Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 4:Navigating the
Xcode Interface
In This Chapter
Using the navigation area
Using the utility area
Working with the editor area
Getting started with code editing
Introducing build settings
Earlier versions of Xcode made liberal use of floating windows. Xcode 4 gathers together all its features into a
single window that is split into working areas. You can choose to hide and reveal different features as you work.
Understanding which features are available is one of the keys to maximizing productivity.
Understanding the New Interface
Figure 4.1 shows one view of the new interface. From left to right, the UI is split into navigation, editor, and util-
ity areas. This mirrors Apple's official UI guidelines; all Apple applications follow a similar layout. However, it's a
good idea not to take the area names too literally.
For example, the navigation area includes debugging features that are only very distantly related to code naviga-
tion. A more accurate description for the left area might be “finding and building.” It not only lists files and ob-
jects but also reports build issues, supports searches, and simplifies error checking and debugging.
NOTE
Xcode includes a separate console and debugger, which is described in detail in Chapter 15.
The right area is most often used as a code and object library, but it includes extra features that reveal key inform-
ation about selected items, such as file paths and other miscellaneous settings. This area also includes a built-in
help feature.
The editor area is more tightly focused and is used for editing almost exclusively. But you also use it to define
critical project-wide build settings and to add frameworks to your project. For example, during iPhone develop-
ment, you can use this area to select the app icons and launch images for an app.
The editor area is always visible, but you can hide and reveal the navigation and utility areas. Click the buttons
near the top right of the Xcode 4 window, as shown in Figure 4.2. Each button toggles when you click it, hiding
or revealing its corresponding area.
