'Cocoa on Mac OS X v.10.1' course slated for November

Now that Mac OS X v10.1 is on the way, The Big Nerd Ranch is holding its first class in “Programming Cocoa on Mac OS X 10.1.”

Cocoa is an advanced object-oriented programming environment. According to Apple, Cocoa gives developers a whole new toolbox for building the best next-generation applications. It’s a collection of advanced, object-oriented APIs for developing applications written in Java and Objective-C.

Taught in a mountain lodge outside Asheville, NC, the class will be offered Nov. 12-16. The Big Nerd Ranch teaches programmers in an environment that includes room and board included in the class price. The five-day Cocoa course costs US$3,500. The price tag also includes a student guide, meals and transportation to and from the airport. According to Aaron Hillegass, Big Nerd Ranch instructor and founder, the course will be taught in Objective-C, but includes one section on how to write Cocoa applications with Java. He adds that, upon completion of the course, the student will:

Be able to write complex applications for Mac OS X;

Be fluent in Objective-C;

Have mastery of InterfaceBuilder and ProjectBuilder;

Be able to find and understand the online documentation;

Have experience with the most common classes in the frameworks;

Have a clear understanding of the design patterns used in Cocoa;

Be able to recognize several common idioms of the Cocoa community.

Hillegass has more than seven years of experience consulting and teaching for Apple and NeXT Computer. The November class precedes the release of Aaron’s new book, “Cocoa Programming for Mac OS X.” Students in the November class will receive an unbound copy of the new book, including the changes made to incorporate OS 10.1.

For more info, go to the company Web site or e-mail them.