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WWDC 2002 Information

WWDC 2002 and the future of Mac OS development

With this year's worldwide developers conference, Apple is pointing the ship forward and focusing efforts on getting the rest of the Mac development community up to speed on OS X. OS X has reached a maturity and stability point that make it a useful, everyday option for a large number of Mac users. The only thing holding them back: the thousands of Classic Mac OS apps they rely on for their daily work. The only way to get Mac OS X to the proverbial midnight is by getting the rest of the development community on-board and helping them ship their apps.

This year's conference offers so many OS X specific sessions that the list below is merely a sampling of the key technologies that make OS X what it is. The topics cover everything from the basics for beginners to advanced topics in application development and performance tuning (a key issue with OS X).

Cocoa

To tap the real power of OS X, you need to use Cocoa APIs. Apple is offering 7 sessions dedicated to Cocoa development, including:

• 300 - Introduction to Cocoa
• 301 - Cocoa: What's New
• 302 - Cocoa API Techniques
• 303 - Cocoa Scripting
• 304 - Cocoa Controls and Cocoa Accessibility
• 305 - Cocoa Drawing
• 306 - Cocoa Text
• FF015 Feedback Forum: Cocoa

One session you should be sure to attend is the feedback forum. It is not often that developers get an open forum in which to discuss the merits and futures of Apple technologies. This is your opportunity to be heard and hear the concerns of those who have been using Cocoa for some time. The scheduled time of late on Friday is a little disappointing, but it is worth the extra night.

JAVA

A lot has been said about Mac OS X's implementation of Java as being one of the best on the market. Some of the technology Apple developed for their Java implementation is even being rolled back into the main Java code stream. WWDC offers ample opportunity to learn about the implementation of Java under OS X. There is even a session on integrating Java with QuickTime, making it possible to deliver content-rich web-based applications.

Sessions on Java include:

• 400 - Java and Apple: State of the Union
• 401 - Java Graphics
• 402 - J2SE Mac OS X Platform Overview
• 403 - Java in the Browser
• 404 - Tailoring Java Applications for Mac OS X
• 405 - Java Virtual Machine Internals
• 406 - Java Web Services
• 407 - Java Performance
• 408 - QuickTime for Java Overview Tools
• FF004 Feedback Forum: Java

Again, don't miss out on the opportunity to provide feedback on the future of Java at Apple, as well as learn from the experiences of those already using the technology on a daily basis.

Tools

How can one develop without the right set of tools? Mac OS X offers a completely new set of development tools including Project Builder, new compilers, and new debuggers. Making effective use of these tools and building efficient applications takes time and effort. There are a total of 10 sessions dedicated to the Mac OS X developer tools and how to use them. This should be a sign to you that things have changed drastically and this is a key area to focus on when making the transition to OS X.

Sessions include:

• 900 - Mac OS X Development Tools Overview
• 901 - Command Line Development Tools
• 902 - Apple Script Studio Introduction
• 903 - Exploring the Project Builder IDE
• 904 - Using Interface Builder
• 905 - Apple Performance Tools
• 906 - Developing For Performance
• 907 - Compiler Developments at Apple
• 908 - Delivering with Project Builder
• 909 - Debugging in Mac OS X
• FF014 Feedback Forum: Development Technologies

There is enough here to keep even the most tireless conference attendee busy, yet it represents only a small fraction of all the sessions planned this year. Make your plans, pack plenty of your caffeinated beverages of choice, and prepare for what promises to be one of the most important developer conferences in at least 5 years.

WWDC is Apple's annual Worldwide Developers Conference and is scheduled for May 6-10, in San Jose, CA. Register early and save money.