Mac OS X Programming assumes nothing on the part of its reader, other than common sense and an interest in learning how to use Carbon to write software applications for modern Macintosh computers. Therefore, it'll serve you well if you've chosen Mac OS X as the operating system under which you'll take your first steps as a novice programmer. You'll also find this book moderately handy if you're already a Mac programmer and want a gentle introduction to Cocoa, the new programming facilities that Mac OS X exposes. Even if you've used your experience to figure out Cocoa on your own, you'll probably like Dan Parks Sydow's coverage of porting old code to the new environment, and of new multimedia programming capabilities.
It's in explaining novice-level material that Sydow shines most. He starts, as is traditional, with a "Hello World" application that introduces Project Builder, Interface Builder, and nib resource files. He combines Carbon source code listings with lots of text and a fair number of screen shots, and though there's no companion CD-ROM, you can download the code from the Web (this approach increases the likelihood that you'll get error-free examples to learn from). Sydow explains everything he does with Carbon code--he frequently builds one application, then expands or modifies it--so time spent reading his explanations is well rewarded. Plan to experiment with the contents of the Mac OS Developer Tools disk (the one that came with your copy of the operating system) using this book as your guide. --David Wall
Topics covered: The fundamentals of programming in the Cocoa language for Mac OS X, as well as aspects of that operating system that will be new to experienced Mac OS developers. The author puts emphasis on creating projects (under Project Builder) and graphical user interfaces (under Interface Builder), as well as windows, menus, other user interface elements and the event handlers that react to their manipulation. There's excellent coverage of localization techniques, programmatic QuickTime movie manipulation, and techniques for porting Mac OS 8 and 9 apps to Mac OS X.
This book provides the reader with definitions, details, and explanations of the various components that make up this new operating system. Understanding the operating system helps the reader use the programming tools and the Carbon application programming interface (API) - both of which are covered extensively in this book.Mac OS X is a blend of old and new. Much of the original programming API (now referred to as the Classic API) is still usable. But it's been revamped and renamed - it's now the Carbon API. This modified set of functions includes plenty of new routines that make a Mac programmer's work easier and more powerful - provided that the programmer knows how to make use of the new code. The reader learns about the all new Carbon Event Manager, as well as the changes and enhancements that have been made to existing managers (such as the Window Manager and the Menu Manager).Readers new to Mac programming will appreciate the journey that takes them from the start of a new Macintosh project to the final build of a standalone Mac OS X application. Readers experienced in programming the Mac will also find this same material of great interest - and these readers will also benefit from the lengthy section on porting existing Mac OS 8 and 9 applications to Mac OS X. Finally, all readers will appreciate the Carbon API reference section that provides information and example code for dozens of the most commonly used Carbon routines.
