[orsadude2]

So here goes...after 20 years of military service it's time for a new career. I have a BS in Computer Science...way back when they were using punch cards and 8.5 inch floppies in Balcones hard drives. To say the least, my skills are non existent. However, I like to read and apply new knowledge. The question is... What languages and other stuff do I need to learn...to bring me up to speed on being able to write an Apple desktop and/or iphone program/app? Do I need to learn how to do "scripts" first? I'm looking for the straightest path. I'll put in the time and dedication... Part two...how would anyone suggest I get this information...text books, video's, taking classes, if so which ones?

[BLAZE_MkIV]

Mac and iPhone stuff is in Objective-C, you can download all of apples development tools for free from developer.apple.com including the iPhone SDK. It just takes $ to publish to the store. Besides that you are starting from scratch. Find a programming 101 course at a local community college that is taught in C or C++ (java doesn't translate to objective-C very well.) I would be surprised if there were any courses you could take in Objective-C, pick up a book on it and start small. It doesn't matter if the first things you do are useful.

[orsadude2]

I understand that the apple development tools require you to use an Intel chip based apple computer. I have an old G5Quad. Didn't want to buy a new computer...but if I must...I wouldn't know what to get, since I'd only be using it to learn C/C++

[Dork.]

If it's a G5 you have, then it shipped with OS X. Do you still have your OS X system disks? There may be older versions of the developer tools on your system disks. Nothing you build will work on the new Intel macs, (I am guessing here), but you will get a feel for programming on the platform and figure out if an investment in new equipment is right for you.

And if you can't find the old versions of the dev tools, and you're a Unix guru, remember that MacOS is really Unix under the hood, and you ought to be able to get gcc and other basic tools to work, even outside of Apple's development environment. Apple releases the open-source bits of their UNIX as the "Darwin" OS, so searching for that term may give you some good information.

For online Mac tutorial-type stuff, a little bit of googling around yielded This site, which looks like it has some good introductory-level information on programming on the Mac which could be useful for you.

Disclaimer: I know just enough about software development to Really Screw Things Up, and I have not done anything for Mac OS X other than install the dev tools and compile other people's code.

[techound1]

Originally Posted by orsadude2 

Didn't want to buy a new computer...but if I must

You can pick up a used intel mini in the neighborhood of $500. Tax deductible as a career change item, I believe (then again, maybe I'm on drugs there... consult your tax advisior).

[besson3c]

I would suggest postponing purchase an Intel Mac. You can learn the language and refresh your memory as to the principles of object orienting programming without the Intel Mac. You can compile universal binaries with the gear you have. I'm certain you can find the Leopard/PPC version of XCode on Apple's site, and of course it should be an optional install on the Leopard DVD itself.

If you really can't, there are many other languages you can practice with that will bring you up to speed. A good developer is not tethered exclusively to a single language.

[Tegeril]

I haven't personally used this book a I'm experienced in other programming languages, but I've never been disappointed in the Pragmatic Programmers. They also have reasonable prices for ebooks and if you only get the paper edition, you can upgrade to the ebook later if you so desire (even if you buy the paper edition from another store, like Amazon).

The Pragmatic Bookshelf | Beginning Mac Programming

[turtle777]

Originally Posted by orsadude2 

I wanna be a developer

I'd recommend the following Developers 101 video:

YouTube - Steve Ballmer of Microsoft pumps up his Developers!

-t

[Warhaven]

If you do decide to upgrade your Mac, you may want to consider something like powermax.com. I traded in my old 15" 1.5GHz G4 PowerBook for $550. Was a pleasant surprise. Got a brand new mini for $39 shipped. I'd imagine your G5 tower is at least worth a Mini. Possibly even an iMac.

[edit]

Additionally, once you've gotten your feet wet with programming, Stanford offers a variety of excellent and free iPhone development courses on iTunes. Just search iTunes store for "stanford iphone."