Programming Objective C 2.0

So my first book into this new Mac World and eventually IPhone development is Programming Objective C 2.0 by Stephen G. Kochan. As a developer by profession and a C++ developer from my college days, I wasn't sure if I needed this book. After looking through some sample IPhone app code I decided I might need a better understanding of the Objective C language.

After reading countless reviews on Amazon I settled on this book. I am glad I did. It is a great introduction to Objective C. Objective C really has a different syntax that just isn't like a lot of other languages out there. While the control statements (ifs, for loops, case statements) are very similar to C++ and Java, the objects and classes have a syntax all their own. This is also a great introduction to Xcode, the IDE (Integrated Development Environment) which is pretty much a must learn for any MAC or IPhone development.

For me, with my C++ knowledge only about the first 7 chapters were relevant, but I think the additional chapters were a great refresher, and I think this book will make a decent reference when I don't feel like hitting the google.

For someone who is a total beginner, I don't think this may be the absolute best book. If you really want to dig in, there are probably worse places to start, but an absolute beginner may struggle with some of the concepts.

One annoying tack on to the end is some very basic IPhone coverage. When you finally reach this point, it is probably time to move on. It just seems like publishers realized if they slapped IPhone on their book it may sell more. This book is truly to learn Objective C, and the IPhone part will get you nowhere.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn Objective C. It is a great starting place. If you are very strong on C++/C/Java, there may be sections you will not need, but I think the differences in Objective C and C are worth the price. If you are coming to this solely as an IPhone development book though, you should probably check out another book.

As always, Amazon seems to be a great place to shop.

http://www.amazon.com/Programming-Objective-C-2-0-Stephen-Kochan/dp/0321566157/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1282615390&sr=8-1

Welcome to the Hobby Coder

So I get to write some code for a living, but not nearly as much as I would like to. On this blog I am going to talk about various programming books, websites I have found, projects I am working on, tips and tricks I have learned, new technologies etc. I am currently working on learning Objective C and IPhone development, and have a couple Java projects I am working on. I hope to eventually get back into graphics programming, and maybe even some small game programming or demos. We shall see. Thanks for stopping by and come back soon.