Reviews for iPhone in Action: Introduction to Web and SDK Development

1. Best introduction on iPhone development I've found

   Rated 4 out of 5 stars, September 12th, 2009

   I found this book very effective for a quick insight in iPhone SDK development.
   
   Author tends to explain things "bottom-up", and reveals a deep computer science background that results in a very solid and pleasant writing.
   
   He insists on the two possible approaches to SDK development: programmatic only and visually aided.
   This helped me understanding how XCode and Interface Builder interact, and to avoid blind use of iPhone's powerful but conceptually demanding development environment.
   

2. One of the best iPhone Dev Books IMHO

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, April 12th, 2009

   I am new to iPhone Development and was in desperate need of guidance. I'm mainly looking at the SDK and found this to be clearly explained and a important reference, though I believe that the Web part is also well written. Being in contact with other iPhone Dev Newbie's, this book is always one of the few out there that folks give good reviews to. Thanks to the authors & to Manning... keep up the good work! One of the best iPhone Dev books, IMHO
   
   Ian

3. No clear instruction.

   Rated 1 out of 5 stars, March 12st, 2009

   I bought this book for the SDK development part and to be honest it is useless. If you already know how to write stuff using the SKD then this book will be easy to follow but that begs the question: if you already know how to write Objective-C and use the SDK then why buy this book?
   
   I have taught computer programming to adults and this book fails completely to teach me. It leaves many steps out. For example take chapter 12 that deals with Interface Builder. I was reading along as the authors describe different parts of Interface Builder and then lo and behold on page page 214 I'm shown a completed application and told to compile! Only now do they tell me that I was supposed to be following along with them, except the level of detail they are giving me is not enough for me to follow along because I'm a complete beginner with Objective-C, Xcode and the SDK.
   
   The authors claim in the introduction:
   
   If you want to learn about iPhone SDK programming, you should have some experience with programming in general. It'd be best if you've worked with C before, but that's not a necessity;
   
   and then:
   
   There's definitely no need to be familiar with Objective-C, Cocoa, or Apple programming in general. We'll give you everything you need to become familiar with Apple's unique programming style.
   
   Which is absolute rubbish. The instructions are not detailed enough. Here is another example from Chapter 11:
   
   Creating a new class and linking it in is easier than you think. In our next example you're going to create a project called newclass that will include the brand-new labeledwebview subclass. Again we'll build it using the Window-Based Application template.
   
   Now you might be thinking that they would be explaining how you go about creating the new project but no. As you read on it becomes clear that when they said "you're going to be" they actually meant "do it now".
   
   Once you have done it then then give what looks like instructions in three numbered parts. Number one says:
   
   1. Create your new file.
   Choose File > New File.
   Choose the class to use as your parent from among the Cocoa Touch Classes options.
   Select your filename, preferably an intuitive name reflecting your object.
   Accept the default setup, including the creation of an .h file.
   
   Now I thought these were actually steps that I needed to follow but they are not!! Don't be stupid, putting actions in a list in a yellow box does not mean follow them. And anyway you can't because they are not specific enough. No, you have to read how to do something in general and then they tell you the specifics but hide it in the normal text so it doesn't stand out - how very intuitive!!
   
   Back to the introduction to Interface Builder where I finally gave up, the authors claim:
   
   We'll give an overview of the program, and then we'll put together a simple first project using it.
   
   Except during the introduction you are supposed to be doing things and if you already knew how to use interface builder you could follow along, but this brings me back to my earlier question: if I already know how to use Interface Builder, why should I buy and use you book?
   
   This book is now a door stop. I won't be buying another book from these publishers as I found their Ruby for Rails book worse than useless. It seems that Apress are the publishers to go with, their "Beginning Ruby, From Novice to Professional" does exactly what it says on the tin. I'll be getting one of their iPhone dev books.

4. Amazing book, tells you just what you need to know

   Rated 5 out of 5 stars, March 12th, 2009

   This book is just stunning. I couldn't believe how clearly they explain topics that Apple's documentation gets completely wrong, and just how quickly it got me up to speed with writing iPhone SDK code.
   
   If you have any struggles with figuring out how to get started, look no further: it took me exactly 30 minutes to go from hopelessly confused to complete understanding.
   
   The Web section is also magnificent, and the approach the authors take of actively choosing which platform of development is appropriate is a superb example of how things *should* be done.