book

Head First iPhone Development

by Dan Pilone, Tracey Pilone

October 2009

Intermediate to advanced

560 pages

7h 8m

English

O'Reilly Media, Inc.

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Copyright
Advance Praise for Head First iPhone Development
The Authors
how to use this book: Intro
Who is this book for?Who should probably back away from this book?We know what you're thinking.And we know what your brain is thinking.Metacognition: thinking about thinkingHere's what WE did:Here's what YOU can do to bend your brain into submissionRead meSystem requirementsThe technical review teamAcknowledgmentsSafari® Books Online
1. getting started: Going mobile
1.1. There's a lot of buzz and a lot of money tied up in the App Store...1.2. Mobile applications aren't just ported desktop apps1.2.1. iPhone apps are not small desktop apps1.3. Anatomy of an iPhone app1.3.1. First we have one or more views...1.3.2. ...then the code that makes the views work...1.3.3. ...and any other resources, all packaged into your application.1.4. Mike can't make a decision1.5. Make a good first impression1.6. It all starts with the iPhone SDK1.7. Xcode includes app templates to help you get started1.8. Xcode is the hub of your iPhone project...1.9. ...and plays a role in every part of writing your app1.10. Build your interface using... Interface Builder1.11. Add the button to your view1.12. The iPhone Simulator lets you test your app on your Mac1.13. What happened?1.13.1. Unless the UI components are hooked up to the code, nothing is going to happen.1.14. Use Interface Builder to connect UI controls to code1.15. Interface Builder lists which events a component can trigger1.16. Elements dispatch events when things happen to them1.17. Connect your events to methods1.18. Your iPhone Toolbox
2. iPhone app patterns: Hello @twitter!
2.1. First we need to figure out what Mike (really) wants2.2. App design rules—the iPhone HIG2.2.1. Application types2.3. HIG guidelines for pickers and buttons2.4. Create a new View-based project for InstaTwit2.4.1. Start with the view layout2.5. The life of a root view2.6. First, get the data from Mike2.7. Use pickers when you want controlled input2.7.1. When in doubt, check out Apple's API documentation2.8. Fill the picker rows with Mike's data2.9. Pickers get their data from a datasource...2.9.1. ...and tell their delegates when something happens.2.10. There's a pattern for that2.10.1. Controls have their own specific datasources and delegates2.10.2. Protocols tell you what methods (messages) you need to implement2.11. First, declare that the controller conforms to both protocols2.11.1. Next, add Mike's activities and feelings to the implementation file2.12. The datasource protocol has two required methods2.13. Connect the datasource just like actions and outlets2.14. There's just one method for the delegate protocol2.15. The button needs to be connected to an event2.15.1. Without an action, your button won't work!2.16. Add the IBOutlet and property to our view controller2.17. Connect the picker to our outlet2.18. Use our picker reference to pull the selected values2.19. Your iPhone Toolbox
3. objective-c for the iPhone: Twitter needs variety
