Why do you want to learn Objective-C?

[Michel]

As the title says: what is the reason why you want to learn Objective-C?  

The reason I want to learn Objective-C is because I think programming is fun and it lets you be creative. I got my first Mac a year ago so learning Objective-C was an obvious decision. I Often think: "Oh it would be cool to have an app for this and to do that..." mostly things related to my hobbies and university course. It would be cool if I create those apps myself

Would be cool if you guys could share why you want to learn it!

[Ryvoxe]

I want to learn Objective-C because I've always been interested in software. Only recently have I decided that I want to make it, which lead me to Steve's book. I want to make software to make my life easier. I also want to make some apps that are good enough to put on the mac app store (I don't plan on submitting anything full of bugs). After I get comfortable with the objective-c language, I want to learn cocoa. The two languages combined should make my software even better.

[jtcdesigns]

I've done other programming but nothing specific to a platform. I always want to know how things are done just to atleast have that knowledge of understanding. With the 3rd edition book which I just started I am hoping to get a handle on this objective-C language and learn cocoa as well so I'll be able to write apps. Even if I don't make something extraordinary it will be sweet to be able to make things for the iphone for my own personal use/entertainment. One can never learn too much especially with the way technology changes so quickly.

[ryanBowk]

My main reason is I had an idea for a custom calculator to help me with my work about 3 years ago. I decided to write the calculator in c++ and use it in the console output (cant remember if its called that in windows xp). 3 years on and the calculator has proved to be a great asset to me, so i decided i would like to have it on me at all times, enter iphone. Unfortunately after i finished the calculator in c++ 3 years ago i stopped writing programs so my knowledge in c++ is very limited. That is why i want to learn Objective C so i can turn my program into an app for my phone. I have been learning Objective C for about a month and i love it so far. I have managed to convert my app from c++ to Objective C but its still very procedural in nature. So hopefully in the next few months or so I can show my app off on my iphone    

[Hosketman]

Hi everyone. First post here in teh forums. Good to be joining you!

The reason I'm learning Obj-C is that after some starts and stops in the past trying to learn C and JavaScript, and succeeding only in teaching myself easier things like HTML and CSS coding, I've forced myself to try again. I want to learn "real programming" from the ground up, using this book and XCode.  It's pretty ambitious since i don't have any CS background or calculus background but hopefully a decent understanding of things like classes, inheritance and algebra will be enough of a foundation.

My ultimate goal is to code a couple of simple (iPad) apps that will be used to distribute my teaching content (text, images and video mostly with some interaction) for an unrelated subject, hopefully next spring or summer. Too crazy a goal? Stormy waters ahead? 

[seerex]

Hello mate,

I too am kinda in the same boat as you i started a few month's back, and some parts i found really easy, others really hard. However, i found that after using the forum for clarification (remember to look if others posted similar questions regarding to the one you are currently having, an answer might already exist) - but please, by any means feel free to ask about anything

Well my original goal was to have a small app ready early next year, and while i think there is still a long way to go since i'm still learning the language, things will quickly pick up. Just keep at it!! You will at times feel like your in way over your head. Dont worry! Get some help, or re-read the sections you dont understand, or even take a break. sometimes overthinking it can cause a lot of headache.

Wether or not you can have an app ready in that time limit is hard to tell. It all depends on how quickly you learn, how much many hours you wanna spend a day, and a few other very fancy reasons i cant think of now

i generally only read a few pages a day. maybe spend around 1-3 hours a day reading / programming. It takes a while, but you will get there. I as a matter of a fact have already created a simple app, nothing serious but it works, and trust me, when you get to that point you will be over-joyed.

Hope i helped. Good luck chap!

[Hosketman]

Hello mate,

I too am kinda in the same boat as you i started a few month's back, and some parts i found really easy, others really hard. ...

...You will at times feel like your in way over your head. Dont worry! Get some help, or re-read the sections you dont understand, or even take a break. sometimes overthinking it can cause a lot of headache.

Wether or not you can have an app ready in that time limit is hard to tell. It all depends on how quickly you learn...

i generally only read a few pages a day. maybe spend around 1-3 hours a day reading / programming. It takes a while, but you will get there. I as a matter of a fact have already created a simple app, nothing serious but it works, and trust me, when you get to that point you will be over-joyed.

Hope i helped. Good luck chap!

Definitely. Thanks for the advice. My thought was to do as much of one  chapter as I can during the work week, stop when I run into problems and revisit same chapter on the weekend, coming here for info when I can't resolve something myself after trying 3 or 4 different ways. Of course, the first few chapters are probably much easier to wade through than the later ones so that may indeed drop down to 1 or 2 exercises a day.

