@interface UIImage (AJKImageWithPDF)
 
+ (UIImage *)imageWithPDFNamed:(NSString *)pdfName;
+ (UIImage *)imageWithPDFNamed:(NSString *)pdfName scale:(CGFloat)scale;
 
@end

A small category for iOS to create an image from a .pdf file with as little fuss as possible: UIImage+WithPDF.

require 'pathname'
 
success = FALSE
 
Pathname.getwd.ascend do | directory |
  directory.each_entry do | path |
    if path.basename.fnmatch("*.xcodeproj")
      system "open '#{directory + path}'"
      success = TRUE;
    end
  end
end
 
 
print "  Couldn't find an *.xcodeproj file for the '#{Pathname.getwd}' directory\n\n" if !success

Combined with an alias, either in your ~/.zshrc or ~/.bashrc files:

alias xc="ruby ~/Developer/Offshoots/Scripts/Open\ Xcode\ Project.rb"

Bezier acts as a viewer for FScript. It’s exactly what you get if you were to take the contents of a text file, parse it as FScript and then execute it from within a views -drawRect: method.

The way I tend to set things up is to first create a file with the .bezier extension using my favourite text editor (I like TextMate, particularly when used in conjunction with the FScript bundle that offers syntax highlighting, some simple snippets and basic auto-completion) and open that file in Bezier. I’ll then arrange the two windows so that they are both visible, either by placing them side by side, or on different screens, if that’s an option. Bezier will redraw it’s main view whenever it detects a changes to the file (using the AJKFileSystemObserver class) so all you need to do is write some FScript based drawing code, hit ‘Save’ and the changes should be reflected in the other window.

I find it a refreshing change to the normal Build and Run approach using Xcode, particularly when it gets down to those tiny iterations that go into honing a pixel perfect UI. If your code contains any errors then the bottom view will try to offer some useful information to help with debugging:

Once you’ve refined your drawing code it’s pretty easy to convert FScript code into standard Objective-C that you can use directly in your Cocoa applications thanks to their similar basic syntax although it’s worth bearing in mind that not all of FScripts niceties will translate to Objective-C.

I hope that you’ll find Bezier to be a useful tool for prototyping UI elements in code, particularly now that resolution independence is becoming a reality thanks to the new iPhones and iPods.

It currently offers a bare minimum of features. There are a few things that I plan to add when I have a spare moment (staring with a better example file), but I’m open to any suggestions, or forks if you feel like digging into the code yourself. It’d also be nice to hear from people who end up using Bezier, maybe even see some pictures if you create something super pretty!

You can download Bezier as a binary along with a sample .bezier file, or get the source code on GitHub (MIT license).

A moment of stillness, followed by the dive.

It will either be the most amazing, shimmering, life-changing experience.. or equally it could be a total bellyflop. The black unbroken mirror of the water looms. Impossible to fathom. Time seems to hold it’s breath, and I can’t help enjoy the feeling of falling and the thrill of the unknown.

From today I’m going freelance as a Cocoa and iOS developer, creating extra-ordinary, soulful applications for the iPhone, iPod Touch, iPad and the Mac. I’m a lone code wrangler, newly returned from shaving yaks in the distant lands of architecture, prepared to face down any problem the compiler throws at me. I’m ready, able and available for hire.

& becomes &
< becomes &lt;
> becomes &gt;
And so on..

It’s loosely based on a similar category in the Google Toolbox. It’s written with a bias towards simplicity rather than efficiency.. and it’s on GitHub: http://github.com/inquisitiveSoft/NSString-EscapeHTMLCharacters. MIT License.

Apparently inserting an object into NSCache is 50x slower than a regular NSMutableDictionary! It’s possible Shark might not be reporting the figures accurately.

My current work-around is to store up additions to the NSCache so that they can be inserted at a later time, when processing power is at less of a premium. Yes, shoot me. I’ve subclassed NSCache.

#! /bin/sh
#
# Opens the current file in TextMate
 
mate "%%%{PBXFilePath}%%%"

Paste into a new user script (Scripts -> Edit User Scripts…) and set the Input, Directory and Output options to 'No Input', 'Selection', and 'Discard Output' respectively and choose a useful key combination.

•

It’s strange how long we will struggle to work around a sub-optimal workflow, even when a fix might be disproportionately easy.