The Apple Blog

JeremyK · 06-13-2009

Can someone please explain to me,

Apple keeps going on about "Cocoa Touch" with the iPhone, and I'd like to know what it is?

All comments appreciated...

**bendrucker** · 06-14-2009

Cocoa is an Apple API that builds on Objective-C to allow easy creation of interfaces, consistent UI, and easy access to APIs such as Core Audio, Quartz, and all of the many great APIs in OS X. Cocoa Touch is essentially the iPhone version of this. I'm not a software developer, so this information might not be perfect. In my understanding, Cocoa Touch offers the same type of OS integration as Cocoa for OS X. Cocoa Touch is what allows apps to access Core Location, the API that determines how much accuracy you need for your location in addition to other things. Also, many developers use the interface elements from Cocoa Touch. See the below graphic for some common iPhone interface elements, nearly all of which Apple makes available to all developers.

Again, I'm sure my explanation isn't perfect. I've never written a line of Obj-C for any platform, nor have I done much more than open XCode. Feel free to ask more questions if I haven't made anything clear enough.

JeremyK · 06-14-2009

Nope, great job at explaining that, it makes sense now!

06-13-2009	#1 (permalink)
JeremyK Personal Shopping Specialist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 217	Can someone please explain to me, Apple keeps going on about "Cocoa Touch" with the iPhone, and I'd like to know what it is? All comments appreciated... __________________ Once you go mac, you never go back! My macs: Aluminum MacBook, iPhone 3G 16GB, iPod Nano (5th Gen. Aluminum).

06-14-2009	#2 (permalink)
bendrucker Assistant Store Manager Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: New Jersey Posts: 2,654	Cocoa is an Apple API that builds on Objective-C to allow easy creation of interfaces, consistent UI, and easy access to APIs such as Core Audio, Quartz, and all of the many great APIs in OS X. Cocoa Touch is essentially the iPhone version of this. I'm not a software developer, so this information might not be perfect. In my understanding, Cocoa Touch offers the same type of OS integration as Cocoa for OS X. Cocoa Touch is what allows apps to access Core Location, the API that determines how much accuracy you need for your location in addition to other things. Also, many developers use the interface elements from Cocoa Touch. See the below graphic for some common iPhone interface elements, nearly all of which Apple makes available to all developers. Again, I'm sure my explanation isn't perfect. I've never written a line of Obj-C for any platform, nor have I done much more than open XCode. Feel free to ask more questions if I haven't made anything clear enough. __________________ iMac Intel Core Duo 17" 1.83Ghz, 2GB Crucial RAM \| iPhone 3GS (16GB) Twitter \| Business Twitter \| Maplewood, New Jersey Professional Photographer: Ben Drucker Photography

06-14-2009	#3 (permalink)
JeremyK Personal Shopping Specialist Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 217	Nope, great job at explaining that, it makes sense now! __________________ Once you go mac, you never go back! My macs: Aluminum MacBook, iPhone 3G 16GB, iPod Nano (5th Gen. Aluminum).

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