iPhone DevelopmentAhmed Essam

Software Research Engineer @ Unisoft

Agenda

Mobile Application Development

iPhone Development methods

iPhone Development tools

Introduction to Objective C

Introduction to iPhone SDK

Demo

Advice

Be neutral when it comes to technology to be able to make the right decision

Mobile Application

There is three ways to do mobile applications

Mobile Web Interface

Develop for Java or Flash

Develop for the native platform

Mobile Web Applications

This application is mostly connected, so most of the time user can’t handle it without internet or cached history

Javascript provides reach function to access some hardware like GPS and other devices specific hardware

Developer doesn’t have much authority over the device, tied by the browser.

Java

In some cases you can use Java but not all platforms supports Java as it is for instance

BlackBerry

You can use Java but it must be compiled using BB tools

iPhone

Doesn’t Support Java at all

Android

It is Java but not as J2ME developers used to.

Flash

Can be used if the application is all about interface

currently flash can be used to act like real application, it has access to camera, GPS... etc

iPhone doesn’t support it.

Native Applications

You can do what ever you want to,except what the framework doesn’t allow you to do.

Native Development

Windows Mobile SDK

C#, C/C++ (Very easy to do apps on this SDK)

Android SDK

C (Doing libraries that will be used by Java Apps), Java

BlackBerry SDK

Java ( You need to package the Java code using the SDK )

Nokia SDK

Java, C++ ( I call it Symbian’s C++, needs some time to use it)

Why not Java

Every device has its own characteristics and style

Java is annoying to protect the user, “Do you allow this application to do .....?”

You can’t know the (keyboard or keypad) layout

Canvas or default system controls

When using canvas you have to handle little everything

Many features can’t be used.

Personally

I like:

Windows mobile (Low level guys will enjoy it)

iPhone (Most of the work REALLY done)

Android (I love the idea of Open Source)

iPhone Development Methods

iPhone Web Applications

Normal web site with specified for iPhone using some JS functions that is provided by the Safari

iPhone Native Applications

Using Objective C

iPhone SDK

Jailbreak iPhone development tools

Jailbreak iPhone development

I don’t know much about it but

You can do really what every you like all the undocumented functions are yours

You can’t publish such app in the apps store

You can publish such app in Cydia

Needed to develop for iPhone

Knowledge of C

Mac OS X Intel based machine

iPhone Developer program

iPhone or iPod touch

iPhone Development tools

Xcode

Interface Builder

Instruments

Objective C

You can consider it Extension for C language

ObjC add more dynamicity to C Language

Single inheritance from super class and protocols is used as interfaces

Totally new syntax but still can use C with it.

Objective C

• New concepts

• Class definition

• Protocol implementation

• Class messages

• All objects are heap based & no stack objects

• Classes and Instances are both objects

• Class is a blue print to create instance

Classes and Objects

• Classes declare the state and behavior

• State (class data) is instance variables and behavior is methods

• Instances are hidden, it can be accessed through getters and setters

Class and instance methods

• Instances responds to “Instance methods”

• -(id)init;

• -(char*)getName;

• Class responds to “Static methods”

• +(id)alloc;

• +(char*)getClassName;

Message syntax (calling methods)• Function calling in Objective C called message, this is to give

more dynamicity to the language, some times if the method is not implemented the calling result will be nil = null

• [objectOfClass functionName];

• [objectOfClass functionName:Arg1];

• Calling staic method

• [Class functionName];

• [Class functionName:Arg1];

• Function also called selector, this is helpful in cases of passing the function name as parameter.

Objective C• Dot Syntax

• It is only working in Objective C 2.0

• It is only used for properties of object

• Dynamic Casting

• Using type “id” , id is pointer to void “C Style void*”

• id object = [Class new];

• Static casting

• Class* object = [Class new];

Objective C• nil is equivalents to null

• Objective C Class has no operators overloading

• Objective C Class has no constructors or destructors

• Boolean type is, BOOL

• YES is TRUE

• NO is FALSE

• Pointer to function in class called selector

• SEL method = [object event];

• [object setEvent:@selecyot(function:)];

• SEL function = @selector(function::);

iPhone frameworks• Foundation

• UIKit

• CoreGrphics

• CFNetwork

• CoreLocation

• CoreData

• ExternalAccessory

• GameKit

MapKit

IOKit

MediaPlayer

AddressBook

MobileCoreSerivces

OpenGL

Security

StoreKitAnd many more

iPhone Development

• It is true that Objective C is not as strong as any other language but the huge coverage of frameworks that is provided by Apple makes it Ok to use such SDK

• From My experience I can tell, that there is too many things already done for me in way that make me use it in no time considering other platforms

Demo

Refernces

• iPhone Development course form Stanford CS193P

• Objective C developers guide

• Google

Contact me

• Ahmed Essam Naiem

• Ahmed-essam@live.com

• http://www.ahmed-essam.com

• http://www.twitter.com/Neo_4583

• http://www.facebook.com/aessam