22.00.0047: Request for help: how do I learn Mac software development?

20-29 Community 22 Blog
1

Chatting to a friend yesterday made me realise that I really want to write software to help you manage your Johnny.Decimal system.

It’ll be Mac initially, and iPad/iPhone maybe later. It can’t be web — not enough system integration — and I’m sorry if you use Linux or Windows but I’m just one guy and Apple is what I know.

I can already code to a meh standard. I know JavaScript. So I don’t need to learn the fundamentals of programming.

I listen to ATP, so I have a good high level understanding of the state of Mac development. I’d like to learn whatever’s as default and future-proof as possible. So I guess that means Swift UI? (I know this might come with some trade-offs.)

So! What I’m looking for is a list of the best resources. Including but not limited to:

  • YouTube channels.
  • Courses, paid included.
  • Blogs or other personal sites that will tell me what to do.
  • Podcasts? Though I don’t see audio as the ideal medium here.

Who’s the Wes Bos of Swift? Who will mainline me information as fast as I can absorb it?

What’s my fastest path to getting a minimally functional Mac app working?

Throw me suggestions via email, on this forum post, or on Mastodon.

Thanks! :pray:

3

Hey! That’s awesome to hear about your project. For the fastest path to a functional Mac app, I’d recommend Paul Hudson’s “100 Days of SwiftUI” from Hacking with Swift for structured learning. Also, check out Sean Allen and CodeWithChris on YouTube for tutorials, and Ray Wenderlich’s site for in-depth guides. Swift by Sundell is a good podcast for staying updated. Good luck with your software development journey! Feel free to reach out if you need more suggestions.

4

Amazing, cheers! I bought Paul’s Hacking with macOS book and I’m hammering through it. Plenty of similarities to JS so far so it’s been a fairly quick ramp-up.

I just hit ContentView so now I feel like I’m really getting in to it.

Will check out those YouTube channels, thanks for the pointers.