Blog Topics: Xcode Tips & Productivity

Xcode Basics

  1. Xcode interface tour for beginners - Navigator, Editor, Inspector
  2. Project vs Workspace vs Package - When to use which
  3. Schemes explained - Build, Run, Test, Archive
  4. Build configurations - Debug vs Release, custom configs
  5. Targets explained - App, extensions, frameworks
  6. Info.plist demystified - Common keys and values
  7. Asset catalogs - Images, colors, data assets
  8. Storyboards vs SwiftUI vs XIBs - Choosing the right approach
  9. Entitlements explained - Capabilities and signing
  10. Xcode project file (.xcodeproj) structure - What’s inside

Keyboard Shortcuts

  1. Essential Xcode shortcuts - Top 20 you must know
  2. Navigation shortcuts - Jump to file, definition, line
  3. Editing shortcuts - Multi-cursor, column editing
  4. Build and run shortcuts - Quick actions
  5. Debugging shortcuts - Breakpoints, stepping, console
  6. Custom key bindings - Creating your own shortcuts
  7. Vim mode in Xcode - Enable and configure
  8. Shortcuts for refactoring - Rename, extract, move
  9. Quick Open tricks - Fuzzy matching, filters
  10. Jump bar navigation - Keyboard-driven browsing

Productivity Tips

  1. Snippets: Create and use code templates - Custom snippets
  2. File templates: Scaffold new files - Custom templates
  3. Project templates - Start with your boilerplate
  4. Behaviors: Automate Xcode actions - On build, on error
  5. Minimap for code navigation - Enable and use
  6. Split editor workflows - Side by side editing
  7. Code folding effectively - Focus on what matters
  8. Bookmarks in Xcode 15 - Mark and navigate
  9. Mark comments for navigation - // MARK:, TODO, FIXME
  10. Find and replace with regex - Pattern matching

Build System

  1. Build phases explained - Compile, link, copy, scripts
  2. Build settings deep dive - Inheritance, xcconfig files
  3. xcconfig files for configuration - Cleaner project settings
  4. Run scripts: Automating build steps - Common use cases
  5. Build times: Measuring and improving - Xcode build timeline
  6. Incremental builds explained - Why rebuilds happen
  7. Module compilation - WMO, incremental modes
  8. Parallel builds - Maximize CPU usage
  9. Derived data explained - Clean, relocate, manage
  10. Pre-actions and post-actions - Scheme automation

Swift Package Manager

  1. Adding dependencies with SPM - Basics and versioning
  2. Creating your own Swift package - Library, executable
  3. Local packages for modular apps - Project organization
  4. Package.swift explained - Targets, products, dependencies
  5. Binary dependencies in SPM - XCFrameworks
  6. SPM plugins - Build tool plugins, command plugins
  7. Resolving package conflicts - Version resolution
  8. Private packages and registries - Team distribution
  9. SPM vs CocoaPods vs Carthage - Migration guide
  10. Mono-repo with SPM - Large project organization

Debugging Features

  1. Console tricks beyond print - LLDB commands
  2. Breakpoint types - Exception, symbolic, runtime
  3. View debugger tips - 3D view, constraints
  4. Memory debugger - Leaks, graph, allocations
  5. Network debugging in Xcode - Instruments integration
  6. GPU debugger basics - Metal frame capture
  7. Environment overrides - Test accessibility, dark mode
  8. Simulating locations - GPX files, custom locations
  9. Slow animations for debugging - Simulator trick
  10. OSLog integration - Viewing structured logs

Source Control

  1. Git in Xcode - Commit, branch, merge basics
  2. Resolving merge conflicts in Xcode - Built-in diff tool
  3. Code review in Xcode - Comparing changes
  4. Stashing changes - Temporary saves
  5. Cherry-picking commits - Selective merging
  6. Blame view for history - Who changed what
  7. GitHub integration - PRs, issues from Xcode
  8. Branching strategies - Gitflow in Xcode
  9. Ignoring files properly - .gitignore for Xcode
  10. Recovering lost code - Reflog, local history

Testing in Xcode

  1. Running tests efficiently - Shortcuts, filters
  2. Test navigator tips - Organization, running subsets
  3. Code coverage visualization - Enable and interpret
  4. Test plans explained - Configurations, locales
  5. Continuous testing - Run tests automatically
  6. UI testing recorder - Generate test code
  7. Performance tests - Measuring baselines
  8. Parallel testing - Multiple simulators
  9. Testing on real devices - Device selection
  10. XCTest expectations - Async testing

Xcode Cloud

  1. Xcode Cloud setup guide - First workflow
  2. Custom scripts in Xcode Cloud - ci_scripts folder
  3. Environment variables - Secrets, configuration
  4. Parallel testing in Cloud - Device matrix
  5. Archiving and distribution - TestFlight automation

High-Traffic Xcode Searches

  1. “Xcode taking too much disk space” - Cleanup guide
  2. “Xcode build folder location” - DerivedData paths
  3. “Xcode stuck on indexing” - Fixes and workarounds
  4. “Xcode not recognizing device” - Trust, pairing issues
  5. “Xcode update broke my project” - Common fixes
  6. “Provisioning profile issues” - Signing troubleshooting
  7. “Xcode slow on M1/M2” - Rosetta, optimization
  8. “Clear Xcode cache completely” - Nuclear option
  9. “Xcode command line tools” - Install, switch versions
  10. “Multiple Xcode versions” - Side by side installation

Hidden Features

  1. Open Quickly advanced filters - Type shortcuts
  2. Refactoring actions - All available operations
  3. Assistant editor modes - Counterparts, generated interface
  4. Documentation browser - Quick Help, Developer Docs
  5. Playground tips - Live views, resources, pages