Objective-C Pocket Reference

Andrew Duncan

1 An excellent intro to Obj-C for those who need the depth
Probably the best book to read to learn Objective-C, if Apple's PDF on the language is not enough for you. Covers Objective-C both from Cocoa and non-Cocoa perspectives. Try Apple's PDF first, and if it's not enough to let you jump into one of the Cocoa programming books (which all mostly assume knowledge of C and Objective-C), then this book is recommended.

2 Handy, well written Objective-C Reference!
Andrew Duncan's Objective-C Pocket Reference is just the book that budding Cocoa programmers should have on their desk. It is well written, well indexed, and succinct enough to read in an evening if desired.

After reading it cover to cover, I think this will be a valuable resource for looking up any Objective-C related questions I have.

Note, you should have an understanding of C before trying to read this book. Also - it will probably make more sense to you if you already have some experience with Cocoa. This is a quick reference - probably not the best way to learn the language. However, the book contains a list at the end which recommends other books and websites which are more thorough.

I'd say it's well worth the cost.

3 A great resource for digging deeper into Objective-C
O'Reilly's OBJECTIVE-C POCKET REFERENCE follows in its line of slim booklets designed for quick reference while at the computer. I found it a very helpful book.

While titled "a pocket reference", the book is not something that should be put on the shelf right away and merely consulted from time to time. For a beginning Objective-C programmer, reading the book straight-through can be very enlightening. The basics of Obj-C are easy to grasp, and an Obj-C beginner can immediately start constructing solid applications without knowing about categories, protocols, or root objects. But O'Reilly's book is the best place to start becoming familiar with these obscure topics that might just help one solve a particularly tricky problem.

I have only a few complaints about the book. One is that it talks about the #import preprocessor directive, but nowhere does it mention the advantages of using #ifndef guards. Another problem is that in some parts it is Cocoa-specific; I would have preferred that it concentrate on the OpenStep standard in general so that other OpenStep implementations might not be left out (but the book does occasionally mention GNUstep, which is great).

O'Reilly proves itself the best publisher for developers again with this book, and any Objective-C programmer should invest in it.

4 Fantastic Fantastic Fantastic
I have three different books for objective C programming, which by the way are very hard to find. This book, which was published just recently, is the best objective c book I have read yet.

Objective C is a great language for all platforms, not just the Mac OS, and this book leads you to it. It gives you both Cocoa and standard C information. If you are interested in learning Objective C, this is the book for you! It's inexpensive, small concise and packed with information.