Where to Begin Learning Mac Programming?

[jcoconnor]

I want to get into Mac programming, but I'm at a loss where to start.

I've been on Mac since Summer '84. Did HyperCard, am a FileMaker Pro expert, and have a lot of HTML, but I want to do more now. To be specific, I want to eventually build a program that customizes the Mac interface. (Shapeshifter never upgraded to Leopard, and Magnifique doesn't work that well. Façade is still vaporware.)

I'm on 10.5.8 with XCode 3.1.4. There was a tutorial (Master of the Void) but it was just upgraded to XCode 3.2 for Snow Leopard and it changed a great deal. I'm on a PPC G5 and can't go to Snow Leopard.

Will someone please take a little pity and point me in the right direction? A good book, or on-line tutorial?

UNIX, C, C++, Carbon, Cocoa.... It's a little confusing and intimidating.

[ElDiabloConCaca]

Do you have the basic ideas around programming down? Once you learn how to "program" in one language, then it's all semantics from there on out. The basics would be:

- Primitive types (Int, float, double, etc.)
- Loops (for loops, while loops, etc.)
- Constructs (arrays, structures, etc.)
- Object-oriented basics (dot-operators, etc.)

If you know how to program in Java, for example, it's relatively easy to pick up C++. I recommend starting off in C, as that will force you to gain "best practice" knowledge (memory management, pointers, etc.).

I highly recommend structured, class-based learning, with a knowledgeable instructor who can guide you along the way and help you understand your mistakes. Picking up programming from scratch with a book probably won't get you to where you want to be in any reasonable amount of time, but it is possible.

I think tackling an interface modification program is a little much for your first Mac program -- that's an extremely daunting task, even for the most seasoned Mac programmers.

So... how much programming experience do you have already?

[Satcomer]

Read the webpage www.CocoaBook.com (http://cocoabook.com/). It has many links that you might want.

[Oscar Castillo]

Start with Objective-C. I thought "Programming in Objective-C" or the updated "Programming in Objective-C 2.0" by Stephen G. Kochan to be the best for me.
There's also "Learn Objective-C on the Mac" by Mark Dalrymple and Scott Knaster.
Everything else out there assumes you already are familiar with Objective-C and will leave you wanting more background info that only these books can provide.