MacRuby: The Definitive Guide

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Ruby and Cocoa on OS X

By Matt Aimonetti

Publisher: O'Reilly Media

Released: October 2011

Pages: 246

Want to build native Mac OS X applications with a sleek, developer-friendly alternative to Objective-C? MacRuby is an ideal choice. This in-depth guide shows you how Apple’s implementation of Ruby gives you access to all the features available to Objective-C programmers. You’ll get clear, detailed explanations of MacRuby, including quick programming techniques such as prototyping.

Perfect for programmers at any level, this book is packed with code samples and complete project examples. If you use Ruby, you can tap your skills to take advantage of Interface Builder, Cocoa libraries, the Objective-C runtime, and more. If you’re a Cocoa developer, you’ll learn how to improve your productivity with MacRuby.

Get up to speed on MacRuby basics, including classes and methods
Learn how to use MacRuby with Apple’s Xcode developer suite
Delve into the primitive object classes and data types in Foundation Kit
Build event-driven user interfaces with the AppKit framework
Handle relational object persistence with the Core Data framework
Use advanced MacRuby techniques, including concurrency and sandboxing
Get examples for applications using Twitter and a location web service
Embed MacRuby into existing Objective-C applications

MacRuby Overview
1. Chapter 1 Introduction
  1. Introducing MacRuby
  2. Installation
  3. Code Example
  4. Loading a Framework
  5. Using Classes
  6. Methods
2. Chapter 2 Fundamentals
  1. Run Loops
  2. Callbacks/Delegation
  3. User Inputs
  4. Outlets
  5. Display
  6. Example
3. Chapter 3 The Cocoa Environment
  1. History
  2. Main Frameworks in the Cocoa API
  3. Reference Library
  4. Mutability
4. Chapter 4 Foundation
  1. Compatibility Table
  2. Strings and Attributed Strings
  3. Arrays
  4. Hashes/Dictionaries
  5. Sets
  6. Enumerators
  7. Date, Time, and Calendars
  8. Data
  9. Locales
  10. Time Zones
  11. Exceptions
  12. I/O
  13. URLs/Requests/Connections
  14. Pipes
  15. File Handles
  16. Bundles
  17. Scheduling
  18. Notifications
  19. Archiving and Serialization
  20. Miscellaneous Classes
5. Chapter 5 Application Kit
  1. Cocoa Key Principles
  2. User Interface
6. Chapter 6 Xcode
  1. Xcode IDE
7. Chapter 7 Core Data
  1. Data Model
  2. User Interface
  3. Persistence
8. Chapter 8 One Step Deeper
  1. Selectors
  2. Blocks
  3. Concurrency
  4. Sandboxing
  5. Using Objective-C or C Code
  6. Scriptable Applications
  7. Method Missing
  8. Pointers
  9. Compilation
  10. Compilation Within Xcode
MacRuby in Practice
1. Chapter 9 Address Book Example
  1. User Interface
  2. Address Book
  3. Web API Call
  4. Cleaning Up: Better Management of Widgets
  5. The Extra Mile: Displaying More Information Through Notifications
2. Chapter 10 Geolocation
  1. User Interface
  2. Table View
  3. Core Location
  4. Web API
3. Chapter 11 MacRuby in Objective-C Projects
  1. API
  2. Usage
  3. Example in an Xcode Project
4. Chapter 12 Objective-C Code in MacRuby Apps
  1. Dynamic Library
  2. Framework
5. Chapter 13 Using Ruby Third-Party Libraries
  1. RubyGems
  2. MacRuby Deploy

Index
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Title:

MacRuby: The Definitive Guide

By:

Matt Aimonetti

Publisher:

O'Reilly Media

Formats:

Print
Ebook
Safari Books Online

Print:

October 2011

Ebook:

October 2011

Pages:

246

Print ISBN:

978-1-4493-8037-3

| ISBN 10:

1-4493-8037-9

Ebook ISBN:

978-1-4493-8039-7

| ISBN 10:

1-4493-8039-5

Colophon

The animal on the cover of MacRuby: The Definitive Guide is a northern cardinal (Cardinalis cardinalis), a frequent visitor to backyard bird feeders throughout the United States. Although the male of the species—with its vivid, red plumage—is perhaps more easily recognized, the brown coloration of females is also accented in the characteristic red. Ranging from southeastern Canada and the eastern United States to Mexico and northern parts of Central America, the birds favor dense, shrubby areas, such as those found in forests, gardens, and swamps.

Northern cardinals have prominent crests, thick, cone-shaped beaks, and distinctive facial masks, which are colored black in males and grayish-black in females. The birds reach a length of 8 to 9 inches and usually weigh no more than 2 ounces. Their diet consists of weed and sunflower seeds, grains, fruits, and insects, and the birds feed their young insects almost exclusively. While there is a preference for seeds that are easily husked, this nonmigratory species is less selective during the winter months when food is scarce.

Mated pairs often sing together, sometimes as part of a mating ritual in which the female sings and the male brings food in response. If the mating is successful, this behavior may continue throughout the incubation period, with the female singing from the nest. Fiercely territorial, the male seeks out the highest perch from which he can closely monitor for other males or predators. Particularly in the spring and summer, it is not uncommon to see the male attempting to attack mirrored surfaces, mistaking his reflection for a rival.

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