Apple Xcode

Version10(as of 11/30/2018)
PlatformMac
LicenseFreeware
CategoryProgramming
Go to Website
Rating:3.4  |  40 Votes

Main Features

  • Fully-equipped IDE for publishing iOS and OS X apps
  • Support for a variety of 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

Software Overview

Screenshot of Apple Xcode 9
Screenshot of Apple Xcode 9

Apple Xcode is a macOS IDE used for developing iOS and macOS apps. It is available for free from the Mac App Store and is required to publish iOS apps to the iTunes App Store and macOS apps to the Mac App Store. The software provides a suite of tools to help developers build user interface components and write source code.

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, as well as to set properties for interacting with your source code. The Interface Builder can also easily switch from light to dark mode for developing dark macOS apps (introduced in macOS Mojave). The program integrates with popular version control tools such as GitHub, GitLab, and Bitbucket and also provides its own local revision tracking system called snapshots, allowing developers to track revisions of source code.

The IDE features an impressive source code editor that makes it easy to visualize and select sections of code and comes with a built-in refactoring and transformation engine. Changes you make to your code are highlighted next to each line and you are instantly notified 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. These tools can be customized or you can use templates included with Xcode to build using the same tools as Apple. Also, Xcode comes with Simulator, a tool that allows you to prototype and test builds of your app by simulating iOS, watchOS, and tvOS devices.

Summary

Xcode is a great tool for developing apps and has come a long way since the first version of the software. Apple has streamlined many features and continues to make development easier for app developers. Keep in mind that, while you can develop with Xcode for free, you must subscribe to the iOS and Mac developer programs before you can distribute apps on Apple's stores.

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
.XCWORKSPACEXcode Workspace File
.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 11/30/2018