IPhone Application Development

Einstein helped to revolutionize our ideas about the composition of matter as much as he did about space, time, and gravity. Thanks to Einstein, scientists realize that mass — and therefore matter itself — is a form of energy. This realization is at the heart of modern physics. Because gravity is an interaction between objects […]

Keep in Mind that the Software Isn't Finished Until the Last User Is Dead (IPhone Application Development)

If there is one thing I can guarantee about app development, it’s that Nobody Gets It Right the First Time. The design for MobileTravel411 evolved over time, as I learned the capabilities and intricacies of the platform and the impact of my design changes. Object-orientation makes extending your application (not to mention fixing bugs) easier, […]

Keep It Fun (IPhone Application Development)

When I started programming the iPhone, it was the most fun I’d had in years. Keep things in perspective: Except for a few tedious tasks (such as provisioning and getting your application into the Apple Store), lo, I prophesy: Developing iPhone apps will be fun for you, too. So don’t take it too seriously. Especially […]

Avoid Mistakes in Error Handling (IPhone Application Development)

A lot of opportunities for errors are out there; use common sense in figuring out which ones you should spend work time on. For example, don’t panic over handling a missing directory in your code. On the iPhone, it’s supposed to be there; if it’s not, then look for a bug in your program. If […]

Remember the User (IPhone Application Development)

I’ve been singing this song since topic 1, and I’m still singing it now: Keep your app simple and easy to use. Don’t build long pages that take lots of scrolling to get through, and don’t create really deep hierarchies. Focus on what the user wants to accomplish, and be mindful of the device limitations, […]

Start by Initializing the Right Way (IPhone Application Development)

A lot of my really messy code that I found myself re-doing ended up that way because I didn’t think through initialization. (For example, adding on initialization-like methods after objects are already initialized is a little late in the game, and so on.) Reread and heed topic 16; the initialization process is important in implementing […]

Keep the Order Straight (IPhone Application Development)

One of the things that can really foul up your day as a developer is the order in which objects are called. If you expect an object to be there (and it isn’t) or to have been initialized (and it wasn’t), you may be in the wrong method. Copy Table 19-1 and paste it into […]

Remember Memory (IPhone Application Development)

The iPhone OS does not store “changeable” memory (such as object data) on the disk to free up space and then read it back in later when needed. It also doesn’t have garbage collection — which means there is a real potential for memory leaks unless you tidy up after your app. Review and follow […]

Constantly Use Constants (IPhone Application Development)

In the iPhoneTravel411 application, I put all my constants in one file. When I was developing the MobileTravel411 projects, I did the same. The why of it is simple: As I changed things during the development process, having one place to find my constants made life much easier.

Don't Fall Off the Cutting Edge (IPhone Application Development)

The iPhone is cutting-edge enough that there are still plenty of opportunities to expand its capabilities — and many of them are (relatively) easy to implement. You are also working with a very mature framework. So if you think something you want your app to do is going to be really difficult, check the framework; […]