Help: Development on MacBook (Air!)
Hello all
I got a MacBook Air for my birthday on the weekend (yay!) and I would like to learn to love OSX. Can anyone suggest anything about a development environment? I usually develop in C and Java using Kate and makefiles on kubuntu, and I don't like Eclipse. Can I code java apps using XCode?
Any and all help will be appreciated.
Thanks!
Melanie
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Indeed
You mean no more EEE? Regardless, that's an exciting gift. My parents could never love me enough for that :P
I've been happy with xcode. Outside of that, everything I've used is similar, if not identical to what I'd use in Linux.
Be prepared to curse "home" and "end" keys to no end. You actually want Control + left, and control + right. One of the only pet peeves I have in OS X.
Enjoy!
Randall Roberts
SOCIS President
financial compensation to set up my MacBook: X11, MacPorts, kde
Thanks for your comments, Randall - I was happy to learn today that XCode can be used to develop in any language. I still have and love the EEE. My boyfriend just loves buying the newest things so he'll use really any excuse.
Now I'm trying to install kde(using 'sudo port install kde' in terminal) and after entering my password, I get 'sudo: port: command not found'. This happens after installing XQuartz and MacPorts from macosforge.org.
Also, when I try to run inkscape, I get an error that it requires X11, then the Get X11 for Panther button leads to a page not found (also, I thought my system was leopard?) This happens after installing X11 and XCode from shipped installation discs. When I try to install a downloaded X11 for leopard from apple.com, I get an error that a newer version is already installed.
I would really like to code in java and c in kde kate on the MacBook, using makefiles (would also love to do this on the EEE). I don't even know if makefiles will work on the MacBook without me doing something with the bash shell? I'd really rather not find out myself: if anyone would like to do the work on my machine tomorrow or Monday for financial compensation please email my uoguelph.ca address.
Melanie Veltman
***********************
Only the educated are free.
- Epictetus
Mac OSX Development
Hi,
I recently started investigating development on OSX. It's got a steep learning curve -- but fairly enjoyable.
Xcode is the way to go. And probably 2.5 (not 3 that is Leopard-ey). 2.5 is set up to sit alongside 3.0 without interfering with each other.
The first (and really only) book to buy is:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0321213149/bignerdranch-20
"Cocoa Programming for Mac OSX"
It's very well written.
The book is confusing to use with xcode 3.0, 2.5 keeps the same interface as used in the book -- it'll probably be a while for a new edition, so no need to wait.
Other than that, you can learn tons on the developer site (http://developer.apple.com/), there's way too much information, but you can find lots of PDF books (free) that will walk you through the process.
The free membership is sufficient.
For instance, here's the java guide:
http://developer.apple.com/documentation/Java/Conceptual/Java14Developme...
The trickiest part is figuring out the connections between Cocoa, Carbon, Objective-C and all the Cocoa bindings for languages.
Quartz is pretty nifty too.
jc
==
John Douglas Carter, MSc
Dept. of Computing & Information Studies
PhD Student, University of Guelph
hmm.. wait. seems like I
hmm.. wait. seems like I answered a different question. but hopefully there'll be some sort of answer in there. I read it as you wanted to be a purely OSX developer..
==
John Douglas Carter, MSc
Dept. of Computing & Information Studies
PhD Student, University of Guelph
I'm no help
Alas, I don't have the past experience with Macs to help you. I'm not an owner, just a fiddler.
That being said, yes, you have Leopard. All Airs would have Leopard on them. I can at least clear that up.
Some of the Mac Fanboys would be Andrew Berry, Jon Carter, or Tony Thompson (I think that's his last name, I know him as Good Tony), as a quick list of people who come to mind as nice people who would likely help you out in a pinch.
Randall Roberts
SOCIS President