Apple Xcode

Version14(as of 6/1/2023)
PlatformMac
LicenseFreeware
CategoryProgramming
Go to Website
Rating:3.4  |  41 Votes

Main Features

  • Fully-equipped IDE with SwiftUI for publishing macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps
  • Support for various languages, including Objective-C, C, C++, Java, Swift, Python, Ruby, and AppleScript
  • Various debugging and performance testing tools
  • Version control systems, including Git, Subversion, and Xcode snapshots, allow for team collaboration
  • Dark Xcode interface and tools for building dark macOS apps
  • Built-in testing engine for running unit tests and UI and performance tests
  • Xcode Cloud for continuous integration and delivery

Software Overview

Screenshot of Apple Xcode 14
Screenshot of Apple Xcode 14

Apple Xcode is a macOS IDE for developing apps for various Apple platforms, including macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS. It provides tools to help developers build user interface components with SwiftUI, write source code, and test and deploy their builds. The software is available for free from the Mac App Store.

Xcode includes all the tools needed to build and publish apps from start to finish. Xcode's Interface Builder provides a design canvas to create user interface components and set properties for interacting with your source code. SwiftUI allows you to build apps across all Apple platforms and includes navigation API, advanced layout control, UIKit interoperability, and support for additional UI components. The program integrates with popular version control tools, such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket. Also, it provides its own local revision tracking system called snapshots, allowing developers to track source code revisions.

The IDE features an impressive source code editor that makes it easy to visualize and select code sections and has a built-in refactoring and transformation engine. In addition, it supports various languages, including C++ and Swift, highlights changes you make to your code next to each line, and notifies you instantly if you have created a conflict. This is especially helpful when working collaboratively with local changes and commits from team members upstream in the source repository.

Debugging and performance tools allow developers to test for memory leaks and examine app efficiency during runtime. You can customize these tools, or you can use templates included with Xcode to build using the same tools as Apple. Xcode's Simulator enables you to prototype and test builds of your app by simulating iOS, watchOS, and tvOS devices. Also, Xcode comes with Xcode Cloud built into it, allowing you to deliver apps to testers and manage user feedback.

Summary

Xcode is a powerful tool for developing apps and has come a long way since the first version of the software. Apple has streamlined many tools and continues to make development more manageable by adding features like SwiftUI for multiplatform app development and Xcode Cloud for testing and deploying apps. As a result, Apple Xcode is an excellent IDE for developing macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS apps.

Primary File Type

xcodeproj icon.XCODEPROJXcode Project

Supported File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.XCODEPROJXcode Project
.ASMAssembly Language Source Code File
.CC/C++ Source Code File
.CCC++ Source Code File
.CPXcode C++ Source File
.CPPC++ Source Code File
.CXXC++ Source Code File
.DEVELOPERPROFILEXcode Developer Profile
.DOCSETDoxygen Document Set File
.ENTITLEMENTSMac App Sandboxing Entitlements File
.FFortran Source Code
.FORFortran 77 Source File
.GEOJSONGeoJSON File
.GLSLGLSL Shader File
.GPXGPS Exchange File
.HC/C++/Objective-C Header File
.HPPC++ Header File
.JAVAJava Source Code File
.LLex Source File
.LPPLabelPrint Project File
.MObjective-C Implementation File
.MAKEXcode Makefile Script
.MMObjective-C++ Source File
.MOBILEPROVISIONXcode Mobile Provisioning Profile
.MOMManaged Object Model
.NIBInterface Builder User Interface File
.OCTESTXcode Objective-C Unit Test Bundle
.PLISTmacOS Property List
.RRez Source Code File
.RBRuby Source Code
.RBWRuby Script
.SSource Code File
.STORYBOARDXcode Interface Builder Storyboard
.XCAPPDATAXcode App Data File
.XCARCHIVEXcode Archive
.XCDATAMODELXcode Core Data Model File
.XCDATAMODELDXcode Core Data Model File
.XCODEXcode Project
.XCSNAPSHOTSXcode Snapshot
.XCUSERSTATEXcode User State File
.XCWORKSPACEXcode Workspace
.XIBInterface Builder File
.YYacc Source File
.YMAtari ST Audio File

Additional Related File Types

ExtensionFile Type
.CACTIONAutomator Converter Action
.DSYMXcode Debug Symbols File
.DYLIBMach-O Dynamic Library
.EXPSymbols Export File
.FTNFortran Source Code File
.HHC++ Header File
.HXXC++ Source Code Header File
.IPSWiPod and iPhone Software Update File
.JAVJava Source File
.MAKMakefile
.PBPROJProject Builder Project
.PBXBTREEXcode Auto-Complete File
.PBXPROJXcode Project Data File
.PBXUSERXcode Project User Data File
.PCHPrecompiled Header File
.SCRIPTSUITEAppleScript Script Suite File
.SCRIPTTERMINOLOGYAppleScript Script Terminology File
.SDEFAppleScript Dictionary Document
.STRINGSText Strings File
.TBDApple Xcode Text-based Definition File
Updated 6/1/2023