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Apple's developer guides provide conceptual and task-oriented information. They include overviews, tutorials, programming guides, server administration guides, and, for developer tools, user guides.

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Core Audio Overview (HTML) (PDF)
Provides an overview of Core Audio and its programming interfaces.
Audio, Carbon, Cocoa, Games 2007-01-08
Core Data Model Versioning and Data Migration Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains the managed object model versioning and data migration features of Core Data.
Cocoa 2008-02-08
Core Data Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to manage objects using the Core Data framework.
Cocoa 2009-03-04
Core Data Snippets (HTML) (PDF)
Snippets of code that you can use when writing a program that uses Core Data.
Cocoa 2009-03-04
Core Data Utility Tutorial (HTML) (PDF)
A hands-on guide to creating a command-line utility using low-level features of Core Data.
Cocoa 2009-03-04
Core Foundation Design Concepts (HTML) (PDF)
Explains the fundamental design concepts that underlie all Core Foundation programming interfaces.
Carbon, Core Foundation, Mac OS X, Open Source 2005-08-11
Core Image Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Provides an overview and explains how to use and create image filters and image units.
Carbon, Cocoa, Games, Graphics & Imaging 2008-06-09
Core Text Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to do text layout and font-related operations using the Core Text programming interfaces.
Carbon, Text & Fonts 2008-06-09
Core Video Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes Core Video concepts and how to obtain and manipulate video frames using the Core Video API.
Graphics & Imaging 2007-04-03
Creating a Managed Object Model with Xcode (HTML) (PDF)
A tutorial that shows how to create a Core Data managed object model using Xcode.
Cocoa, Tools 2007-08-07
Creating Carbon Menus (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to create menus in Carbon applications.
Carbon, User Experience 2004-02-23
Creating Printing Presets for iPhoto (HTML) (PDF)
Rules for creating and installing printer-specific collections of settings. Includes a sample file.
Apple Applications, Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging, Printing 2005-07-07
Cross-Development Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to build software for versions of Mac OS X other than the one the development tools are running on.
Carbon, Cocoa, Darwin, Open Source, Tools 2006-11-07
Cursor Management (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to set the cursor and handle cursor-update events in Cocoa applications.
Cocoa 2008-03-11
Dashboard Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains Dashboard and WebKit technologies used in widgets.
Apple Applications, Cocoa, Internet & Web, Scripting & Automation, Tools, User Experience 2009-02-04
Dashcode User Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Dashcode to create Dashboard widgets.
Apple Applications, Scripting & Automation, Tools, User Experience 2009-03-04
Data Browser Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to present data in lists similar to the list and column views in the Finder.
Carbon, User Experience 2007-08-07
Data Formatting Guide for Core Foundation (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Core Foundation formatters to create and validate text in text fields and other cells.
Carbon, Core Foundation, Open Source 2006-12-21
Data Formatting Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa formatters to create and validate text in text fields and other cells.
Cocoa 2008-10-15
Dates and Times Programming Guide for Core Foundation (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to manage Core Foundation dates and times.
Carbon, Core Foundation, Internationalization, Open Source 2005-08-11
Dates and Times Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to manage Cocoa dates and times.
Cocoa 2007-09-04
Debugging Cocoa Applications (HTML) (PDF)
Tips and techniques for debugging Cocoa applications.
Cocoa, Performance 2002-11-12
Debugging Programming Topics for Core Foundation (HTML) (PDF)
Tips and techniques for debugging Core Foundation code.
Carbon, Core Foundation, Open Source, Performance 2003-01-17
Debugging with GDB (HTML)
Open-source document that explains how to use GDB to debug programs.
Carbon, Cocoa, Tools 2008-06-19
Deploying Mac OS X Computers for K-12 Education (PDF)
Explains how to configure and deploy Mac OS X Server and Mac OS X computers for K-12 education.
Enterprise IT, Internet & Web, Mac OS X Server, Networking 2006-07-24
Deploying Mac OS X Server for High Performance Computing (PDF)
Explains how to configure Mac OS X Server for computational clustering.
Mac OS X Server, Performance, Storage 2005-10-04
Desktop Icons (HTML)
Explains how to provide custom icons for a Carbon application and its documents.
Carbon, User Experience 2002-08-19
Device File Access Guide for Serial Devices (HTML) (PDF)
Guidelines for using I/O Kit and POSIX functions to develop applications that communicate with serial devices.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2005-12-06
Device File Access Guide for Storage Devices (HTML) (PDF)
Guidelines for using I/O Kit and POSIX functions to develop applications that communicate with storage devices.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2007-03-06
Dialogs and Special Panels (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create alert panels. Includes links to documents about other types of panels.
