Learn Objective-C for Java Developers

Learn Objective-C for Java Developers will guide experienced Java developers into the world of Objective-C. It will show them how to take their existing language knowledge and design patterns and transfer that experience to Objective-C and the Cocoa runtime library. This is the express train to productivity for every Java developer who has dreamed of developing for Mac OS X or iPhone, but felt that Objective-C was too intimidating. So hop on and enjoy the ride!

• Provides a translation service that turns Java problem-solving skills into Objective-C solutions
• Allows Java developers to leverage their existing experience and quickly launch themselves into a new domain
• Takes the risk out of learning Objective-C

• Apply Java experience to Objective-C and Cocoa
• Use elegant alternatives that increase productivity
• Maximize the powerfully unique constructs of Objective-C, like class clusters
• Think like an object-oriented C programmer to create more reusable code
• Use all of the things in Java and Objective-C that are actually quite similar, like MVC design patterns
• Learn how to do all of it within Apple's powerful Xcode programming environment using Cocoa frameworks

Experienced Java developers interested in developing native applications for Apple's Mac OS X operating system, iPhone, and iPod touch.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Java and C: Key Differences
3. Welcome to Objective-C
4. Creating an Xcode Project
5. Exploring Protocols and Categories
6. Sending Messages
7. Making Friends with nil
8. Strings and Primitive Values
9. Garbage Collection
10. Introspection
11. Files
12. Serialization
13. Communicating Near and Far
14. Exception Handling
15. Threads
16. Collection Patterns
17. Delegation Pattern
18. Provider/Subscriber Pattern
19. Observer Pattern
20. Model-View-Controller Pattern
21. Lazy Initialization Pattern
22. Factory Pattern
23. Singleton Pattern
24. Memory Management
25. Mixing C and Objective-C
26. Runtime

James Bucanek is a professional software engineer, with over 25 years of experience in software and systems development. He is the author of Beginning Xcode and the holder of a network patent. Having made the transition to Mac OS X many years ago, he has never looked back.