

Xcode introduces its first iterations of plugins with Source Code Extensions to help more efficiently manage source code. Almost all IDEs (such as Eclipse) support plugins that developers can create to improve the core functionality of the IDE. The first major improvement is the addition of Source Code Extensions. If you have developers or power users on your team who want to learn Swift, Playgrounds is a great starting place.Īpple has made a number of smaller but very useful enhancements that have long been needed in Xcode. One final new feature, for iPads running iOS 10, is the inclusion of a new app, called "Swift Playgrounds," that teaches you how to develop with Swift. Requests for changes can be seen and added to a GitHub project. The naming convention for APIs can be found here. The change reflects Apple’s desire to make it much easier to write Swift and move away from traditional Objective-C- based naming conventions. The biggest change we noticed with Swift 3.0 is that we need to rewrite the names of all of the APIs that are being called. (Note: Microsoft has taken the same stance with C# versus Visual Basic.) It is clear that Apple will eventually either phase out or demote Objective-C as Swift continues to win over developers. This modern language is not shackled by decades-old models, as is the case with Objective-C. Right off the bat, that is a huge improvement for any team. In addition to under-the-hood improvements, Apple has made a number of smaller but very useful enhancements that have long been needed in Xcode.įrom day one, Apple’s programming language, Swift, was a big hit with developers and my team. Apple has done some amazing engineering to gear up the core speed of the IDE. The first thing you will notice with Xcode 8 is how fast it is.

Here's a look at some the improvements my team is already using. It's a powerhouse IDE that consistently ups the ante. In September, Apple will release Xcode 8, the IDE that the company recommends for building apps for its macOS, iOS, watchOS, and tvOS operating systems.