Cocoa, User Experience 2009-02-04
Dictionary Services Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create a dictionary and access it programmatically.
Carbon, Cocoa, Core Foundation, User Experience 2007-05-30
Distributed Objects Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Objective-C objects in different threads or different processes communicate.
Cocoa, Networking 2007-06-06
DNS Service Discovery Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use DNS Service Discovery in your application.
Games, Networking, Open Source 2005-11-09
DNSServiceDiscovery Mach-Based API (HTML) (PDF)
Deprecated.
Networking 2005-04-29
Dock Tile Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to provide an icon and contextual menu in Carbon applications.
Carbon, Cocoa, User Experience 2009-03-04
Document-Based Applications Overview (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to design and implement Cocoa applications that manage multiple documents.
Cocoa 2009-01-12
Documentation Set Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to integrate third-party documentation with the Xcode Documentation window.
Tools 2009-01-06
Drag and Drop Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to implement drag and drop in Cocoa.
Cocoa, User Experience 2006-06-28
Drag Manager Programmer's Guide (PDF)
Explains how to add support for drag and drop to a Carbon application.
Carbon 1995-12-11
Drawers (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa drawers.
Cocoa, User Experience 2003-02-04
Drawing Performance Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Guidelines for improving the speed of drawing code.
Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging, Performance, Tools 2006-04-04
DVD Playback Services Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use DVD Playback Services to add DVD-Video playback features to applications.
Graphics & Imaging 2006-03-08
Dynamic Library Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to design, implement, and use dynamic libraries.
Darwin, Open Source, Tools 2009-02-26
eMac Developer Note (HTML) (PDF)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of the eMac computer introduced in May 2005.
Hardware & Drivers 2005-05-03
Error Handling Programming Guide For Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Describes NSError objects, related Application Kit support for error handling, and how to use these features in your code.
Cocoa 2009-03-04
Ethernet Developer Note (HTML)
Provides an overview of Ethernet technology and describes its implementation in Mac computers.
Hardware & Drivers 2008-04-28
Event-Driven XML Programming Guide for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to process XML documents using the Cocoa streaming parser.
Cocoa 2008-09-09
Exception Programming Topics for Cocoa (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to raise and handle exceptions in Cocoa applications.
Cocoa 2007-10-02
Extending Printing Dialogs (HTML) (PDF)
A guide to developing printing dialog extensions, including basic concepts and a documented Carbon-based sample project.
Carbon, Graphics & Imaging, Printing 2006-10-03
Extending Your Wiki Server (PDF)
Explains how to migrate content from other wikis, create custom themes, and enable JavaScript, YouTube, and Flash.
Enterprise IT, Internet & Web, Mac OS X Server 2008-06-09
File System Events Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how applications can detect changes in the file system.
Core Foundation, Darwin, Storage 2008-03-11
File System Overview (HTML) (PDF)
Conceptual information and guidelines describing the structure and usage of the Mac OS X file system.
Carbon, Cocoa, Darwin, Mac OS X, Open Source, Tools, User Experience 2008-07-11
File-System Performance Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Guidelines for improving the performance of file-related code.
Carbon, Cocoa, Core Foundation, Performance, Storage, Tools 2005-07-07
Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format (HTML) (PDF)
Describes Final Cut Pro XML Interchange Format version 4, providing access to contents of FCP projects.
Apple Applications 2009-02-04
FireWire Developer Note (HTML)
Provides an overview of FireWire (IEEE 1394) and describes support for it on Mac computers.
Hardware & Drivers 2008-04-28
FireWire Device Interface Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to develop applications to communicate with or control FireWire devices and units.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2007-02-08
Font Handling (HTML) (PDF)
Explains the Cocoa font management system and how users select fonts.
Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging, Text & Fonts 2008-02-08
Font Panel (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use the Cocoa Font panel.
Cocoa, Text & Fonts, User Experience 2004-08-31
Forms (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa forms.
Cocoa, User Experience 2002-11-12
Framework Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Conceptual information and guidelines on how to create a framework.
Tools 2006-11-07
FxPlug SDK Overview (HTML) (PDF)
Update for FxPlug SDK 1.2.3.
Apple Applications 2008-07-04
Garbage Collection Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the garbage collection system for Cocoa.
Cocoa 2008-11-19
GCC Porting Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Provides guidance on how to migrate projects to new GCC releases.
Carbon, Cocoa, Darwin, Performance, Porting, Tools 2006-10-03
GDB Internals (HTML)
Open-source document that explains the GDB implementation.
Tools 2008-06-19
GNU C 4.2 Preprocessor Internals (HTML)
Tools 2008-01-23
GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) 4.2 Internals (HTML)
Tools 2008-01-23
GNU Compiler Collection (GCC) Internals (HTML)
Tools 2007-12-11
Handling Carbon Windows and Controls (HTML) (PDF)
A guidebook for implementing windows and controls in Carbon applications.
