Xcode Versions - Note: Frozen as of 7.1.14

by: K T

Last modified: Jul 1, 2014 9:55 AM

0 31682 Last modified Jul 1, 2014 9:55 AM

Note: Due to the new forum layout as of 6.2014, this Xcode User Tip will no longer be updated as of 7.1.2014.

▶ 4.10.2014: Xcode 5.1.1 is the latest general release for Mavericks[specs]:

Build #: 5B1008
Includes the iOS 7.1 SDK; OS X 10.9 SDK; OS X 10.8 SDK (see note below)
LLVM compiler builds 64-bit apps for iOS 7
Requires 10.9.x Mavericks or 10.8.4/Mountain Lion
Available via the Mac App Store* 2.13 GB

Warning: Using the store to install Xcode 5 _will_ remove previous version, so if you still want to have that version around, copy it to another drive, rename it 'Xcode5.x.x' and unmount that HD (optional) so the installer will ignore it, or if it's too late and that earlier version is gone, download it again via *developer.com.

iCloud requires OS X Lion as a minimum.

Storyboards are iOS 5 and up only.

Retina support for the newer iPads requires the app be built using at least iOS 5.1 SDK.

Xcode is free. Xcode latest release version is available via the (Mac) App Store on OS X.

Xcode tools & add-on's:(Graphics Tools, Hardware I/O, Command Line Tools, Dashcode, etc.) Requires paid account and login.

I have Xcode 5? Where are the other SDKs?

Xcode's iOS SDK is downwards compatible with a range of previous versions of iOS, but only one SDK is supplied with a particular Xcode version. To support a range of iOSs, set 'Build Settings/iOS Deployment Target' to your choice from the list provided.

What about older* versions?

The last OS X that supported Xcode 3.x was Snow Leopard.
OS X Snow Leopard/10.6.8 is required for iOS support.
There is no OS X that supports both Xcode 3.x and Xcode 4.3.x.
There is no OS X that supports both Xcode 4.0.x and 4.3.x.
The latest Xcode for Snow Leopard is 4.2.
Xcode 4.3.x is only supported on Lion or higher.
Some older Xcode versions are available to registered developers with an active paid Developer Account via *developer.com.

Can I develop applications for Mac OS X with ARC using Snow Leopard?

No. The Snow Leopard version of Xcode 4.2 doesn’t support ARC at all on Mac OS X, because it doesn’t include the 10.7 SDK. Xcode 4.2 for Snow Leoparddoes support ARC for iOS though, and Xcode 4.2 for Lion supports both Mac OS X and iOS. This means you need at least an OS X Lion system to build an ARC application that runs on Snow Leopard.

Technical Support and Learning Resources

Apple offers a number of resources where you can get Xcode development support:

• http://developer.apple.com: The Apple Developer website is the best source for up-to-date technical documentation on iOS and OS X.

• http://developer.apple.com/xcode: The Xcode home page on the Apple Developer website provides information on the developer tools.

• http://devforums.apple.com: The Apple Developer Forums feature a dedicated Developer Forum for Xcode developer previews.

Use http://bugreport.apple.com to communicate issues with Apple. Include detailed information of the issue, including the system and developer tools version information, and any relevant crash logs or console messages.

Reporting Xcode Server Bugs

When reporting an Xcode Server bug, enter the following command in Terminal, then attach the output to the bug report.

sudo /Applications/Server.app/Contents/ServerRoot/usr/sbin/serverloggather