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Programming Challenges for Mac Developers

Posted by pudge on from the i-dev-you-dev-we-all-dev dept.

Carlos Camacho writes "iDevGames, a Macintosh Game Developer's Site has started issuing small programming challenges to Mac developers. The first challenge just wrapped up and the result is two nifty apps. The source code for both apps, and all apps entered into the programming challenges, will be released as open source. The next challenge has added an extra day, so developers have 72 hours. The focus is on creating an application to demonstrate 'A* pathfinding.'"

8 of 47 comments (clear)

  1. Re:sounds like they are to lazy to do it themselve by mrgeometry · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Perhaps they are hoping to get a variety of examples so newbies can see more than one implementation? Also, perhaps they want to give their readers something "fun" to do... I can see how some people would enjoy having a little mini-challenge every now and then, and they will enter the contest; and other people are too busy or would rather spend their free time in other ways, and so they won't enter the contest... And that's fine.

    zach

  2. Meh. by Daleks · · Score: 3, Insightful

    People need to think about their headlines before they submit them. I thought this was about the difficulties Mac programmers face in today's world.

  3. Re:bleh?! by Entropy2016 · · Score: 5, Informative

    Just in case you didn't already know, the general consensus is that Aaron Hillegass's "Cocoa Programming for Mac OSX" is the best Cocoa book out there.

    Just as important as the the Cocoa book, is bookmarking the Apple Developer Documentation in Safari

    file:///Developer/Documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ Ap plicationKit/ObjC_classic/index.html#//apple_ref/d oc/uid/20001093

    file:///Developer/Documentation/Cocoa/Reference/ Fo undation/ObjC_classic/index.html#//apple_ref/doc/u id/20001091

    I wasted money on a couple other books before I found that one.
    If you're still having trouble learning, just ask someone for the source code to a finished app that isn't too big and study it. (If you're really desperate, I've got some code you can study).
    - - - - -
    Caffeine is not a substitute for sleep

  4. Programming challenges for Mac Developers... by dagar17 · · Score: 4, Funny

    prefixing every software package name with an i

    1. Re:Programming challenges for Mac Developers... by TonyMillion · · Score: 3, Funny

      One day I'm going to release a piece of software just called 'i'.

      That should confuse the hell out of everyone...

      'oh I use i'
      'uh i what?'
      'just i'.

  5. Re:bleh?! by YouHaveSnail · · Score: 4, Informative

    Another good thing to do is to get your hands on a Cocoa class browser. Here's one:

    http://homepage2.nifty.com/hoshi-takanori/cocoa- br owser/

    Seems like a pretty obvious concept, so I'd be surprised if there aren't others. In any case, it can be handy.

  6. I'd like to suggest a challenge by Yarn · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Get working on porting OpenOffice.org to Aqua! The current ETA is 2005

    It'd save me *so* much time having to run around ensuring people don't have illegal copies of MS Office on their macs.

    At least with my PC users:
    a) The OpenOffice.org interface isn't glaringly different
    b) They can't just copy the MS office folder between machines.

    --
    -Yarn - Rio Karma: Excellent
  7. Recommended Cocoa references by logicat2001 · · Score: 4, Informative

    Aaron Hillegass's most excellent Cocoa introduction Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X

    When you're done with that one, skip on over and check out my defacto Cocoa bible, Cocoa Programming. Just a fantastic book, application design reference and compilation of knowlege from many years of working with these frameworks.

    O'Reilly's Cocoa in a Nutshell, the API listing you've been yearning for.

    Always remember to include Apple's own Cocoa developer pages.