iPhone® Application Development For Dummies®, 2nd Edition

Introduction

In the first edition of iPhone Application Development For Dummies, I said that when Apple opened up the iPhone to developers, I got as excited about developing software as I did when I first discovered the power of the Mac. And you know what, I still am.

As I continue to explore the iPhone as a new platform, I keep finding more possibilities for applications that never existed before. It is a mobile computer, but not simply a mobile desktop. Its hardware and software make it possible to wander the world, or your own neighborhood, and stay connected to whomever and whatever you want to. It enables a new class of here-and-now applications that allow you to do what you need to, based on what is going on around you and where you are.

The first edition of iPhone Application Development For Dummies was based on iPhone OS 2.2.1. When iPhone OS 3.0 was released, and then quickly followed by OS 3.1, I knew that I had to do a second edition. There were some additional features that I wanted to show readers how to use. The new MapKit, for example, makes it much easier to use the location-based features of the iPhone in an application. This is a significant step forward since one of the hallmarks of a great iPhone app is that it leverages the iPhone's unique hardware, especially its ability to know where the user is. The new MapKit makes it possible for even a beginning developer to take full advantage of the location hardware, and I've added a new chapter to show you how. There ...