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APPENDIX A
Introducing Xcode 4

When learning about any Apple product, it’s important to keep in mind that Apple likes
to change things (sometimes quite dramatically). This book was written based on Xcode
3.2 tools, which have looked very much the same for the past decade (like the versions of
Xcode that preceded them, and the NeXT tools before those). In mid-2010, Apple released
the first “developer preview” of Xcode 4, a release that, to borrow a phrase from Steve
Jobs, “changes everything.”

Xcode 4 pulls all of Xcode and Interface Builder into a single window. No more floating
windows with tools and inspectors; instead, everything is consolidated into a single iTunes-
like view, as shown in Figure A.1.

FIGURE A.1
Xcode 4
consolidates
Xcode and
Interface
Builder
(and all their
associated
windows)
into a single
view.
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2 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

The bad news is that if you’re used to using Xcode 3.2, Xcode 4 is a bit of a shock.
The good news is that (almost) everything you know and love about the earlier
Xcode is still present; you just have to know where to look. The best news? If you’re
already programming for iOS, you’re through the tough stuff! You don’t have to
relearn iOS development; you just need to learn where Apple hid all of your tools!

In preview form, Xcode 4 still has many rough edges and features that feel incom-
plete, so it’s difficult to predict when it will become Apple’s primary development
platform. Even after the release of Xcode 4.0, Xcode 3.2 will likely remain the plat-
form of choice for many developers because of its maturity and stability.

I recommend that, as a new developer, you begin coding in Xcode 3.2 to avoid any
surprises that come with adopting just-released software. On the other hand, I fully
understand the desire to play with the latest and greatest toys from Apple, so I’ve
created this appendix to help you get started in Xcode 4.

Let’s walk through the tasks you need to perform when working on your iOS projects.

Installing Xcode
You install the developer tools exactly as in the past. Download the latest Xcode 4
release from http://developer.apple.com/ios and run the installer package. Unlike
the 3.2.x versions, however, Xcode 4 will be installed in a folder called Xcode4 at the
root of your hard drive. If you have an earlier version installed, it can coexist with
Xcode 4 with no problem, as shown in Figure A.2.

FIGURE A.2
If you install
Xcode 4, it can Xcode 4
coexist with ear-
Xcode 3
lier versions of
the developer
tools.
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Creating a New Project 3

As with 3.2.x, the developer applications themselves are located in the Applications
folder within the main installation directory (/Xcode4/Applications). Your main
interest, obviously, will be in the Xcode application, which wraps up the functionali-
ty of Xcode and Interface Builder into a single integrated tool.

Creating a New Project

To create a new project, start Xcode and either use the shortcut on the Xcode wel-
come screen or choose File, New Project from the menu bar to begin a new iOS proj-
ect. Choose Application from the iOS category on the left, and then pick from one of
the available templates on the right, as shown in Figure A.3.

FIGURE A.3
Create a new
iOS project with-
in Xcode 4.

One small difference is that Xcode 4 refers to the deployment platform (iPhone,
iPad) as the Device Family rather than the Product. Choose the appropriate device,
and then click Next to proceed.

In a new step, Xcode prompts you for the product name and a company identifier.
These are used to automatically set the bundle identifier for your application. Recall
that the bundle identifier uniquely identifies your product on the App Store. Click
Next to continue.

You are prompted for a project name. Then, after saving, you are presented with the
Xcode 4 project workspace. The Xcode 4 workspace consists of four main areas, as
shown in Figure A.4.
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4 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

FIGURE A.4 Utility

Find your way
around the new
Xcode interface. Toolbar

Navigator Editor

. Toolbar: Displays project status and provides easy access to common func-
tions

. Navigator: Manages files and groups

. Editor: Edits project content
. Utility: Consolidates the Xcode and Interface Builder inspectors, help, and
libraries

Did you A fifth area, the “debugger,” appears below the editor when needed, but I tend to
Know? consider this to be an extension of the code editor.

You’ll want to familiarize yourself with all the features offered within each of these
areas because all will come into play during your development.

Navigating Your Code

After you’ve created or loaded a project, the Xcode workspace displays the project’s
files and groups in the upper-left corner, in an area called the navigator. The con-
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Navigating Your Code 5

tents of a file selected in the navigator display in the center of the Xcode window, as
shown in Figure A.5. Although not all the same groups present in Xcode 3.2 are visi-
ble in the project navigator, everything you need to get started is.

