The book is written for programmers who already know C++ or Java... I don't. (Although I have about 20 years experience in programing with BASIC, FORTRAN, S/360 Assembler, COBOL, REXX, ... I'm new to OOP.) Nevertheless, I found the book and example projects easy to follow and understand. The challenges (Aaron's term for what others might call exercises) are often challenging... but Aaron makes no bones about it: learning a new programming language can be hard. (Even for those with degrees in astrophysics from CalTech... read Chapter 1.)

The book is well supported by a web page at Big Nerd Ranch, with errata, solutions to those challenges, etc. (Even better, the BNR web site has some downloadable example projects and full-blown open-source Cocoa applications, such as BigShow, an XML-based MS PowerPoint alternative.)

All in all, it is inspirational. It makes me wish I was a professional programmer again. Well, just maybe...


Long awaited teaching reference on Cocoa programming.   February 2, 2002
 9 out of 9 found this review helpful

Cocoa and MacOS X deserves to be out there as a development environment of choice to the discerning programmer and user. The biggest obstacle is Apple's own technical documentation, bless them! It is dry and uninviting, just the thing to turn new developers away from such an elegant and advanced operating system.

Now, at last, we have a text book that can reverse the tide. Aaron Hillegass brings the skill of the teacher to this subject. He teaches Cocoa programmers at the "Big Nerd Ranch" in the States, but don't let that discourage you!

The author knows how to put ideas across and at what point to bring in new topics. Tricky topics such as the retain and release mechanism, normally baffling to those new to Objective-C, are revealed as the easy topic they are.

This book for the first time brings out the true purpose of Cocoa, that is to make putting programs together easy, so that you can concentrate on your program, and not have to worry about ordinary housekeeping.

I think this will become the definitive work, that evey aspiring Cocoa programmer will need to read.


Excellent Learning Resource for keen MacOS developers!   January 28, 2002
 8 out of 8 found this review helpful

As a student currently finishing a MSc in Computer Science and dreaming on someday working for Apple, I dived into Cocoa as soon as MacOS X came out officialy. From all the books out there in Cocoa Programming, this has been by far the best. It is written in an extremely familiar tone, and as long as you already have experience in C, or better yet C++, you'll be happy to be developing Cocoa applications easily.

I am really excited about such a powerful set of frameworks, but with the lack of documentation from Apple it is really necessary to have a good book such as this one by hand.

Great stuff really! Overall, best book in Cocoa programming! BUY IT NOW! :)