3.1. Renee is catching on....3.2. Make room for custom input3.3. Header files describe the interface to your class3.4. Auto-generated accessors also handle memory management3.4.1. Objective-C can automatically release references, too.3.5. To keep your memory straight, you need to remember just two things3.6. But when Mike's finished typing...3.7. Customize your UITextField3.7.1. Next change the label on the return key3.8. Components that use the keyboard ask it to appear...3.8.1. ...by passing messages to other objects3.9. Ask the textField to give up focus3.10. Messages in Objective-C use named arguments3.11. Use message passing to tell our view controller when the Done button is pressed3.12. Something's still not right3.12.1. Build the tweet with strings3.13. Your Objective-C Toolbox
4. multiple views: A table with a view
4.1. So, how do these views fit together?4.2. The navigation template pulls multiple views together4.3. The navigation template starts with a table view4.4. A table is a collection of cells4.4.1. Each drink gets its own cell... sorta4.5. Just a few more drinks4.6. Plists are an easy way to save and load data4.7. Arrays (and more) have built-in support for plists4.8. Use a detail view to drill down into data4.9. A closer look at the detail view4.10. Use the navigation controller to switch between views4.11. Navigation controllers maintain a stack of views4.11.1. We'll use the tap notification in the table view delegate4.12. Instantiate a view controller like any other class4.13. Dictionaries store information as key-value pairs4.14. Debugging—the dark side of iPhone development4.14.1. Warnings can help find problems without debugging4.15. First stop on your debugging adventure: the console4.16. Interact with your application while it's running4.16.1. And when it's about to stop running4.17. Xcode supports you after your app breaks, too4.18. The Xcode debugger shows you the state of your application4.19. What the heck is going on?4.20. Your iPhone Toolbox
5. plists and modal views: Refining your app
5.1. It all started with Sam...5.1.1. DrinkMixer5.2. Use the debugger to investigate the crash5.2.1. We're trying to stuff a dictionary into a string5.3. Update your code to handle a plist of dictionaries5.4. The detail view needs data5.5. Each dictionary has all the information we need5.6. We have a usability problem5.7. Use a disclosure indicator if your cell leads to more information5.8. Sales were going strong...5.9. Use navigation controller buttons for editing5.10. The button should create a new view5.11. We need a view... but not necessarily a new view5.12. The view controller defines the behavior for the view5.13. A nib file contains the UI components and connections...5.13.1. ...and information about the nib's File's Owner5.14. You can subclass and extend views like any other class5.15. Use Xcode to create a view controller without a nib5.16. Modal views focus the user on the task at hand...5.16.1. ...like adding or editing items5.17. Any view can present a modal view5.18. Our view doesn't have a navigation bar5.19. Create the save and cancel buttons5.20. Write the save and cancel actions5.21. Your iPhone Toolbox
6. saving, editing, and sorting data: Everyone's an editor...
6.1. Sam is ready to add a Red-Headed School Girl...6.2. ...but the keyboard is in the way6.3. We need to wrap our content in a scroll view6.4. The scroll view is the same size as the screen6.5. The keyboard changes the visible area6.6. iPhone notifies you about the keyboard6.7. Register with the default notification center for events6.7.1. Then unregister when you're done6.8. Keyboard events tell you the keyboard state and size6.9. The table view doesn't know its data has changed6.10. You need to ask the table view to reload its data6.11. The array is out of order, too6.11.1. We can sort our array using NSSortDescriptor6.12. Table views have built-in support for editing and deleting6.13. Your iPhone Development Toolbox