Selected File Toggle Navigator FIGURE A.5

Xcode displays
files, file
groups, and the
contents of the
files—just like
you’re used to.

File Contents

Add Files Filter Files

Xcode 4 eliminates smart groups. Instead, you can use the search field and icons Did you
at the bottom of the project navigator area to filter based on filename, recent Know?
edits, source control status, and save status.

In general, the editing works identically to what you’ve experienced in Xcode 3.2,
but some enhancements make your development even easier. Code completion, for
example, works even better—recognizing things such as interface definitions (try
typing @interface) and providing structure for the file. The most notable enhance-
ment, however, is the assistant editing mode.

If you want to remove the navigator temporarily, you can drag its right edge to Did you
resize it, or just click the third button from the right on the Xcode toolbar. This but-
Know?
ton toggles the visibility of the navigator off and on.
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6 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

Using the Assistant Editing Mode

The assistant editing mode displays related “counterpart” files side by side with the
file you are editing. In other words, if you’re editing a .m implementation file, the
corresponding .h interface file will be available beside it, as shown in Figure A.6.
Editing the interface file? The implementation file is automatically selected and
made available.

FIGURE A.6 Assistant Editing Mode

The assistant Standard Editing Mode
editing mode
makes your
file’s counter-
parts immedi-
ately available.

You can toggle between the standard editing mode and the assistant mode using the
two leftmost icons in the upper-right corner of the Xcode window.

Adding Files
To add new files (classes, for example) to the project, you can follow the same
process that you did in Xcode 3.2 (choose File, New File from the menu bar), you
can click the + button at the bottom of the navigator, or you can open and drag and
drop from the File Template Library. To show the File Template Library, click the sec-
ond icon from the right in the top right of the Xcode toolbar. This hides and shows
the Xcode utility area.
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Navigating Your Code 7

When the utility area is open, you’ll notice that near the bottom is a pane that dis-
plays a set of four icons. This is the Library pane, and the icons represent the File
Template Library, Code Snippet Library, Object Library, and Media Library. Click the
icon for the File Template Library and your screen should resemble Figure A.7.

File Template Library Utility Area Toggle FIGURE A.7

Use the File
Template Library
to quickly add
new files to your
project.

Library Pane

To use the templates, drag an icon from the File Template Library list into the proj-
ect navigator. You are prompted for a filename for your new class, as shown in
Figure A.8.
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8 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

FIGURE A.8
Drag and drop
to create new
classes.

When appropriate, Xcode even creates the interface and XIB files to accompany
your new class.

Adding Frameworks
As you build more complex projects, you will need to include more iOS frameworks
in your applications. In Xcode 3.2, you easily added frameworks much like you
would add a new file. In Xcode 4, this process has been made a bit more obscure. To
add an existing framework to your project, select the main project icon within the
Xcode navigator, and then the icon for your application within the Targets section
to the right of the navigator. Finally, click the Build Phases tab at the top of the edi-
tor area. Your screen should now resemble Figure A.9.

Make sure the Link Binary with Libraries section is expanded, and then click the +
button at the bottom of the section. Finally, you are prompted to choose the frame-
work you want to use. Select it, and then click Add, as shown in Figure A.10.
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Navigating Your Code 9

Project Icon Target Add Framework Build Phases FIGURE A.9

Navigate to the
build phases for
your project.

FIGURE A.10
Choose the
framework you
want to add.
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10 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

After adding the framework, you’ll notice that a new framework icon appears in the
project navigator. You can drag this into the Frameworks group for safekeeping.

Setting Project Options and Icons

You can still edit your project plist file to make many of the standard configuration
changes that you’ve grown accustomed to in Xcode 3.2. In addition, Apple has
“prettified” many of the common settings and made them available with an Info
section for the project. To access this area, follow the same steps as if you were
adding a new framework (select the project icon, then the target icon), but then click
the Info tab, as shown in Figure A.11.

FIGURE A.11 Project Icon Target Information

Access common
project settings
in the Info area.

Using these options, you can configure many of the most frequently needed settings
for your project. You can even add your application icons by simply adding them as
resources and then clicking + under Icons to choose which you want to use.

