Ever wanted to program an iPhone? Well I have but I’ve neither had the time or a good training aid to lead me down the right path. So when I found the iPhone SDK Essential Training from Lynda, I was interested.

The training starts with a very basic introduction to the iPhone, but a warning that the trainer does expect that you have some sort of background in programming. He tells you that he obviously doesn’t expect that you’re familiar with iPhone programming, but you should be familiar with C or Java or Python or some other language – he assumes you know what variables and functions and other programming lingo means.

That’s in all honesty probably my biggest gripe with these videos, I really would have liked to see a programming from scratch series of videos here, but as long as you’re aware of this up front, then you should be fine if you make the decision to buy this training. So with my inital gripe out of the way, how’s the rest of the training?

Well…it’s good. First up, I think the trainers style of teaching is relaxed, but not boring. So many CBT’s I’ve seen over the years might have technically great trainers, but they are as boring as all hell. Others have enthusiastic trainers, but weak content. This is just about on the money for my taste. I can honestly say that I enjoyed watching this training.

So we start off with the trainers expectations of the course, what is an iPhone, where do you get the software and how do you install it. Nothing terribly exciting, but if you follow along with the trainer you’ll be fine. A word of caution. If you plan on buying this training and jumping straight in, I would recommend that you head off right now to Apple’s website and download the SDK which you’ll need as it’s over 2Gb in size and if you have a slow link or a broadband connection that is a capped plan, then you might like to grab that file before you get the training.

The first actual programming we do in this course starts with the typical “Hello, World” app, which is nothing more than dropping a label onto a form, calling it Hello World and compiling the application. If you’re experienced with Visual Studio it’s much the same thing. Obviously the course only ramps up in difficulty from here.

From there, we have a few more videos giving us a basic overview of each of the 3 main applications we’ll use to develop applications: Xcode, Interface Builder and the iPhone Simulator.

Chapter 3 is where the real fun starts though. Chapters 1 and 2 were the intro to all things iPhone, Chapter 3 kicks us into the programming side of things for real. If you’re new to iPhone Programming this is where you’ll get into the code itself.

Let’s stop for a moment and let me reveal a home truth about myself. I have zero experience with programming anything Apple. Absolute Zero. I have zero experience programming the C language or Objective C for that matter. So whilst I do understand what variables are and arrays and functions, I am pretty much about as rank beginner as they come.

After chapter 3, I found myself with a lot of questions, not because I was confused and didn’t understand what was going on. But because I had learnt some new things and naturally I wanted to explore ways to get these ideas for apps that are in my head, written out in code. And that’s the struggle for any programmer starting out. You have ideas and no idea how to implement them.

So the remaining chapters are now helping you look at and work with other parts of your programs, how to work with toolbars, tabs, tables, animations, video, audio and how to create the icon for your app. Each subject builds on the last and if you’re new to programming then I’d suggest that you don’t skip the chapters.

So I think you need to do yourself a favor and approach these videos with an idea in the back of your mind, something you want to program. Don’t worry about making your app all pretty and ready for sale on the App Store right away. Make it work properly first, and do the pretty stuff last. Whilst this training won’t make you a guru programmer by any means, it will help you get into the game and start programming and help you take that first leap. From there you can join groups, search Google and look for the answers to the new questions you’ll have.

The bottom line: It’s only 6.5 hours of training, but it is good training. I like it and I recommend it.

Pros:
Affordable.
Will help you get started in iPhone/iPad Programming

Cons:
6.5 Hours of Training isn’t a lot but it’s a great start.

Company: Lynda
Product Link: iPhone SDK Essential Training

Price: $99.95

Our Rating: 9/10

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