Furthering the premise of easing their software into the Mac App Store, today Apple released Xcode 4 for free for registered developers, but now everyone else can purchase the development environment for Mac OS X and iOS in the Mac App Store for $4.99. The download comes in at a size of 4.24 GB, so be prepared to make some popcorn while you wait.
This release can give non-registered developers a chance to play around with the development platform or even create their own Mac apps outside of the App Store. Like always though, in order to submit a Mac or iOS application to the App Store will require membership to the Mac or iOS Developer Program. Testing the app on a mobile device will also require the developer subscription.
Xcode 4 runs on Mac OS X Snow Leopart and also features the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iOS Simulator, and the most recent Mac OS X and iOS SDKs. The specs according to the description from Apple, are:
Innovative tools to help you create great apps
- Interface Builder is fully integrated as a design canvass within the Xcode IDE
- The Assistant shows files related to what you're editing, such as the header, superclass, or controller
- The Version editor shows a live source code comparison through Git or Subversion history
- Live Issues display errors as you type, and Fix-it can correct the mistakes for you
- Apple LLVM compiler now includes full support for C++, in addition to C and Objective-C
- The new LLD8 debugging engine is faster and more memory-efficient than GDB
-Instruments adds System Trace and new iOS instruments including OpenGL ES
Streamlined interface that is faster and easier to use
- Design your interface side by side with the backing source code
- Create connections from your GUI design directly to the related source code
- Use tabs to organize your workspace, or double-click to open files in a new window
- Schemes let you customize exactly how your app will build, run, profile, and deploy
-Debugging and console views slide in without disturbing your place in the editor
Professional editor keeps you focused on your code
- Click the Jump Bar at the top of the editor to instantly go to another file
- View message bubble to see errors, warnings, and other issues right beside the code
-Use the ribbon on the left of the editor to fold your code, or highlight scope
Embedded Apple LLVM technology finds and fixes bugs for you
- Analyzer travels countless code paths looking for logical errors before they become bugs.
- Live Issues underlines coding mistakes as you type with no need to build first
- Fix-it can confidently correct mistakes for you with just a keystroke
- Code completion for C, C++, and Objective-C is incredibly fast and accurate
Instruments for visual performance analysis
- Compare CPU, disk, memory, and Open GL performance as graphical tracks over time
- Identify performance bottlenecks then dive deep into the code to uncover the cause
-Monitor your app directly, or sample the entire system, with very little overhead.
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