RENT TEXTBOOKS

by: Buck, Erik M.; Yacktman, Donald A.

ISBN: 9780321535023 | 0321535022

The only textbook that shows Mac developers how to leverage object-oriented design patterns found in the Cocoa frameworks

- Apple's documentation doesn't always explain what the patterns are or what they should mean to a developer.

- This textbook teaches old and new school programmers the ins and outs of the Cocoa Frameworks and how they apply to the design patterns found in traditional programming.

- Foreword by Aaron Hillegass, author of Cocoa Programming for Mac ... MOREOS X. Programmers are often overwhelmed by the breadth and sophistication of Cocoa when they first start using the frameworks. Cocoa is huge, but it's also elegant in its consistency and simplicity which result from the application of patterns throughout its design. Understanding the patterns enables the most effective use of the frameworks and serves as a guide for writing applications.

The patterns presented in this textbook provide a coherent map leading the reader through the design of Cocoa itself and how to best use Cocoa. Each design pattern includes a description of the problem(s) and motivation for applying the pattern. Since Cocoa contains many patterns that are applicable in diverse situations, the patterns have been carefully organized so that the same problems in different contexts are readily identified. In some cases, related patterns that should be avoided are also identified.

The detailed description of each pattern includes diagrams of the relationships between objects in the pattern. The benefits of using the pattern are explained along with examples of the pattern's use within Cocoa. Finally, each pattern identifies the consequences that naturally result from its use. The consequences and trade-offs of design alternatives are crucial when evaluating which patterns to use in a particular situation.

The primary goal of this textbook is to supply insight into the design and rationale of Cocoa, but with that insight, you'll be able to effectively re-use the tried and true patterns in your own software - even if you aren't using Cocoa.

---

"Next time some kid shows up at my door asking for a code review, this is the book that I am going to throw at him." Aaron Hillegass, founder of Big Nerd Ranch, Inc., and author of Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X Unlocking the Secrets of Cocoa and Its Object-Oriented Frameworks Mac and iPhone developers are often overwhelmed by the breadth and sophistication of the Cocoa frameworks. Although Cocoa is indeed huge, once you understand the object-oriented patterns it uses, you'll find it remarkably elegant, consistent, and simple. Cocoa Design Patterns begins with the mother of all patterns: the Model-View-Controller (MVC) pattern, which is central to all Mac and iPhone development. Encouraged, and in some cases enforced by Apple's tools, it's important to have a firm grasp of MVC right from the start. The book's midsection is a catalog of the essential design patterns you'll encounter in Cocoa, including Fundamental patterns, such as enumerators, accessors, and two-stage creation Patterns that empower, such as singleton, delegates, and the responder chain Patterns that hide complexity, including bundles, class clusters, proxies and forwarding, and controllers And that's not all of them! Cocoa Design Patterns painstakingly isolates 28 design patterns, accompanied with real-world examples and sample code you can apply to your applications today. the book wraps up with coverage of Core Data models, AppKit views, and a chapter on Bindings and Controllers. Cocoa Design Patterns clearly defines the problems each pattern solves with a foundation in Objective-C and the Cocoa frameworks and can be used by any Mac or iPhone developer.

Preface     xix

Part I: One Pattern to Rule Them All     1

Chapter 1: Model View Controller     2

Chapter 2: MVC Analyzed and Applied     17

Part II : Fundamental Patterns     28

Chapter 3: Two-Stage Creation     29

... MOREChapter 4: Template Method     43

Chapter 5: Dynamic Creation     53

Chapter 6: Category     63

Chapter 7: Anonymous Type and Heterogeneous Containers     77

Chapter 8: Enumerators     85

Chapter 9: Perform Selector and Delayed Perform     99

Chapter 10: Accessors     107

Chapter 11: Archiving and Unarchiving     123

Chapter 12: Copying     135

Part III: Patterns That Primarily Empower by Decoupling     147

Chapter 13: Singleton     148

Chapter 14: Notifications     159

Chapter 15: Delegates     175

Chapter 16: Hierarchies     191

Chapter 17: Outlets, Targets, and Actions     206

Chapter 18: Responder Chain     220

Chapter 19: Associative Storage     232

Chapter 20: Invocations     242

Chapter 21: Prototype     255

Chapter 22: Flyweight     263

Chapter 23: Decorators     268

Part IV: Patterns That Primarily Hide Complexity     274

Chapter 24: Bundles     275

Chapter 25: Class Clusters     282

Chapter 26: Façade     302

Chapter 27: Proxies and Forwarding     312

Chapter 28: Managers     328

Chapter 29: Controllers     337

Part V : Practical Tools for Pattern Application     364

Chapter 30: Core Data Models     365

Chapter 31: Application Kit Views     379

Chapter 32: Bindings and Controllers     393

Appendix: Resources     404

Index     407

 

Erik M. Buck founded EMB & Associates, Inc. in 1993 and built the company into a leader in the aerospace and entertainment software industries by leveraging the NeXT/Apple software technology that would later become Apple’s Cocoa frameworks. Mr. Buck has also worked in construction, taught science to 8th graders, exhibited oil on canvas portraits, and developed alternative fuel vehicles. Mr. Buck sold his company in 2002 and currently holds the title of Senior Staff at Northrop Grumman Corporation. Mr. Buck received a B.S. degree in computer science from the University of Dayton in 1991 and is a frequent contributor to Cocoa mailing lists and technical forums.

 

Donald A. Yacktman has been using Cocoa and its predecessor technologies, OpenStep and NextStep, professionally since 1991. He coauthored the book Cocoa Programming and has contributed to the Stepwise website as both author and editor. He has worked for Verio/iServer and illumineX in the past. At present he works as an independent consultant assisting in the design and implementation of Cocoa and iPhone applications. Mr.Yacktman received B.S. and M.S. degrees in electrical and computer engineering from Brigham Young University in 1991 and 1994, respectively.