Month: April 2014

So far, we’ve described how to start a task on a thread, configure a thread, and pass data in both directions. We’ve also described how local variables are private to a thread and how references can be shared among threads, allowing them to communicate via common fields. The next step is synchronization: coordinating the actions of threads for a predictable outcome. Synchronization is particularly important when threads access the same data; it’s surprisingly easy to run aground in this area. Synchronization constructs can be divided into four categories: Simple blocking…

So you’re a game developer? Then sprite sheets are one of your best friends. Sprite sheets make drawing faster and can even consume less memory than standard screen drawing methods. There are two awesome sprite sheet tutorials about sprite sheets on this site: How To Use Animations and Sprite Sheets in Cocos2D How to Create and Optimize Sprite Sheets in Cocos2D with Texture Packer and Pixel Formats The second tutorial covers pixel formats in detail, which can have a measurable impact on a game’s performance. If you’re not yet familar…

A significant and growing number of apps rely on external data from remote servers or other external APIs. At some point you’ll be developing an app that downloads data in XML, JSON, HTML or some other text format. The problem is that the network condition cannot be relied upon when it comes to mobile devices. A user can be on an EDGE network one minute, and the a 3G network the next. Whatever the scenario, you don’t want to keep your user waiting! One option to reduce the file size…

Learning to use the most appropriate class or object for the task at hand is fundamental to writing efficient code. This is especially true when dealing with collections. Happily, there’s a document named Collections Programming Topics on Apple’s Developer Library that explains in detail the differences between the available classes, as well as which situations suit each class. It’s a must read document for anyone looking to work with collections.TLDR? Here’s a quick synopsis of the most common collection types: Arrays: Ordered list of values. Quick lookup by index, slow…

Xcode is the most used IDE for iOS development. Apple is doing a great job in updating and adding features to it. Knowing how to take advantage of its capabilities can help you code faster and more efficiently. Check out this Guide for Xcode 5 shortcuts, tips and tricks. Xcode’s workspace window is split into 5 main areas: the toolbar, the navigation area, the editing area, the debug area and the utility area: Navigating in Xcode The navigation area has a toolbar as well. It has 8 tabs: project navigator,…

What are report parameters used for? The most common use of report parameters is to specify a criterion for subsetting data. The value of the parameter may be set programmatically by the host application, or one report may pass a parameter to another report. When you drillthrough from one report to another, the main report passes the id of the item the user clicked on to the drillthrough report as a report parameter. The drillthrough report then uses the parameter value to only display data corresponding to the item the…

Kata is a Japanese word describing detailed choreographed patterns of movements practiced either solo or in pairs. most commonly known for the presence in the martial arts. The idea is if you practice something regularly, at some point it will be come natural. (As they call it “Muscle memory” :)). Even though Test Driven Development has been preached as best practice for years now, there is still resistance in many IT shops to adapt TDD (Test Driven Developer). So the best way to teach your team to start making TDD…