Apple Releases Xcode 4 in the Mac App Store

Apple has released Xcode 4 as a free download for registered developers and as a $4.99 download in the Mac App Store.

Xcode 4 has been streamlined to help you write better apps. It has unified user interface design, coding, testing, and debugging all within a single window. The Xcode IDE analyzes the details of your project to identify mistakes in both syntax and logic, it can even help fix your code for you.

Xcode 4 runs on Mac OS X Snow Leopard and includes the Xcode IDE, Instruments, iOS Simulator, the latest Mac OS X and iOS SDKs, and hundreds of powerful features:


Innovative tools to help you create great apps
- Interface Builder is fully integrated as a design canvas 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 LLDB 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 bubbles 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 OpenGL 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

To test or deploy applications on an iOS device you must be a member of Apple's iOS Developer Program. To submit your Mac or iOS apps to the App Store you must be a member of the Mac or iOS Developer Program. Some features may require Internet access.

You can purchase Xcode 4 from the Mac App Store for $4.99.

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