Preface

What This Book Will Do For You

Let me get this straight: you want to learn how to program for the iPhone or the iPad, and you consider yourself to be pretty intelligent—but whenever you read computer code or highly technical instructions, your brain seems to shut down. Do your eyes glaze over when reading gnarly instructions? Does a little voice in your head chide you, “How about that! Your brain shut down six lines ago, but you're still scanning the page—pretending you're not as dense as you feel. Great!”

See if you can relate to this…you're having an issue with something pretty technical and you decide to Google it and troubleshoot the problem. You open the top hitand somebody else has asked the exact same question! You become excited as the page loads, but, alas, it's only a bulletin board (a chat site for all those geeks who yap at one another in unintelligible code). You see your question followed by…but it's too late! Your brain has already shut down, and you feel the tension and frustration as knots form in your belly.

Sound familiar?

Yes? Then this book's for you! My guess is that you're probably standing in a bookstore or in the airport, checking out a magazine stand for something that might excite you. Because you're reading this in some such upscale place, you can probably afford an iPhone, a Mac, a car, and plane tickets. You're probably intrigued by the burgeoning industry of handhelds and the geometric rate at which memory and microprocessors are evolving…how quickly ideas can be turned into startlingly new computing platforms, into powerful software applications, into helpful tools and clever games…perhaps even into greenbacks! And now you are wondering if you can get in on the action—using your intellect and technical savvy to serve the masses.

How do I know this about you?

Easy! Through years of teaching students to program, I know that if you're still reading this, then you're both intelligent enough and sufficiently driven to step onto the playing field of programming, especially for a device as sweet as the iPhone or as sexy as the iPad. If you identify with and feel connected to the person I've described above, then I know you. We were introduced to one another long ago.

You are an intelligent person who may have mental spasms when reading complex code—even if you have some background in programming. And, even if you do have a pretty strong background in various programming languages, you are a person who simply wants an easy, on-point, no-frills strategy to learn how to program the iPhone and iPad. No problem! I can guide you through whatever psychological traffic jams you typically experience and help you navigate around any technical obstacles, real or imagined. I've done this a thousand times with my students, and my methodology will work for you too.

The Approach I Take

I don't try and explain everything in minute detail. Nor do I expect you to know every line of code in your iPhone/iPad application at this stage. What I will do is show you, step by step, how to accomplish key actions. My approach is simultaneously comprehensive and easy-going, and I take pride in my ability to instruct students and interested learners along a wide spectrum of knowledge and skill sets.

Essentially, I will lead you, at your own pace, to a point where you can code, upload, and perhaps sell your first iPhone/iPad app, simple or complex. Good news: the most downloaded apps are not complex. The most popular ones are simple, common-sense tools for life…finding your car in a parking lot, or making better grocery lists, or tracking your fitness progress. However, when you complete this book, you may want to graduate to other books in the Apress and Friends of ED series. You have quite a few options here, and down the road I'll advise you regarding the best ways to move forward. Right now, though, you may want to read a little about me so you will feel confident in taking me on as your immediate guide in this exciting app-venture.

May you experience great joy and prosperity as you enter this amazing and magical world.

Peace!

Rory A. Lewis, PhD, JD