macOS Opinions on XCode

I haven't used XCode a ton but from a GUI creation standpoint (interface builder) I love it. It's much easier to get things lined up and looking nice since the GUI standards are sorta built into the program. VB 6/.NET are fairly easy to set up the GUI but I never feel like I know if I have the spacing right. With Interface Builder I never really worry about it...

XCode does feel "different" than some of the other coding interfaces I've used but all of them feel that way I guess... just gotta get used to where all your project files are located and such...

I really like Xcode and Interface Builder a lot. Can't wait to start using Core Data. I'm only a part-time programmer, but since I assume Apple is using it to code hardcore apps like Final Cut Pro and Motion (and possibly Shake and OS X itself?), it certainly seems capable enough. I have heard some grumbles that gcc is not the most optimized compiler around, though.

XCode is pretty sweet. I'm a Java programmer so I've always used Eclipse (and still do for the most part), but I find XCode has many of the features Eclipse does. There are some key things missing, but it's always hard to switch IDE's if you're familiar with doing things a certain way. I've never been a big fan of Visual Studio so I think XCode is better, but that's just me.

By the way is that Code Sense thing new in XCode 2? Because I'm really liking it

jamdr said:

By the way is that Code Sense thing new in XCode 2? Because I'm really liking it

Click to expand...

I think CodeSense for Java is new. It's been there for Obj-C for a few versions. They have changed how it works a little but I quite like the Ctrl-. to show the completion and cycle through them. It seems to be much better at guesing what you want based on the text around it now too.

Xcode (& Interface Builder, since the two are tightly integrated) is an enormously flexible tool, and is rapidly evolving. However, the learning curve for any developer - particularly if you're new to Cocoa/Objective C - is pretty harsh.

Even after using it for several months now, I still find it frustrating the way the project/target/executable settings are set in several places, and the way build settings override target settings etc. so you have to be *very* careful your settings aren't being over-ridden elsewhere, and the way there are four separate settings you need to check to decide the built application's location, etc.

On the positive side, having a tool which integrated design, code editor, help viewer, complete reference tool, UI builder and debugger, supporting several languages and with a huge array of templates is a vast improvement on other IDEs I've used.

Xcode, in general, is pretty nice, but I think the whole project/target/executable system is more complicated than it needs to be. I wish you could just compile, run and boom, your application. Otherwise, it is a very nice app.

I use Xcode for my C/C++ work (console stuff right now) for college, and I use Eclipse for my Java work.