7. tab bars and core data: Enterprise apps
7.1. HF bounty hunting7.2. Choose a template to start iBountyHunter7.3. Drawing how iBountyHunter works...7.4. Build the fugitive list view7.5. Next up: the captured view7.5.1. A view's contents are actually subviews7.6. After a quick meeting with Bob...7.7. Core Data lets you focus on your app7.7.1. But wait, there's more!7.8. Core Data needs to know what to load7.8.1. We need to define our types...7.9. Core Data describes entities with a Managed Object Model7.10. Build your Fugitive entity7.10.1. Exactly!7.11. Whip up a Fugitive class without writing a line7.11.1. Our generated Fugitive class matches our Managed Object Model7.11.2. NSManagedObject handles storage and memory for generated properties7.11.3. NSManagedObject also implements the properties7.12. Use an NSFetchRequest to describe your search7.12.1. Ask the Managed Object Context to fetch data using your NSFetchRequest7.13. Add the database as a resource7.13.1. Back to the Core Data stack7.14. The template sets things up for a SQLite DB7.14.1. iPhone Apps are read-only7.15. The iPhone's application structure defines where you can read and write7.15.1. Use the Documents directory to store user data7.16. Copy the database to the correct place7.17. To be continued...7.18. Your Core Data Toolbox
8. migrating and optimizing with core data: Things are changing
8.1. Bob needs documentation8.2. Everything stems from our object model8.3. The data hasn't been updated8.3.1. Core Data caught a mismatch between our DB and our model8.4. Data migration is a common problem8.5. We need to migrate the old data into the new model8.5.1. Our two models need different versions8.6. Xcode makes it easy to version the data model8.7. Core Data can "lightly" migrate data8.8. Bob has some design input8.8.1. The Managed Object Context saves new or changed items8.9. A quick demo with Bob8.10. Use predicates for filtering data8.10.1. NSFetchRequest concepts are nearly identical to SQL8.11. We need to set a predicate on our NSFetchRequest8.12. Core Data controller classes provide efficient results handling8.12.1. Table views and NSFetchedResultsControllers are made for each other8.13. Time for some high-efficiency streamlining8.14. Next we need to change the search to use the controller...8.15. Refactor viewWillAppear to use the controller8.16. We need to refresh the data8.16.1. NSFetchedResultsController can check for changes8.17. Your Data Toolbox
9. camera, map kit, and core location: Proof in the real world
9.1. For Bob, payment requires proof!9.1.1. Flip over for the detail view!9.2. The way to the camera...9.2.1. The iPhone isn't the only device using apps9.3. There's a method for checking9.4. Prompt the user with action sheets9.4.1. We'll use action sheets to let the user pick the image source9.5. Bob needs the where, in addition to the when9.6. Core Location can find you in a few ways9.6.1. Core Location relies on the LocationManager9.7. Add a new framework9.7.1. Then update the header file9.8. Just latitude and longitude won't work for Bob9.9. Map Kit is new with iPhone 3.09.10. A little custom setup for the map9.11. Annotations require a little more finesse9.12. Your extras Toolbox9.13. It's been great having you here!
A. leftovers: The top 6 things (we didn't cover)
A.1. #1. Internationalization and LocalizationA.1.1. Localizing nibsA.2. Localizing string resourcesA.3. Generating your strings fileA.4. #2. UIWebViewA.4.1. Using UIWebViewA.5. UIWebView propertiesA.5.1. Loading generated contentA.5.2. The UIWebView supports a delegate, tooA.6. #3. Device orientation and view rotationA.6.1. The view controller tells the iPhone OS what orientations it supportsA.7. Handling view rotationsA.8. Handling rotation with two different viewsA.9. #4. View animationsA.9.1. Animating table view updatesA.9.2. Animating view and control changesA.10. #5. AccelerometerA.10.1. All you need is the UIAccelerometerA.11. Understanding the device accelerationA.12. #6. A word or two about gaming...A.12.1. MultitouchA.13. Quartz and OpenGLA.13.1. QuartzA.13.2. OpenGLA.13.3. Game Kit
B. preparing an app for distribution: Get ready for the App Store
B.1. Apple has rulesB.1.1. Start at the Apple Developer PortalB.1.2. First get your Development CertificateB.2. The Provisioning Profile pulls it all togetherB.3. Keep track in the OrganizerB.4. A few final tips...

Overview

Let's say you have an idea for a killer iPhone app. Where do you begin? Head First iPhone Development will help you get your first application up and running in no time. You'll quickly learn to use iPhone SDK tools, including Interface Builder and Xcode, and master Objective-C programming principles that will make your app stand out. It's a complete learning experience for creating eye-catching, top-selling iPhone applications.

Put Objective-C core concepts to work, including message passing, protocols, properties, and memory management

Take advantage of iPhone patterns such as datasources and delegates

Preview your applications in the iPhone Simulator

Build complicated interactions that utilize multiple views, data entry/editing, and iPhone rotation

Work with iPhone's camera, GPS, and accelerometer

Create interactive, entertaining games

Optimize, test, and distribute your application

We think your time is too valuable to waste struggling with new concepts. Using the latest research in cognitive science and learning theory to craft a multi-sensory learning experience, Head First iPhone Development provides a visually-rich format designed for the way your brain works, not a text-heavy approach that puts you to sleep.

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