IOS Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide 4th Edition

A quick summary: The quality of the chapters in this edition is once again top notch. You'll learn beginning, intermediate and some advanced topics in the world of iOS development. Trying to go into deep Xcode and iOS development without having gone through at least another book dedicated just to objective-c is going to find you frustrated, like I was, many times trying to learn how to make an iOS app only picking up pieces of the underlying language! This book is 2 chapters of dedicated Objective-C and 26 Chapters of iOS/XCode/UIKit framework.Background about me: I have 10 years of C++, 6 years of .NET, 2 years of Python, and 2 months of Objective-C experience going into this book.I ordered the kindle version of this book, and it is great reading on the Mac. The book recommends that you read on a Mac due to the way their code looks on a Kindle/Kindle Fire. I own a Kindle Fire and agree. Besides, you should be doing *ALL* the apps that the book lays out for you, and there are many! So reading on a Mac and then coding their examples on a Mac is a good way to read this book.PROS:- Walks you through several iOS application examples.- Teaches you how to use Xcode by example.- Goes in depth into standards.- Provides resources to use in your applications- Explains *at the right time* why things are done a certain way.CONS:- Does have an assumption that you know at least C, but I'll go out on a limb and say you should have at least read a book on Objective-C as well.Recommended Readings:The book recommends that if you want an in-depth reading on Objective-C, this book is not for you. Thats understandable, this is the iOS Programming Book, not the Objective-C programming book. However, I think that having at least an Objective-C book under your belt going into this book is required. Here recommended books by the author and the book I read going into this:[AUTHOR Recommended] Objective-C Programming: The Big Nerd Ranch Guide (http://amzn.to/1kNNtM9)[MY Recommendation] Programming in Objective-C (http://amzn.to/1gUG7RP)Conclusions:This is the Xcode/iOS book that you will want to have under your belt to create really nice iOS applications. Have your Objective-C ready to go into this.

Having previously reviewed the second and third editions of Big Nerd Ranch's iOS Programming book, along with several of their other books, I feel like I can finally just gush about how fantastic this book is. This is, after all, the book that helped me to fall in love with iOS programming and Objective-C in general, and I have a feeling I'm not alone in this sentiment.For those new to Objective-C, you may want to read (or at least begin) a book about Objective-C (such as BNR's other, also-excellent book, Objective-C: the Big Nerd Ranch Guide), since some knowledge is assumed. But even those with only slight familiarity with the language will quickly and lovingly be brought up to speed by this terrific book.You'll have things explained to you that other introductory books on the subject never bother explaining, but in the end you'll be a stronger programmer as a result. Like in previous editions, each chapter contains 'For the More Curious', completely optional sections that go into more detail on the subject that will seriously grow your knowledge. There are also often exercises that challenge the reader to take their knowledge and apply it to improving the code they've just written in the previous chapter. Again, these are optional, but I'd suggest at least attempting them in turn.I've read a few other books on iOS over the years and not one comes even within spitting distance of this one, which comes with accurate, well-written information and hardly a single typo. It's that rare book where the subject matter can be gone over in subsequent editions while remaining informative; each time you'll learn a bit more and become better and more accomplished at programming while learning about the changes that have taken place in iOS since the last time around.The bottom line: don't bother with other books (sorry, writers of the other books!); everything you need to know is here, lovingly presented.

I'm an experienced developer and I wanted a book that would give me a good foundation in Objective C programming for iOS. This is a great book, but a bit dated now. If you work through this book, you will have a great foundation for developing iOS apps in Obj-C and you'll understand the correct way to do things. For a great learning experience, work through this book, then do the iTunes U course on creating iOS apps.This book spends a lot of time teaching outdated methods for doing things - this isn't all bad, since it gives you a foundation for understanding older codebases. The downside is that some important things like storyboards and core data aren't discussed until the very end of the book. They don't cover Swift at all. The new edition should be out soon.

Recomendo a todos que desejam criar aplicativos para iOS, os livros do Big Nerd Rancho são muito didáticos e cheios de exemplos.

Un excelente libro para aprender los principios básicos de la programación para iOS.Los términos que ahi utiliza siguen siendo vigentes, aunque a la fecha yo recomendaria adquirir tambien un libro sobre Swift.

Met expectations, even though it was required for our college course, I can see why it was chosen.

This book does what it should, it's simple but effective and it let you learn the obj-c language without problem, there are a lot of snippet code and on the end of each chapters there are some challenges useful to test yourself.

You probably came here because you already heard about the Ranch reputation on iOS courses and well, I haven't attended any of them but this book is just what I needed to start developing my own apps. It goes straight to the point and doesn't beat around the bush. While other books spend time writing "what do you need for..." and "the source code in this book goes in italic" the Big Nerd Ranch Guide goes directly to what it matter and starts with you building a quiz app.