"iPhone in Action" by Christopher Allen and Shannon Appelcline, Book Review

If you are an experienced developer and looking for a solid technical guide to iPhone development, then this is just the book you should both read and keep on the bookshelf for future reference.

Most developers today have a background with developing web applications. The first few chapters extensively discuss how to develop web applications that mimic the native iPhone interface. The topics covered include WebKit, iUI, Dashcode, and more. You will even learn such advanced topics as how to detect page orientation from Java Script. Remaining chapters talk about the iPhone SDK: developing with Xcode and Interface builder, as well as a variety advanced topics. You will learn almost anything you would need to know about iPhone development: UI, Core Animation, Core Graphics, SQLLite, IO, Persistance and XML, Preferences, and more.

This is a great reference book targeting an experienced developer who is new to iPhone development. As such, introductory chapters are present, but their content is very basic and not sufficient for someone who is completely new to programming. And a reasonable knowledge of Java Script, HTML 5, and CSS is also required. Otherwise the first few chapters that discuss web development subjects would be very difficult to understand. Advanced chapters, at times, may also provide just a quick coverage of the topic, as they expect the reader to look for details in Apple's documentation and elsewhere.

Being an experienced developer, I found the "iPhone in Action" extremely easy to read and learn from. Especially I enjoyed subjects that I was not well versed in, such as Web, Core Location, and SQLLite. There is not another iPhone title that does such a great coverage of both Web and SDK topics under one roof, thus providing a well-rounded developer education. I honestly expected a slightly better coverage of XML, as well as a detailed discussion of sockets, threading, Core Image and other frameworks. But this is a book "...in Action" and its focus perfectly fits a typical developer's profile, as it should be.

When I buy books, I look for books that can teach me as well as serve as a good reference later on. The authors taught me a lot and I will always be able to look back and reinforce my knowledge.

Vlad