Objective-C Pocket Reference

By Andrew M. Duncan
December 2002
Pages: 128
Series: Pocket References
ISBN 10: 0-596-00423-0 | ISBN 13: 9780596004231
(5) (Average of 3 Customer Reviews)

Description

Objective-C Pocket Reference provides a quick and concise introduction to Objective-C for programmers already familiar with either C or C++, and will continue to serve as a handy reference even after the language is mastered. In addition to covering the essentials of Objective-C syntax, it also covers important facets of the language such as memory management, the Objective-C runtime, dynamic loading, distributed objects, and exception handling.
Full 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.

Featured customer reviews

Objective-C Pocket Reference Review, July 20 2003

Rating:

Submitted by RestiffBard [Respond | View]

I have to say I'm impressed. For a while there I thought I'd never "get it" but after about ten pages it all suddenly started to click. The light went on. Duncan's step by step ripping apart of certain aspects of the code was a brain-saver. While the book is supposedly aimed at those that have coded before in C or C++ it has been fundamental to my learning of Objective-C. The compact no-nonsense format I believe is the key. Great book. Make him write more. :)

Objective-C Pocket Reference Review, May 23 2003

Rating:

Submitted by Mike O'Dell [Respond | View]

This is one of the best books describing a programming language I have ever read.

While not intended as an introducton to Objective-C, given a decent background

in programming languages and the ways of the OO world, it is a concise, dense,

and immensely informative overview of Objective-C. The OO world in general

and Objective-C in particular relies heavily on idioms (sometimes called "design

patterns") and this work does a good job of introducing some of the most

important parts of the dialect. It also covers the OpenStep dialect where that

differs significantly.

The discussion of metaclasses deserves special mention because previous

"explanations" I've read usually generated more heat than light. Even in this

compact form, the discussion of this nettlesome topic is as straightforward

and lucid as I've seen.

In general, there is a great paucity of works which can serve to introduce

a new programming language to journeyman programmers who do not

need binary addition explained yet again. We have quite enough

"Dummies" books - we need more "<FOO> for the Already Clueful".

I hope O'Reilly will continue developing books in this vein. I know they

must be very hard to write as the amount of information distilled into this

one is remarkable. The writing skill and natural abilities for pedagogy

required for a project like this are equally daunting. But I look forward

to further efforts like this one. The author has set a high bar.

Even if you aren't particularly drawn to learning Objective-C, read

this to see how explaining a programming language ought to be done.

Objective-C Pocket Reference Review, April 01 2003

Rating:

Submitted by Chris [Respond | View]

Objective-C has always suffered from a lack of documentation, something that hasn't been helped by the fact that the language hasn't been standardised. Now that MacOSX has taken off in a big way, we're finally seeing some decent books on Objective-C, and this is definitely one of the best. While it's billed as a pocket reference, if you've got a good grounding in C then this little book also makes a great tutorial. I found that all the essential elements are covered, from the core OO features upto the NSObject and Object methods. I highly recommend it to anyone who's attracted by the OO concept but finds C++ too much of a mess.

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Media reviews
"[Consumers] will find the fine 'pocket references' produced by O'Reilly to be compact and affordable."
-- James Cox, The Computer Shelf: Midwest Book Review

"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."--Justin Taylor, Amazon.com Customer Reviews, January 28, 2003
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0596004230/

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