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C# To Objective-C - The Ultimate Guide

Stephen Zaharuk / Thursday, May 9, 2013

If you're a .Net developer that has decided or is toying with the idea to start programming for the iphone/ipad then read on!

For the past few months I've been blogging about about various topics related to iOS. Including creating some tutorials for C# developers. Now i've finally gotten around to compiling them all into one post so that you can easily follow along or pick and choose what you want to learn as you need to learn it. 

Enjoy!!!

C# - Objective-C

  • Strings - Learn how to create/manipulate strings
  • Arrays - Learn about the different array types and how to add/insert/delete etc... 
  • Classes, Properties, Methods - Learn the basics on creating custom objects
  • Interfaces - Learn about the equivalent of a C# interface and its differences
  • Enums - Learn the syntax of creating enums in objective-c
  • Reflection - Love it or hate it, reflection is always a useful tool
  • Namespaces - There is no such thing as namespaces in obj-c, so learn how to workaround it.
  • Memory Management - .Net has spoiled us. But obj-c is getting better with this, learn how!
  • DataSources - Find out how to bind data!! Its different, but still powerful.
  • Events - In objective-c there are a few different ways to listen to changes in the UI.
  • Boxing/Unboxing - Learn how to box/unbox a value type

Setting up your Environment

  • TFS - You use TFS for your .Net projects, so learn how to use it for your ios projects!
  • Nightly Builds From TFS - Find out how to automate your ios builds from TFS
  • Keyboard - If you're like me, the idea of pressing the ctrl key with your thumb is awful!
  • Dlls - There is no such thing as a dll in ios. Learn how create the equivalent though.

I hope these tutorials get you up and running fast! If you want even more help in making your app look even better, check out our full control suite called NUCLiOS! Not only can you build natively using objective-c, however you can also use these controls using C#!!! Thats right, we provide dll versions of our controls that work using Xamarin.iOS (aka MonoTouch). 

NUCLiOS

  • Free Trial - Try our iOS Controls, including Charting and Grids! Including our C# bindings!

I will do my best to keep this post up to date with any other .Net -> iOS related topics. However, you can follow me on twitter: @codeBySteveZ  to make sure you don't miss anything.

By Stephen Zaharuk (SteveZ)