
• List of Listings