New Features in Xcode 6

What’s New in Xcode

Important: This is a preliminary document for an API or technology in development. Although this document has been reviewed for technical accuracy, it is not final. This Apple confidential information is for use only by registered members of the applicable Apple Developer program. Apple is supplying this confidential information to help you plan for the adoption of the technologies and programming interfaces described herein. This information is subject to change, and software implemented according to this document should be tested with final operating system software and final documentation. Newer versions of this document may be provided with future seeds of the API or technology.

Xcode is the complete developer toolset used to create apps for iPad, iPhone, and Mac. The Xcode development environment bundles the Instruments analysis tool, iOS Simulator, and the OS frameworks in the form of iOS SDKs and OS X SDKs.

Xcode 6.1 Update

Xcode 6.1 adds development support for OS X version 10.10 Yosemite and other feature additions.

• Includes SDKs for OS X version 10.9, OS X version 10.10, and iOS 8

• Adds Swift for OS X, including support for playgrounds, REPL, and command line scripts

• Interface Builder adds Storyboards for OS X

For additional details on the Xcode 6.1 release, see Xcode Release Notes.

Highlights of Xcode 6

Xcode 6 features Swift, an innovative new programming language, and extends the Xcode feature set with live visualization capabilities. Xcode 6 includes the following highlighted features:

Swift Language

• An advanced object-oriented programming language for iOS and OS X development

• Xcode 6 offers full support for Swift with playgrounds, a rich documentation experience, read-eval-print loop, and other advanced features

  See more details in Swift Language.

Testing

• Testing capabilities for performance measurement

• Ability to test asynchronous code with enhanced XCTest

  See more details in Testing.

Interface Builder

• Extensive new features that support live rendering, storyboards for OS X, versatile size classes, and custom iOS fonts

  See more details in Interface Builder.

Debugger

• New view debugger, enhanced queue debugging, and new debug gauges

  See more details in Debugging.

SpriteKit and SceneKit

• Enhanced game development with new level designer and improved debugging

• Support for SpriteKit and SceneKit to work together on iOS

  See more details in SpriteKit and SceneKit.

Extensions and Frameworks

• Ability to add extensions to any app, increasing functionality

• Ability to create dynamic frameworks for iOS

  See more details in Extensions and Frameworks.

iOS Simulator

• New iOS Simulator configurations that allow saving data and settings for reuse

  See more details in iOS Simulator.

Localization

• XLIFF format support for strings localization

• Automatic base language .strings generation

• New Interface Builder assistant preview of alternative language UI

• Ability to run apps as they appear in other locales

  See more details in Localization.

Compiler

• Profile Guided Optimization (PGO)

• User-defined modules

  See more details in Compiler.

Instruments

• Updated user interface with new template chooser and track view

• App extension profiling support

• Profile tests to discover regression causes

  See more details in Instruments.

Xcode Server

• More complex integration scenarios with triggers

• Support for performance testing integrations

• Greater control over bot configuration and execution; bot-level statistics

  See more details in Xcode Server.

HomeKit Accessory Simulator

• Simulator for app connection with accessories in HomeKit development

  See more details in HomeKit Accessory Simulator.

For additional details on the Xcode 6 release, see Xcode Release Notes.

Compatibility

Xcode 6 requires a Mac running OS X version 10.9.3 or later, or OS X version 10.10. It includes SDKs for OS X version 10.9, OS X version 10.10, and iOS 8. To develop apps targeting prior versions of OS X or iOS, see About SDKs and iOS Simulator.

Installation

You obtain Xcode 6.1 from the Mac App Store. It is a free download that installs directly into the Applications folder. By default, Xcode downloads developer documentation in the background for offline reading and also automatically downloads documentation updates. This behavior can be changed after installation using the Downloads preferences pane.

Developer Resources

The iOS and Mac developer programs provide access to the App Store, additional support and documentation, and provisioning resources to enable testing and deployment on an iPad, iPhone, or iPod touch device. For more information visit:

• iOS: http://developer.apple.com/programs/ios/

• Mac: http://developer.apple.com/programs/mac/

For discussions about any Apple developer software, including prerelease products, visit the Apple Developer Forums at http://devforums.apple.com/.

For the latest security information, visit http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1222.

For more detailed information on a release, see the complete Xcode release notes available from the Xcode Help menu.

About SDKs and iOS Simulator

A software development kit (SDK) is a collection of frameworks (libraries, headers, and resources) that represent the API for a specific iOS or OS X version. Most of the functionality your app gets from an SDK is actually provided by the host operating system, which makes the right Base SDK and OS Deployment Target settings critical for app compatibility. Xcode automatically builds with the latest SDK and targets the latest OS.

If your app doesn’t require the latest OS features, you can configure it to run on a previous version of iOS or OS X using the OS Deployment Target option in the Xcode Project settings. If your project was created in an older version of Xcode, you can let Xcode update your project. For details on this feature, see Project Modernization.

For iOS, Xcode automatically switches between the iOS Simulator SDK and the device SDK, depending on where you intend to run your app. You don’t need to select these settings manually.

Important: Before submission to the App Store you must test on a device running your supported target OS version or versions.

Project Modernization

When you open a project, Xcode evaluates it to see whether any settings should be updated. This feature provides an easy way to make sure your projects conform to the latest SDKs and best practices.

Open the issue navigator to see whether anything in your project needs to be updated. You can also select the project in the project navigator and choose Editor > Validate Settings.

If the issue navigator lists modernization issues, click the issue to see a dialog that explains the updates that should be made and lets you perform any or all of them.

After you have clicked Perform Changes, regardless of whether you choose to make all the changes, Xcode does not show the warning again. To rerun the check, select your project in the project navigator and choose Editor > Validate Settings.

New Features in Xcode by Release

Chapter articles are listed by major revision. Minor update release information is appended in the chapter for the major revision.

Xcode 6 adds support for development on iOS 8 and OS X v10.10.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 6

Xcode 5.1 adds support for development on iOS 7.1.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 5.1

Xcode 5 adds support for development on iOS 7 and OS X v10.9.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 5

Xcode 4.6 adds support for development on iOS 6.1.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.6

Xcode 4.5 adds support for development on iOS 6.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.5

Xcode 4.4 adds support for new Objective-C language features and supports development on OS X v10.8.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.4

Xcode 4.3 adds enhancements to Xcode installation, improves operations and workflow, and support development on iOS 5.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.3

Xcode 4.2 adds enhancements to the features and workflow of Xcode 4.1 to support development on iOS 5.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.2

Xcode 4.1 adds enhancements to the features and workflow of Xcode 4.0 and, when running on OS X v10.7, implements user interface features standard in OS X 10.7 such as full-screen windows.

Relevant Chapter: New Features in Xcode 4.1