Friday 21 October 2011

Objective-C and iOS Programming

Well, have finally got around to working on learning Objective-C and iOS programming.  And wow - it is totally different to any language I have eve r used.  Sure, I've written a program in C++ before, but this is totally different.  I must say that learning to program for Android, BlackBerry or Windows is far, far easier than this.  Still, I love a good challenge.  And since I've found some wonderful tutorials over at RayWenderlich.com it has been a bit easier.  I guess I'm still coming to grips with how to link everything together.  I can get the rest of it fairly easily but linking things to each other and where to put certain things is still troubling me.  What's more annoying is that Objective-C has three different ways of doing things.

The first is using square brackets: [someThing someParameter:value].  Then you have this someVariable=(variableType *)someInitCode.  And finally the old school someVariable.someAttribute.  Trying to figure out which one to use and when is confusing.  At least at the moment.  So while I'm learning, I'm writing a small app that I first started when trying to learn Android.  I got stuck with Android as I couldn't figure out how to use a TableView with multiple elements in each row.  Should be a fairly easy and common task but I couldn't find out how to do it!  With iOS, it's a piece of cake.

Anyway, enough of this for now.  Time to get back to cooking!

Monday 3 October 2011

Using Apple

Well, I haven't got around to learning iOS programming... yet.  I've been too busy with my DJ practice and working on a private Access/MySQL project.  I have to admit I have been a bit remiss on this project.  I was supposed to have been working on it while the other developer was away.  I've only just picked it up but I am happy to say that I've had a smashing weekend and have caught up to where I was supposed to be well before the other dev gets back from holidays.

I am developing this application in a Windows Virtual Machine running in Parallels for OSX while the MySQL database is running natively on the Mac.  I could just as easily have had the database running totally within the VM but at least this way the Access front end really is communicating over a network instead of just to the local machine.  I'm loving the screen on the Mac - part of the reason it took me so long to get around to working on this was the fact hat I was waiting for the Mac to arrive and then to get it setup so I could work this way.  Now that it is, it's a dream.  If I wanted to, I could even enable "Coherence" mode so that the Access window appears as just another Mac window without the Windows Desktop getting in the way.  However I've found that this is rather slow when switching or displaying dialog windows/pop-up forms.  Staying in the default full-desktop view has turned out to be the best way.

Overall, pretty pleased with where the app is up to and how the Mac is working.  That's all for now.  Might post some screen shots once it's past the testing phase.

Ciao
Gazman