Re: Learning Cocoa Book - the problem
Re: Learning Cocoa Book - the problem
- Subject: Re: Learning Cocoa Book - the problem
- From: Scott <email@hidden>
- Date: Fri, 01 Jun 2001 15:36:59 -0700
I am doing just that, right now.
I am compiling info for a website for new cocoa programmers. Being new to
cocoa myself, I'm hoping to capture that essence in the site's information.
I ask all those learning cocoa (newbies and gods alike) to send me any
tips/tricks, etc that you've learned while working with cocoa. I have a
knack for organizing things -- I think I'll put it to use here.
Please send me frustrations, insights, concerns, and especially "gotchas" --
those things you expected to work one way, but didn't. Be as verbose as
possible. Send anything to:
mailto:email@hidden
Hopefully with everyone contributing I can get enough content to make it
worthwhile for those coming down the road.
For people learning cocoa, if you have that "oh, it works that way!" kind of
insight, please send it to me, no matter how ridiculous you might think it
is.
For those who already have a firm grasp on cocoa, please send me anything
you can remember as being significant when you first took a look at cocoa.
Many thanks!
Scott
------
"...there's no such thing as a plain name..."
http://www.domainjane.com
On 6/1/01 12:29 PM, "Matt Judy" <email@hidden> wrote:
>
Hi,
>
>
Eric Doggett wrote:
>
>
>
> The problem I see with the book is that ... it haphazardly/rarely
>
> describes to you what the code means ... there's no follow up!
>
>
>
> Eric
>
>
This has always been my biggest gripe with Cocoa documentation. The docs
>
thoroughly
>
explain the syntax of Obj-C, and make the basics of object-oriented design
>
pretty clear to
>
the beginning user with C experience.
>
>
The example code is also well written, but there is little or no explanation
>
of what that
>
code means. You're left to figure it out on your own, a task that the
>
beginner is
>
ill-equipped to do. Once you've got your head wrapped around OO design, Obj-C
>
code
>
becomes "self-documenting", but most Cocoa beginners haven't reached that
>
point yet, and
>
C++ users already have a definition of 'object-oriented' that is very
>
different from the
>
Cocoa concept.
>
>
But the problem is that *all* Cocoa books seem to be written this way. I
>
believe it is
>
because once you've reached the point where you are skilled enough to write a
>
book about
>
Cocoa, it's very difficult to remember what it was like to be a beginner.
>
Maybe what we
>
need is for a beginner to write a Cocoa book, starting from day one and
>
explaining what
>
he/she learns over time from all these books and from others, a diary which
>
distills and
>
translates the various resources into a book that advances with the beginning
>
Cocoa programmer.
>
>
It would take a while to write, but I'd buy a copy.