Objective-C Programmer's Reference

Objective-C Programmer's Reference provides the tools necessary to write software in Objective-C—the language of choice for developing iOS and OS X applications. Author Carlos Oliveira begins from the basic building blocks of the language. He shows how to create correct and efficient applications by applying your knowledge of object-oriented and structured programming. This book:

• Takes you quickly through fundamental concepts such as interfaces and class implementations.
• Provides a concise reference to the Foundation Framework that is all-important when programming in Objective-C.
• Highlights key differences between Objective-C and other popular languages such as Java or Python.
• Provides the fundamentals of Cocoa and Cocoa Touch, which are the standard for OS X and iOS development.

Objective-C Programmer's Reference makes extensive use of concepts already mastered by developers who are fluent in other languages such as C++, Java, Perl, and Python. The author’s approach is logical and structured, and even novice developers will have an easy time absorbing the most important topics necessary to program in Objective-C.

Objective-C Programmer's Reference is a book for professional developers in Objective-C, or those who are moving to Objective-C from other languages. The book is written for readers who lack the time to invest in more traditional books, which usually spend hundreds of pages to explain concepts that are part of the working programmer’s standard vocabulary.

What youÂ’ll learn

• Grasp the basic syntax of the Objective-C language.
• Create classes and methods in Objective-C.
• Apply Objective-CÂ’s message-passing mechanism to simplify your code and avoid deep class hierarchies.
• Store and access dynamic data through Objective-CÂ’s built-in, key-value system.
• Make effective use of container classes such as arrays and dictionaries with their immutable and mutable versions.
• Create simple applications for iPhones, iPads, Macbooks, and other iOS and Mac OS X devices.

Who this book is for

Objective-C Programmer's Reference is for programmers in Objective-C who are looking for a handy reference to keep them on top of their game. The book is also designed for programmers moving to Objective-C from some other language, especially from another C-like language such as Java or C#, providing just that additional bit that is needed to transfer their expertise into Objective-C and get a leg up on creating applications for the iOS and OS X platforms underlying AppleÂ’s hugely successful devices such as the iPhone, iPad, and Macbook.

Table of Contents

Part I: The Language

1. The C in Objective-C

2. Classes

3. Strings and Container Classes

4. Protocols and Categories

5. Inheritance

6. Block Syntax

7. Dynamic Binding

8. Memory Management

9. Key-Value Programming

10. The Filesystem

Part II: Reference

11. The Foundation Framework

Part III: The Tools

12. The Compiler

13. The Preprocessor

14. Unit Test

15. Debugging

Part IV: Writing Apps for OS X and iOS

16. Cocoa Framework Example

17. Cocoa Touch Example