Swift app development has revolutionized the way we create applications for Apple's platforms. In this comprehensive guide, experienced programmers can learn how to build applications for iPhone, iPad, and Mac using the Swift programming language with the Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks.
Developed by Jonathon Manning, Paris Buttfield-Addison, and Tim Nugent, Swift Development with Cocoa: Developing for the Mac and iOS App Stores is a hands-on programming guide that targets experienced programmers unfamiliar with Apple developer tools. The 474-page book teaches readers how to build applications for iOS (iPhone and iPad) and macOS using Swift, demonstrating its syntax and features in practical, real-world contexts.
The authors bring expertise from game design, mobile engineering, and research backgrounds to offer a structured introduction to Swift and Cocoa development shortly after the language's release. The guide focuses on enabling readers to create functional apps quickly, emphasizing why Swift offers advantages over Objective-C, including easier development, faster performance, and enhanced safety through modern language design.
Overview
This book is designed for experienced developers new to Apple's platforms, teaching them to build applications for iPhone, iPad, and Mac using the Swift language in conjunction with Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks. Published by O'Reilly Media in January 2015, shortly after Swift's launch in 2014, the book assumes no prior experience with Apple developer tools and focuses on enabling readers to create functional apps quickly.
Purpose and Scope
The primary educational goal of this book is to teach Swift syntax and language features in direct conjunction with their application in Cocoa-based programming. The authors target experienced programmers who are new to Apple developer tools and platforms, providing a hands-on introduction to building applications for iOS and OS X using the newly introduced Swift language.
Authors
Jonathon Manning is a co-founder of Secret Lab, an independent indie app and game development studio based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. Paris Buttfield-Addison is also a co-founder of Secret Lab, serving as a producer, mobile engineer, and game designer. Tim Nugent is a mobile developer with a focus on Apple platforms.
With their expertise in game design, mobile engineering, and research backgrounds, the authors bring a unique perspective to Swift app development for Mac and iOS. As co-founders of Secret Lab, they have developed interactive experiences and apps for clients including the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Qantas, CSIRO, the National Museum of Australia, and others.
By mastering Swift app development with Cocoa, readers can create real-world apps suitable for submission to the iOS App Store and Mac App Store. This comprehensive guide provides a practical pathway to mastering Swift-based Cocoa development, covering core elements of Apple platform development, including application lifecycle management on both OS X and iOS, user interface construction with storyboards and adaptive layouts, graphics handling via SpriteKit and SceneKit, media playback and recording with AVFoundation, data persistence through local file systems and iCloud integration, table and collection views, document-based applications, location awareness with Core Location and MapKit, motion sensing via Core Motion, concurrency patterns, Bezier paths, and basic networking.