Developing in Objective-C

I thought I would spend a little time writing about my recent experiences with Objective-C. Recently I have been moving towards Objective-C as a language of choice, and after picking up a few books I found it one of the easier languages to pick-up in regards to syntax and overall clarity. After having spent far too much time in Java what becomes clear is how nice it is to have complete control, an attribute which makes C popular in its many flavors. It was quick to catch on to and with just a light background in C, it's quick and simple to recognize many of the subtle differences between C and Objective-C. Since Apple utilized Objective-C as their main language of choice for application development both on the Mac as well as the iPhone, it is critical language for anyone looking to get into programming on the Mac. Throw in the fact that Apple distributes XCode with every copy of OS X and you have the perfect start to delving into application development.

For anyone interested in getting down and dirty with Objective-C, I highly recommend Programming in Objective-C by Stephen G. Kochan, it is well written and offers some excellent examples, particularly for those who may not have a background in programming. What I like particularly about this book is how fluidly it moves from one topic to another. Kochan's examples are clear and concise enough that none of the points need belaboring and the progression of the chapters eases the reader into each stage with confidence. It is definitely worth checking out if you are interested in Objective-C.

It is probably worth mentioning that since this book does not get into Cocoa or any interfaces, a great read for becoming familiar with Cocoa is Cocoa(R) Programming for Mac(R) OS X by Aaron Hillegass