Tools you’ll love to use.
The Xcode developer tools package provides everything you need to create great applications for Mac, iPhone, and iPad.
Xcode is tightly integrated with the Cocoa and Cocoa Touch frameworks, creating a productive and easy-to-use development environment that is powerful enough to be the same tools used by Apple to produce OS X and iOS. The Xcode toolset includes the amazing Xcode IDE, with the Interface Builder design tool and Apple LLVM compiler fully integrated. The Instruments analysis tool is also included, along with dozens of other supporting developer tools.
Xcode IDE
Designed from the ground up to take advantage of the newest Apple technologies, Xcode integrates all the tools you need. The unified interface smoothly transitions from composing source code, to debugging, and even to designing your next stunning user interface, all within the same window.
The Xcode workspace is all about keeping you focused. As you type, Live Issues will immediately alert you to coding mistakes, displaying a message bubble beside your code for more detail. Hit the Run button to launch your Mac app, or upload the app to your test device, and immediately start debugging. Hover the mouse pointer above a variable to inspect its value at runtime, never having lost your place in the editor.
By working closely with the developer web portal, Xcode provisions new iOS devices with a single click, can securely sign and archive your Mac or iOS app, and directly submit it to the App Store. Learn more about what’s new in Xcode 4
Apple LLVM Compiler
Apple’s next generation compiler technology, the Apple LLVM compiler, does more than build your app. Apple LLVM technology is integrated into the entire development experience. The same parser used to build C/C++ and Objective-C powers Xcode’s indexing engine, providing incredibly accurate code completions. As you work, Apple LLVM is constantly evaluating what you type, identifying coding mistakes that Xcode shows as Live Issues, and thinking ahead for ways to Fix-it for you. Other compilers can tell you what is wrong — Apple LLVM can make it right.
Instruments for Performance and Behavior Analysis
A world-class OS X or iOS application provides a great user experience, and that means more than beautiful images and intuitive design. Great applications must feel fast, respond quickly, and impress with smooth animations. To help make your app great, the Xcode developer tools include Instruments, a truly unique application that helps you track down performance bottlenecks in your OS X and iOS apps.
Instruments collects data such as disk, memory, or CPU usage in real time, either on your Mac or remotely from a connected iPhone. The collected data is graphically displayed as tracks over time, making it easy to pinpoint problem areas, then drill down to the offending lines of code.
Instruments helps guarantee your gorgeous user interface will be accompanied by equally impressive responsiveness.
iOS Simulator
The iOS Simulator runs your application in much the same way as an actual iOS device. Because it is quick to launch and debug, the iOS Simulator makes for a perfect test bed to make sure your user interface works the way you intend, your network calls are correct, and that the views change correctly when the phone rotates. You can even simulate touch gestures by using the mouse. The iOS Simulator is a great time saver.