Learning Cocoa and C++ any good books

http://guides.macrumors.com/Cocoa_FAQ
http://guides.macrumors.com/Helpful_development_resources

 

Understand that the guides were created off the collective "opinion" of the numerous experts that frequent the forum. You're just going to get the same sorts of things recommended here, so I don't know why you wouldn't just start with the guides.

In the larger picture, "opinion" counts for little on questions like these. It might be my opinion that Steven Kochan's book is excellent, but you might hate it. Perhaps you should go to your local library or bookstore and peruse to see which particular book fits your learning style best.

 

Focus on C++ first then go for Objective-C and Cocoa. Stay away from "for dummies books" they all suck. Get good at the basics and then start learning GUI, API, Framework etc stuff.

These are the books I generally recommend to beginners:
http://www.amazon.com/Absolute-C-4th-Walter-Savitch/dp/0136083811/
http://www.amazon.com/Cocoa-Programming-Mac-OS-3rd/dp/0321503619/

 

Definitely make sure you stick with C++ for a while first. Once you get good at one language, its easy to hop to others.

That being said, I'm not going to lie, C++ is a pain in the ass. It will take you a lot of time to do the most basic things. (This becomes apparent when you play with other languages like Objective-C or Java). Its usually all I ever get to code in and there are a ton of little tricks and traps and things.

Also, computer programming is hard. You will get stuck on many many different things. It will be frustrating, and sometimes boring. Just keep chugging away and they will all fall in to place. Also be advised programming also involves a lot of researching. On larger programs you will spend months just laying out how the program will work before you write a single line of code.

It does get fun though when you are writing programs to do what you want them to.

One book I HIGHLY recommend and is my most used C++ book is this one.

http://tinyurl.com/28kr3cm

Its pricey but I don't even use any of my other books for reference. Just this one. Its great. He also has a data structures book I've been eying even though I'm not sure I really need it.

 

They're not all bad. It depends on the subject. I love the math ones and the C one but the C++ dummies book is completely terrible. (Unless they re-wrote it since I last used it.)

Never get the C++ for Dummies book...ever...not even if you are curious. The author has no structure to what he wants to teach and doesn't bother explaining what all the crazy lines like this:

#include <iostream> or using namespace std; are. If you are new this may completely trip you up not knowing why you are writing such things.

 

The C Programming Language - Brain Kernighan, Dennis Ritchie

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0131103628

C++ Primer - Lippman, Lajoie, Moo

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201721481

The C++ Programming Language - Bjarne Stroustrup

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0201889544

Programming in Objective-C 2.0 - Stephen Kochan

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321566157/

Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X - Aaron Hillegass

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0321503619/


This list of books will keep you busy for the next 6 months!

 

At Least!