Getting Help
One Xcode feature I’ve always loved is how easy it is to get help—and the help sys-
tem is even better in 4.0. You can still use all the same help tools you know and love
from Xcode 3.2; specifically, you can access the full, searchable, developer documen-
tation by choosing Help, Developer Documentation from the menu. You can also
Option-click keywords in your code to display a pop-up Quick Help window that
contains context-aware information about what you are working on.
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Building Interfaces 11

In Xcode 4, you can use the utility area to toggle on and off a display of Quick Help
information that will remain visible while you are editing. To do this, click the sec-
ond button from the right in the toolbar to display the utility area, if it isn’t already
visible. Next, click the second icon from the right at the top of the utility area (two
wavy lines in a black square, called Symbols). This opens the Quick Help pane,
which displays information about the objects you’re using, as you use them, as
shown in Figure A.12.

Symbols Utility FIGURE A.12

Use the utility
area’s Quick
Help pane to
display context-
sensitive help
information.

Quick Help

Building Interfaces
The biggest and best new feature of Xcode 4 is Interface Builder integration. More
precisely, Interface Builder is gone; you can complete a project from start to finish
entirely in Xcode 4, without having to switch between applications. To see this in
action, all you have to do is click an XIB file in your project. The editor area trans-
forms into an interface editor, as shown in Figure A.13.

After the initial delight of seeing the interface appear directly in Xcode, you’ll proba-
bly start asking where the heck did they put everything. That’s a great question.
Everything you’re used to using—the Document window, inspectors, and Object
Library—are all there; they’re just hiding.
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12 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

FIGURE A.13
The features of
Interface Builder
are now inte-
grated into
Xcode 4!

Accessing XIB File Objects

The objects that typically would be represented in the Interface Builder Document
window are now located between the navigator and the editor. By default, only icon
representations of the objects are visible, but this is easily corrected by clicking the
arrow at the bottom of the section, as shown in Figure A.14.

FIGURE A.14
The Document
window is
replaced by a
list of objects
between the
navigator and
the editor.

XIB File Objects

Toggle Icon/List
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Building Interfaces 13

You can interact with these items the same way you would in the Interface Builder
Document window. You can Control-drag to or from them to make connections and
expand view hierarchies to see their contents. Of course, this isn’t going to do you
much good unless you can actually add items to interface.

Using the Object Library

To access the interface Object Library, open the utility area, and then click the cube
icon at the top of Library pane, as shown in Figure A.15. Now things should be
looking familiar.

Object Library Utility FIGURE A.15

Access the
Object Library
from the utility
area.

You can drag items from the library directly into your interface design, just as you
could in Interface Builder. You can also use the two buttons near the top of the pane
to switch between list and icon views, and the search field at the bottom to quickly
focus on a specific interface object.

You can now drag objects into the editor area outside your main view. This can be Did you
helpful for preparing objects before adding them to your view or for experimenting Know?
with different interfaces. The objects are in your XIB file and will be instantiated,
but will not be loaded as part of the main view.
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14 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

Accessing Inspectors
The last missing piece to the Interface Builder puzzle is the location of the inspec-
tors. You’ve grown accustomed to accessing the attributes, size, connections, and
identity inspectors throughout the projects in this book. In Xcode 4, all of these are
located in the utility area. To find them, first make sure the utility area is visible,
and then look to the last four icons at the top of the utility area. These icons repre-
sent the four missing inspectors: Attributes, Size, Connections, and Identity, as
shown in Figure A.16

FIGURE A.16 Utility

Use the icons Size Connections
at the top of the
utility area to Attributes Identity
switch between
the different
interface object
inspectors.

Inspectors

By the Hey, Those Icons Weren’t There a Second Ago!

Way
Nope, they weren’t. The utility area changes based on the type of file you are edit-
ing. If you are editing code, you’ll see an inspector that shows information about
the file itself. Only in the interface-editing mode are the interface object inspectors
visible.
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Building Interfaces 15

You can use the inspectors exactly as you did in Interface Builder; little has changed
in terms of their content, their location is just updated.

Connecting to Outlets and Actions

You already have enough information to connect to objects and outlets using the
techniques of the older Interface Builder application, but now that Xcode 4 inte-
grates interface building and coding, you can do a couple of cool things that previ-
ously weren’t possible.

First, you can connect objects directly to outlets and actions in code. To do this, you
must first define your outlets and actions in an interface (.h) file. You’re used to this;
you’ve done it dozens of times throughout the book. After you’ve properly set up
your file, open the corresponding XIB file in the editor, and then switch to the assis-
tant editing mode. The editor refreshes to display the .h file to the right of the inter-
face design. Now, as counterintuitive as it might seem, you can Control-drag from
one of the objects in the XIB to an IBOutlet or IBAction definition in the code. The
line highlights, as shown in Figure A.17. Release the mouse button and you’ve just
made a connection! You can do the same thing from the Connections Inspector to
target a specific action.

