Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
References
The references are the most useful documents, and you'll spend most of your time reading them. The key refer-
ences are listed below, and there's more detail about the structure of the references later in this chapter:
Class references detail the properties, methods, and constants used in a class. This is key information:
You won't be able to code without it.
Protocol references are similar to class references, but list useful methods that you can build into your
own subclasses using the Objective-C protocol mechanism. (For detailed information about protocols, see
the companion Cocoa Developer Reference.)
Framework references list the classes, functions, and protocols used in each framework. You should view
the framework reference page for every framework you use in a project before you begin coding. Figure 6.9
shows the Foundation Framework, which is one of the most critical frameworks for Apple development. If
you don't review the frameworks, you may miss useful functions, data types, and constants that aren't listed
elsewhere. Don't consider this optional: You'll save lots of time if you review the features of each framework
before you use it.
Services references list extra OS interfaces that typically use C rather than Objective-C, and they work at
a lower level than the main Cocoa libraries. These references are useful for specialized audio and graphics
programming, but beginners can usually ignore them.
Figure 6.9
Because the frameworks aren't prioritized, it's not obvious that some frameworks are more important than
others. The Foundation framework, AppKit on the Mac, and UIKIt on iOS are key, and you should review
their reference documentation before you start working with them.
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