[.ca] Beginning Mac OS X Programming (ISBN 0764573993)

Information Overload:
Trying to cover C, Objective-C with its Cocoa and Carbon frameworks, bash, and Applescript in roughly 700 pages is a tall order. While I can appreciate the need for such an overview, the temptation is to try to cover too much material in too little depth, leaving a reader quite frustrated and confused. My impression of the C and Objective-C sections: The back cover says this book is for novice programmers as well as for experienced programmers. Having taught first-year programming courses, I don't think that this book is suitable for novices. A good introductory text to C, for example, can easily turn out to be a 500 page book. For experienced programmers who have never seen either of the two languages, however, the pace seemed appropriate. The Cocoa Section: Cocoa is quite complex, and trying to cover it in about 100 pages left me quite frustrated. I wish there had been more examples, or a lengthier explanation. I ended up buying Aaron Hillegass' "Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X (2nd Edition)" to help me write Cocoa programs. After reading Hillegass' book, however, Trent & McCormack's book provided me with some additional insights into Cocoa. Having bought this book, I plan to keep it as a reference. However, I am not sure I would recommend it to others.