Carbon, User Experience 2005-07-07
Handling Unicode Text Editing With MLTE (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Apple's multilingual text engine.
Carbon, Graphics & Imaging, Internationalization, Text & Fonts 2008-10-15
Hardware Developer Note Terms and Abbreviations (HTML)
Lists common terms and abbreviations used in Apple's Hardware Developer Notes.
Hardware & Drivers 2006-08-08
HBA Device Driver Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to develop a high-performance, kernel-resident driver for an HBA device.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2006-05-23
HeaderDoc User Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to extract API reference documentation from commented header files.
Darwin, Open Source, Tools 2008-04-08
HIArchive Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to store data objects using HIArchive. Also includes information to make custom HIObjects archivable.
Carbon, User Experience 2005-08-11
HID Class Device Interface Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to develop applications to communicate with or control HID class devices.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2009-05-06
HIToolbar Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to create toolbars in Carbon applications.
Carbon, User Experience 2005-07-07
HIView Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes view-based controls and how to implement them in Carbon applications.
Carbon, User Experience 2007-10-31
HTML Scripting Guide for QuickTime (HTML) (PDF)
Defines the HTML tags and parameters used to communicate with the QuickTime browser plug-in, ActiveX control, and QuickTime Player.
Internet & Web, QuickTime, Scripting & Automation 2008-10-15
I/O Kit Device Driver Design Guidelines (HTML) (PDF)
Design guidelines and tips for developing, debugging, and deploying kernel-resident device drivers, including user clients.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers 2007-03-06
I/O Kit Fundamentals (HTML) (PDF)
The basics of developing device drivers. Includes descriptions of I/O Kit families.
Darwin, Hardware & Drivers, Mac OS X, Performance 2007-05-17
iBook Developer Note (HTML) (PDF)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of the iBook G4 computer introduced in July 2005.
Hardware & Drivers 2005-07-26
Identity Services Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how identities work and how to use them in applications.
Core Foundation, Networking, Security, User Experience 2008-10-15
iMac Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of iMac computers introduced in April 2008.
Hardware & Drivers 2008-04-28
iMac Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of iMac computers introduced in August 2007.
Hardware & Drivers 2007-08-07
iMac Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of iMac computers with SuperDrive introduced September 2006.
Hardware & Drivers 2007-05-03
iMac Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of the iMac computer introduced in January 2006.
Hardware & Drivers 2007-04-04
iMac Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of iMac computers with Combo drive introduced September 2006.
Hardware & Drivers 2006-09-07
iMac G5 Developer Note (HTML)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of the iMac G5 computer introduced in October 2005.
Hardware & Drivers 2006-04-07
iMac G5 Developer Note (HTML) (PDF)
Specifies the internal design, I/O features, and expansion capabilities of the iMac G5 introduced in May 2005.
Hardware & Drivers 2005-05-03
Image Capture Applications Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the interaction between applications programs and image capture devices such as cameras and scanners.
Carbon, Cocoa, Hardware & Drivers 2007-05-16
Image I/O Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to read and write image data using the Image I/O framework.
Carbon, Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging 2007-07-02
Image Kit Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to support browsing, viewing, editing, and processing images.
Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging 2008-06-09
Image Unit Tutorial (HTML) (PDF)
Describes how to write image processing kernels and package them for distribution.
Carbon, Cocoa, Games, Graphics & Imaging 2009-05-06
Image Views (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to use Cocoa image views.
Cocoa, Graphics & Imaging, User Experience 2002-11-12
Instant Message Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to access iChat services and buddies and use iChat Theater through code samples.
Apple Applications, Cocoa, Internet & Web 2007-10-31
Instruments User Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the Instruments application and explains how to use it to examine program behavior.
Tools 2008-10-15
Interacting with the Operating System (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how Cocoa applications manage tasks and get information about hosts and processes.
Cocoa 2006-04-04
Interactive Movies (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to construct interactive movies using QuickTime wired sprites and sprite animation.
Internet & Web, QuickTime 2002-10-01
Interface Builder Plug-In Programming Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Describes the process for creating custom Interface Builder palettes.
Cocoa, Tools 2007-07-18
Interface Builder User Guide (HTML) (PDF)
Conceptual information and tasks explaining how to use the Interface Builder application to design user interfaces.
Carbon, Cocoa, Tools, User Experience 2008-11-19
Internationalization Programming Topics (HTML) (PDF)
Explains how to support multiple languages in software.
Carbon, Cocoa, Core Foundation, Internationalization, Tools 2009-01-06