Quick Review: Beginning iPhone Development

Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the iPhone SDK

I bought this book a few months ago, read it only once unlike the previous book "Programming in Objective-C 2.0". I began reading it shortly after the Objective-C book, and for anyone thinking to get this book I suggest buying another book on Objective-C then reading it first.

The book is divided into chapters that explain the different elements that can make up a iPhone Application. Every chapter has you build a basic iPhone Application to demonstrate the topic being discussed, like handling multi-view applications. For the most part the example programs are fairly straight forward and it does an okay job at explaining how and why things are being done the way they are. Though If you really want to understand it, you need to have atleast a basic understanding of Objective-C or all you will be doing is copy code without knowing what is going on.

The code your given for the most part is error free, and functions without issues. The author's website has download links to get the full projects and other files you may need. A thing that bothered me was the downloadable project files sometimes looked very then what was in the book, which could end up confusing some.

All in all the way it is written makes the book more useful for quick tutorials, if you want to add a given feature to your application. Say you wanted to add multi-touch capabilities, you could skip to the chapter that discusses touch gestures and read the explanations/examples. It's not really something you would read if you want an in-depth discussion on development for the iPhone or iPod Touch. I'm not saying you can't learn a lot from the book, but their may or may not be better ones out there for introductions to programing for the iPhone.

Pros:

• Well written error free code for most part.
• Covers a large variety of topics, almost anything you could have in an application.
• Clear cut examples to demonstrate the different elements of the application. 
• Example programs and other resources available online.
• Good for beginners to intermediates. 
  

Cons:

• Some topics could have been discussed more.
• Doesn't cover a lot of memory management techniques.
• At times if feels more like a step by step tutorial.
• Doesn't give end of chapter exercises or ways putting into practice what you learned.

From a scale of 1-10 I'd give it a 7.9 (Recommended) 

Cat Trap Developer Video

Cat Trap Developer Video 2

Posted another developer video for Cat Trap, this one features additional menu features and also some gameplay. Gameplay includes mouse movement and some basic cat AI behavior. These and a few more things can be viewed in the video below!




The next video I hope to show off behaviors of the mouse and cat with the inclusion of blocks to push around. Perhaps a few more things aswell, stay tuned!

Cat Trap Information

The development of Cat Trap is on schedule and going well. Haven't ran into any major road blocks development wise, hopefully we can continue at the current rate.

Currently I'm working on game play elements, including moving the mouse around and the cat's artificial intelligence. I hope to get another developer video out by this Friday demonstrating some of this and other things I have done so far with the App.

If things continue to go this well I hope to get it out before the holiday season, though it is also dependent on the infamous Apple Approval process.

Tomorrow or Monday I will post the review of the iPhone SDK book, I have yet to have time and hope to do it as soon as possible. So check back soon for that aswell...

Cat Trap Developer Video

Cat Trap Developer Video 1

Sorry little late on this, projected to be online yesterday but ran into a few delays... Here is a short developer video demonstrating some of whats been done with the Cat Trap iPhone/iPod Touch app. Nothing at this point is final and thing may change. Hopefully you enjoy this short little video



Expect more videos to come as the game progresses!

New Screen Shot and Dev. Video Details

Just like to share a new screen shot of the main menu, still a work in progress but it's actual game footage.

Coming either tomorrow or Monday I will post a developer video giving you a quick tour of what has been done so far with the menus and such. I'll make an effort as the game progresses to share with you as much information as possible, so always check back often!

Programing has begun! Cat Trap is slowly working its way forward.

Programing of our first iPhone/iPod touch application Cat Trap has begun. So far so good everything is coming together nicely. Though I haven't even begun planning the gameplay elements, I'm currently constructing and programing the intro screen, menus, and navigation. So this part is fairly straight forward, game play will require a lot more time and attention.

As programing progresses and the game gets put together I will be releasing short developer videos. These videos, most likely less then a minute long, will give brief looks at different aspects of the game. Once the intro/menus have all been perfected, and looking nice, I will post a short video.

Other then that, there isn't a whole lot going on at Alternative Visuals. Cat Trap has been adsorbing most of our time and efforts... not that it's a bad thing.

Friday Update: 10/9/09

Decided to make this a weekend update sorta post. And have a few things to discuss quickly with everyone!

First off it was brought to our attention today that Build A Snowman had a slight glitch where the blue scarf became unavailable. Must have happened in the last update and none of us noticed. I quickly solved the issue, quiet easily, and should be ready to download tonight.

Today I finished the "Beginning iPhone Development: Exploring the SDK" book, I hope to write up a quick review like I did with the previous book sometime this week. Perhaps someone else out there might be inspired to pick up a copy.

I started the pursuit of learning Objective-C and Cocoa Touch back in June, 5 months later I have learned a lot about both. At this point I'm just about ready to begin the programing of Cat Trap, our first iPhone/iPod Touch App. I still need to begin reading up on, getting a few tutorials, and playing around with the Cocos2d Game Engine. Once I have a good understanding of the game engine we will be using I can begin programing. And if all goes well it will be around the 3rd or 4th week of October.

Still hoping for a late 2009 or early 2010 release, either way we will keep you updated along the way.

Cat Trap Web Page Released!

The Cat Trap web page has been released, featuring in depth details on our upcoming game!

Visit The Site: HERE

Cat Trap Information: VIA the Web Page

An addicting game that requires both strategy and speed. Cat Trap will surely be a game anyone can play and enjoy!

You control the mouse as it pushes blocks in attempts to trap the cat before the cat catches you the mouse. As you move through the game it increases in difficulty as more cats appear and obstacles get in your way. Other game modes will be offered along with the classic levels ensuring hours of replay value!

Two Distinct Game Modes

• Survival Mode - Essentially a never ending attack by cats, how long will you survive?

• Classic Mode- Work your way through all 25 levels as they progress in difficulty

High Scores and Achievements

• As you work your way through the game earn achievements for mastering the game.

• Go for the high score in survival mode and brag about it to everyone!

Gameplay and Graphics

• Featuring unique gameplay elements that will challenge your pursuit of mastering the game! Including a variety of block types...

• High quality graphics that give you a retro feel for the modern age.

Cat Trap Webpage

The Cat Trap official web page will be released sometime this coming Monday, listing new details and information for our up coming iPhone/iPod Touch game. This website will be the best place to look when you want the up to date news, media, and more...