Introduction

So you’ve decided to write applications for OS X or iOS. You sit down at your Macintosh, start up Xcode, and... what? Create a project? Create a file? Make a storyboard? Build a Core Data model? What?

For an operating system that prides itself on being accessible to many, Xcode can appear as an insurmountable obstacle to an unprepared developer. With an iTunes-like interface, and more panels, palettes, menus, and buttons than you can count, even a simple Hello World application can seem daunting. Apple, while diligent in providing documentation, provides very few resources for developers who understand programming fundamentals but not their OS X/iOS implementation. That’s where this book comes in.

Xcode offers a range of integrated tools for everything from data modeling to performance analysis and optimization. Teach Yourself Xcode in 24 Hours takes 24 of the most important aspects of Xcode development and condenses them down into easily understandable chunks. To help convey some of the core concepts, you work with real projects for both iOS and OS X that demonstrate important features such as shared libraries/frameworks, storyboards, Core Data models, and even hands-on debugger practice.

Xcode 4 represents an entirely redesigned version of Apple’s development suite. Despite reaching version 4.4 (in beta) during this writing, it has only been in developer’s hands for slightly more than a year. Unfortunately, this means it is a still a bit rough around the edges. We point out the issues where we encounter them, but don’t be shy about filing bug reports with Apple if features don’t quite work as anticipated. With the help of the OS X/iOS community, Xcode is being improved and enhanced rapidly. Each new release brings more consistency and reliability to the product.

Our goal for this book is to open Xcode development to programmers who may have previously eyed the platform with trepidation. A learning curve applies to becoming an Xcode developer, but once you begin to understand how Apple intends the tools to be used, you’ll find that OS X and iOS development can be fast and, most important, fun.

Who Should Use This Book?

This book targets individuals who have used programming tools but who are new to the Xcode development platform. Although no previous development experience is required to complete the book, an understanding of programming fundamentals is helpful. To be clear, even though we provide code samples and an introduction to Objective-C, we do not have the space in 24 hours to teach the concepts of loops, arrays, and other foundation topics.

In addition, to be successful, we recommend that you spend time reading the Apple developer documentation and researching the topics presented in this book. A vast amount of information about OS X/iOS development is available, and it is constantly changing. Apple’s integrated online documentation system makes it possible to stay up-to-date on your development knowledge and learn the details of available technologies from the comfort of your desktop Mac or iPad.

The material in this book specifically targets Xcode 4.3 and later. If you are running an earlier version, you definitely want to upgrade before moving too far along. In addition, many lessons are accompanied by project files that include sample code. While opening a project and clicking Run can be fun, we prefer that you follow along, when possible, and build the application yourself.

Be sure to download the project files from the book’s website at http://teachyourselfxcode.com. If you have issues with any projects, view the posts on this site to see whether a solution has been posted.

In addition to the support website, you can follow along on Twitter. Search for #XcodeIn24 on Twitter to receive official updates and tweets from other readers. Use the hashtag #XcodeIn24 in your tweets to join the conversation. To send me messages via Twitter, begin each tweet with @johnemeryray.