11 days with 1 day off in between. 4 days in ANSI C (fantastic fun, learn do a lab, learn do a lab). Then 2 days in Objective C. Then 1 day off (Washington DC baby!). Then 5 days on the trot of iPhone programming starting not with the graphical Interface Builder but doing everything by hand. For me, this was THE way of learning and building real understanding and strength.
I came home with no sleep on the overnight return to Belfast, severely jetlagged but started coding Monday morning (since I was awake at 5am anyhow). I now feel comfortable in Xcode and very comfortable in Interface Builder. I know my view from my view controller from my UIVIEW from my App Delegate. When the error messages come (and they do, oh yes) I understand their complaint and I know where to heal their little bruises. [so far I hasten to add]
About Objects were the company that provided the training and for anyone interested in iPhone development the approach of C, Objective C then iPhone I can now stand over as a great way to learn something that will be a lasting skill. The full course schedule is here. Check their website for a new European partnership (but I notice they don’t offer the C course yet).
I’d say anyone without programming experience should do some sort of C or other course to get back into the programming groove as the pace is fairly hectic.
Posted by WhyNotSmile on October 7, 2009 at 9:42 am
Hmmm… I’m interested in learning to do iPhone apps – is it hard? I know C & C++ already. How does it compare to those?
What do you need to build an app? Like, do you have to have an iPhone?
Are you building an app or do you have one in mind?
Posted by voxo on October 7, 2009 at 1:28 pm
If you have C and C++ already then you are comfortable in the general environment. A short course in Objective C will show you the differences between it and C++ then you can go straight into iPhone Development. If you want to chat about it sometime we can do coffee?
You need to sign up to Apple development programme, think is about £60. All the development software and iPhone simulator (so you don’t have to have an iPhone to test software) are free to download.
Do you have a mac?
If not, why not?
The language is exactly the same for iPod Touch just that it doesn’t have GPS / 3G.
What is your interest? I’m writing a basic financial calcs app to justify my financial services interest and as practice.
Posted by WhyNotSmile on October 7, 2009 at 1:36 pm
Hmmm, that’s good to know. At the moment I don’t have anything specific in mind, it’s just that I’ve seen a good lot of people asking for developers who can write iPhone apps, and thought it would be good to learn.
So I could learn without paying the £60, and then only have to pay that once I wanted to upload stuff, is that how it works?
I don’t have a Mac, no. I know one should, but it is budgetarily inadvisable at the moment.
I may well take you up on the coffee order, but it won’t be for a while yet, as I’m insanely busy!
Thanks!
Posted by voxo on October 7, 2009 at 3:26 pm
If you want to pass any of ‘them there’ “people asking for developers” my way let me know
Here’s what wikipedia says about the iPhone dev programme:
Licensing
The SDK itself is a free download, but in order to release software, one must enroll in the iPhone Developer Program, a step requiring payment and Apple’s approval. As of March 2009, cost of enrollment in the iPhone development program is $99 USD per year (this cost varies from country to country). Signed keys are given to upload the application to Apple’s App Store. Applications can be distributed in three ways: through the App Store, through enterprise deployment to a company’s employees only, and on an “Ad-hoc” basis to up to 100 iPhones. Once distributed through the App Store, a developer can request up to 50 promotional codes that can be used to freely distribute a commercial application he or she has developed.
Coffee available at any stage.
Posted by WhyNotSmile on October 7, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Heh heh heh, I will pass them on to you. I may take a small referral fee, of course. But it might be coffee. Or money. It depends how hard up I am at that moment.
That’s good to know about the SDK, I could download it and play with it and see what it’s like.
Thanks!