Organization of This Document
See Also
Xcode Tools is the developer tools package for Mac OS X. This package includes an integrated suite of software development tools, including compilers and applications, together with an extensive set of programming libraries and interfaces. The centerpiece of these tools is the Xcode application, which provides an elegant, powerful user interface for creating and managing software development projects in Mac OS X. (Elsewhere in this document, the name Xcode refers to the Xcode application.)
The Xcode Tools package is part of the Mac OS X installation media. You can also download the latest version of Xcode from ADC Tools. You must install this package on your computer before following the instructions in this document. Once installed, you can get further information on Xcode Tools in About Xcode Tools in the /Developer directory.
Important: This document is targeted for Mac OS X v10.5 or later, and Xcode Tools 3.1 or later. To find out which version of Xcode Tools is installed on your computer, launch Xcode (/Developer/Applications) and choose About Xcode from the Xcode application menu.
This document gives you a hands-on introduction, in the form of four short tutorials, to the Xcode application and some of its companion tools.
To get the most out of these tutorials, you should already be familiar with C programming and the Mac OS X user interface. You don’t need any previous experience with Mac OS X software development.
This document contains the following chapters:
“Creating a Project” provides an introduction to some of the basic features in Xcode.
“Finding Technical Information” shows how to quickly find and display technical information in Apple’s developer documentation library.
“Designing a User Interface” demonstrates how to use Interface Builder to design a user interface for a Cocoa application.
“Using Fix and Continue” describes how to use Xcode’s patching facility to modify a running application during a debugging session.
Here are some additional resources you may want to read:
For information about all aspects of software development in Mac OS X, visit Apple Developer Connection.
If you’re interested in developing applications using Cocoa, see Cocoa Application Tutorial and Cocoa Fundamentals Guide.
For an overview of the software development tools in Xcode, see Xcode Overview.
To learn more about the Xcode application, see Xcode Workspace Guide.
For tips on converting CodeWarrior projects into Xcode projects, see Porting CodeWarrior Projects to Xcode.
If you want an introduction to Mac OS X system architecture and technologies, see Mac OS X Technology Overview.
The principles and conventions of Mac OS X user interface design are covered in Apple Human Interface Guidelines.
Last updated: 2008-06-05