Datasheet

Chapter 1: Introducing Xcode 4

NOTE

Rumors surface regularly of a merger, or at least a relationship, between Xcode and Microsoft’s Visual Studio series of

development tools. There would be obvious commercial benefits to allowing Windows developers access to iOS and

the App Store, but Apple’s culture tends to be closed and proprietary. A formal link is possible, but at the time of writ-

ing it seems very unlikely.

Moving to Xcode 4

Xcode 4 marks a significant change, because the aim is no longer to produce code, but to sim-

plify the developer experience. Many developer tasks are repetitive chores that have become

embedded in the development process for historical reasons. Developer tools typically assume

a workflow and mindset that date back to the very earliest days of computing, more than half a

century ago.

The designers of Xcode 4 have begun to rethink some of these assumptions, adding features

that can streamline and simplify the workflow. Some of these features are specific to Cocoa and

Objective-C development, while others are more general improvements in code management

and debugging. Compiler technology has also improved, and Xcode 4 is moving toward the lat-

est and fastest compiler tools.

CROSSREFERENCE

For details of the compiler technologies available in Xcode 4, see Appendix C.

Compared to Xcode 3, Xcode 4 has a completely redesigned interface and a selection of extra

features:

A unified interface in a single window

Integrated editors for all main code and data file types

Integration of Interface Builder, the Xcode visual UI design tool

Simpler and faster navigation between files

Integrated code management with version control, repository access, and a code

library to simplify reuse of code snippets

Improved debugging and code testing with more informative error messages, static

code testing, support for multiple log files, and better Code Completion (formerly

Code Sense) hinting

New code analysis features, which offer hints about basic coding errors

Improved and simplified code and symbol searches

Simplified management of build targets and products

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