As for deadlines, I don't really have any. I just want to be able to start no later than next spring or summer (have enough of a foundation with XCode, etc), even though I may not finish it for 6 months or something. Or continuing learning from this or other books as I go.

[xjames]

Hi there. New here. Started 4 days ago. Can't wait to get to the meaty stuff

I have the crudest of reasons.
I wanna make some money on the app store, and eventually maybe write apps for clients at our firm.

More than that tho, it's fun. Learning a new programming language is like reading the instruction manual to a cool building block assembly type toy.

Cheers!

[LateralusRok]

I want to learn objective C so I can make iphone apps. I feel like I have a ton of great ideas but that is all they are until I can make them real. I started here about 3 months ago after reading reviews and forums on the best way to learn how to program for the iphone. I started with the second ed. (since thats all that was on safari books at the time) and got to about chapter 7 and hit a wall. About 2 weeks ago I decided to go for it again after seeing an email that the third edition had been added to safari books. I am trying to do a chapter a night with time off when needed and I just finished chapter 12 tonight. Even if I dont make a dime on the app store just being able to see my app out there or tell a friend/family hey check out my app its on the app store is a dream to me.

[viper]

I want to learn it because I want to be able to make an app. Even if I don't make any money off of it, I think it would be cool to just be able to know how to make one.

[JackRabbit]

Greetings fellow Newbies.

Just think of what a wonderful venue the iPhone/iPad is for creativity. Here is a device that can reach out over the net in a multitude of ways, knows where it is geographically, knows if it near a similar device, it's orientation in 3D space and how it is moving through that space. It can display, sense and record all manner of visual and audio output and responds to the touch of our hand and the sound of our voice. And all this is wrapped up in an minimalistic and elegant aesthetic package that the Japanese would be proud of.  In short, a whole bag of beautiful toys for us to play with.

And when we are done, Apple has created an entire economic/eco-system that can promote and distribute our apps with the app store and iAd.

And there are all kinds of ways to promote our apps outside of the Apple ecosphere - facebook, twitter, Second Life and YouTube. And I know that there are many more ways that I haven't thought of. Can you think of some ways?

The wonderful thing about making an app is that once the prototype is perfected into a sellable product, you can manufacture duplicates instantly at absolutely no cost and distribute them globally in the wink of an eye!

I want to produce iPad oriented apps that are whimsical and quirky in nature. Real eye-candy that has no practical use at all! And like xjames, I want to make money producing these products. Oh, and speaking of xjames -- xjames, I don't think it's crude to want to make money. I love money! You know where we would be without it? POOR. So let's all make money while having fun.

And I hope to get to know all of you as we learn this new skill that is brimming with opportunity!

JR

[Astral]

That is an interesting question.  I want to be able to write apps that will run on the iPhone/iPad/iPhone Touch.
Obviously everyone has different reasons.  Some want to make money and some want to build apps for themselves and/or others
to use.  I have both motivations, but also I've been wanting to learn Objective-C for some time so I can port my language translator
from Windows to the Mac.  I may or may not be able to fit it onto the mobile devices, but it is certainly worth a try.
I've built an Android version of my app.  The original version is in Delphi Object Pascal.  I have experimented with C# as well as
C++/CLI for .NET and have running versions for Windows XP and Windows 7 in each of the 3 languages.  I will probably build a
Java version for Windows and possibly the Mac.

But I've been told that Objective-C and Cocoa are the way to go for Mac programming.  I have a brand new Mac and have been
studying Objective-C for about 10 days and I have learned a lot.  I have had a lot of difficulty getting started, but I think if I get
past the initial hurdles I will be able to get my program running quickly.  Then the sky's the limit.

I have posted a question and I am hoping for an answer.  Perhaps someone will be kind and point out what I am doing wrong in
my "question about parameter passing".  It's a simple question that probably has a very simple answer, and doesn't involve any
great deal of thought for someone who already knows the language.  I have the feeling that I am somehow in the wrong place.

[tricarb]

Probably my career with computers started before most, if not all, users on this forum were born. Over the years I have learned and extensively wrote programs professionally in 5 major languages: Fortran, Cobol, Pascal, C, and Java J2EE.

One enjoyable aspect of my career has been learning new languages in order to support the ever changing platforms. Since my retirement in 2008 I thought it would be fun to learn another language and, since I have been a long time Apple fan, Objective-C was the obvious choice.

[Mrrobbo]

Hi all, I am excited to learning objective c. At present I have 10 iPhone apps available on the app store, however I have contracted people to make these for me or used web platforms for creation. I hope to be able to learn enough to make some of my simpler ideas a reality. Plus it's heaps of fun.

Checkout my apps by searching "Jarrod Robinson"