Objective-C Fundamentals

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.

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.

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.

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

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