Assistant Editing Mode FIGURE A.17

Connect directly
to outlets and
actions in your
code.
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16 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

The second new trick is that you can use your interface to actually create code for
you! Xcode 4 will help write and connect your outlets and actions all at once, just by
clicking and dragging. To use this technique, you don’t need to define anything
ahead of time. Just open the XIB in the editor and switch to the assistant editing
mode. Next, Control-drag from an object in the interface to the location in the code
where it should be inserted. When you release your mouse button, you’ll be prompt-
ed for the type of connection to make (outlet or action) and given the opportunity to
name it, as shown in Figure A.18.

FIGURE A.18
Write code with-
out typing!

When finished configuring the addition, click Connect, and the code is added to
your interface (.h) file and the connections are automatically built in your XIB file.

Watch It is still unclear whether Xcode 4 will add additional supporting code beyond just
Out! outlets and actions. For example, in the initial preview releases, an outlet that you
add in this manner will not have corresponding @property and @synthesize lines
added, nor will it be released in the dealloc method. Personally, I recommend
continuing to add outlets and actions by hand so that you have complete control
over the process and know exactly what is happening behind the scenes.

Building an Application
Building (compiling) an application works similarly to how it did in Xcode 3.2. Use
the drop-down menu at the top of the window to choose whether to target the simu-
lator or an actual device, and then click the Run button to build and run the appli-
cation.
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Building an Application 17

Using the Issues View

If you encounter any errors during the compilation, they’ll be denoted with the
same warning and error symbols that you’re familiar with from earlier versions of
Xcode. One difference, however, is that the navigator will switch to an issues view,
as shown in Figure A.19. You can access the issues view mode manually by clicking
the fourth icon at the top of the navigator (the warning symbol). Click each line in
the issue list to jump to the corresponding problem in the code.

Files and Groups View FIGURE A.19

Use the issues
Issues View Build Status
list to display
problems found
during a build.

To return to the standard navigator view of files and groups, click the folder icon at
the top left of the navigator.

Preparing a Device for Testing

We’ll conclude our exploration of Xcode 4 with one of the handiest new features
that Apple has made available. Remember in Hour 1, “Preparing Your System and
iPhone for Development,” you spent 15 to 20 minutes creating a development pro-
file on Apple’s site, downloading certificates, and all that fun stuff? Xcode 4 makes it
simple to get a device provisioned for testing fast and without needing to visit the
iOS developer portal.
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18 APPENDIX A: Introducing Xcode 4

To prepare a device for testing, first plug in the device and open the Xcode organizer
by choosing Window, Organizer within Xcode. When the Organizer window opens,
click the Devices button at the top, and then choose your new device from the left
side of the window. When the device is chosen, you’ll notice an Add to Portal button
at the bottom. Clicking this button prompts you for your iOS developer portal login.
Enter your information, and then click Log In, as shown in Figure A.20.

FIGURE A.20
The Organizer
can quickly pro-
vision a device
for develop-
ment.

Create and Add Device

to Provisioning Profile

This simple step will add your iOS device to the Apple portal and create a wildcard
provisioning profile called Team Provisioning Profile and install it on your device.
When it’s complete, you can immediately use it for development!

Making the Leap

The purpose of Sams Teach Yourself iPhone Application Development in 24 Hours isn’t to
be an end-all guide to Xcode. The Xcode application suite has many more features
than can easily be conveyed in a few hours. Instead, I want to give you the tools
you need to get real work done. When you’re familiar with the basics, everything
else will fall into place. The same goes for this appendix and Xcode 4. Many, many
features are offered in Apple’s latest incarnation of the development environment,
and I encourage you to explore the tool to find additional features that might aid
your development workflow. Although it’s beyond the scope of this book, Xcode 4
“workspaces” (File, New, New Workspace) provide a way to collect groups of projects
together. Doing so can prove very helpful, especially if they share classes.
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Making the Leap 19

The Xcode documentation (located under the Help menu) will provide you with
most anything you could ever need to know about the application features. Apple
has even included an Xcode 4 Transition Guide (also located under the Help menu),
which aims to ease the transition from Xcode 3.2 to Xcode 4. I highly recommend
that you review all this documentation and work through a few small projects from
this book in Xcode 4. There appears to be no immediate rush to force developers
into Xcode 4, so make the transition at your own pace. The most important thing is
to learn the development concepts, not to spend all of your time focusing on (or
fighting with) the tools.