Migration from Xcode
Last modified: 08 March 2021This guide contains the information that can help you start working in AppCode taking into account your prior Xcode experience. Here you can learn key differences between the two IDEs, get an overview of main AppCode features, explore AppCode preferences and user interface, and more.
The guide contains the following sections:
Mouse vs keyboard: code more productively using various shortcuts.
User interface: compare main elements of Xcode and AppCode user interface.
Preferences: find counterparts of Xcode preferences in AppCode.
Projects: learn how to create projects, files, and targets in AppCode.
Code editing: explore useful AppCode code editing features such as refactoring, code completion, code generation, and more.
Run, debug, profile: read about the key aspects of running and debugging in AppCode.
Testing: learn how to test your applications in AppCode.
Version control: check out advantages of using VCS integration in AppCode.
Plugins and integrations: learn which integrations and plugins are bundled in AppCode and which can be installed for free.
Xcode functionality not available in AppCode: see the list of Xcode features currently unavailable in AppCode.
Before you start
To use AppCode, you need to install the supported Xcode version and launch it at least once. When you first start AppCode, the Xcode installation will be automatically identified and set in Preferences | Tools | Xcode.
AppCode needs an Xcode installation because:
All the SDKs and simulators used for development are bundled in Xcode and are not available separately.
AppCode uses the Xcode build system and the LLDB version bundled in Xcode to run, debug, build, test, and sign your applications.
AppCode currently uses the SourceKit bundled in Xcode to show warnings and errors in the editor for Swift code.
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