The person who helps tutor me into iOS happiness recommended that I try Xcode 4's beta. He felt is was ripe and ready to go. I followed his advice, installing Xcode in a separate directory than Xcode 3 (.2.5). Today I am uninstalling Xcode 4's beta. Here's are some of my impressions from my experience:
- Git integration: great step forward here. Xcode embraces the Git version control system and detects existing command-line setups. Only thing is that Xcode only allows you to commit to your local repository. There is no push capability.
- Adding files – source code or images – is a huge issue. Drag and drop does not work properly and mostly ends up with an error message. More crippling is the fact that if you use the navigation menu to import files into your project, it imports them into a purgatory area that appears above the root project icon in the file listings view. What causes the real issue is the fact that if you then try to move those files back into the project by dragging them, they will be copied into the project. There is no way to delete them from the purgatory state inside Xcode. If you try to compile the project, the compiler will complain about duplicate files (even images) with the same name. If you delete the file from the command line or finder, you are stuck with 'ghostly' listings. The project will compile but the clutter grows.
- Xcode 4 sets up a new project structure, different than Xcode 3. It has fewer folders and overall seems a bit more cluttered to my newb eyes. Adding groups is also unintuitive as the only way to name a new group is by creating it first, and then single-clicking its name.
- Project properties are a huge step forward. Configuring Xcode to use libraries and set up apps on the iPhone and iPad is now outside of the source plists and in a pleasant user experience.
- Xcode 4 integrates Interface Builder into the IDE's window; no longer a separate app. It uninstalled Xcode 3's version of Interface Builder and if you try to open xib files in Xcode 3 it opens Xcode 4's version. That would still be cool had it not for the fact that the new Xcode 4 Interface Builder has issues in detecting properties in the files you create in Xcode 4.
In summary – Xcode 4 works, mostly. It does crash – but gracefully. Yet I would recommend against installing it for serious development and even more, against installing it side by side with Xcode 3.
3 replies on “Why I am uninstalling Xcode 4 gm seed Beta”
I’ve never liked the handling of non-code resources by Xcode. During developerment I very commonly want to replace an image file. I should be able to drag and drop it in and have Xcode offer to replace it. Instead I have to delete the old version (which makes you deal with a dialog box) and then add the new version (another dialog). Since it was removed though. However references get removed also from your .xib files. Doing it in the file system itself is much easier, but I was hoping they had stream lined it in Xcode 4. They didn’t.
As for adding groups, I can see your complaint, but it duplicates look and feel when adding folders in the OS so I see the use of consistency.
I’m also not a fan of the integrated IB. Lots of wasted space, especially when working with multiple view or .xib files at the same time.
xcode 4 is really complex than xcode 3
i totally agree to you
….. Abhijit Bhole
Abhijit,
The beta was clearly a beta.
XCode 4, especially 4.1, is far from perfect but is very much a step forward. At this point I would actually encourage you to take the leap and install it.
Thanks for commenting!
Yuval