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JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

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Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#3
I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode?

I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#4
post #3

I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode? I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

If it's better then I am all for it; why use macvim if text edit is free and directly from apple?

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#5
post #3

I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode? I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

I tried it out for a bit a couple of weeks ago. I didn't stay with it because it didn't seem to be playing nice with the beta Xcode, but I'm still interested in switching. My two major reasons are refactoring support and the vi plugin. Having used Resharper for a long time in C#, I feel slow in environments without it; App Code begins to bring the Resharper convenience to Objective C.

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#7
post #3

I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode? I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

Disclaimer: I do Java using Eclipse for my day job, and have used one of their Java IDEs in the past (IntelliJ IDEA). The code-editing side of XCode compared to these IDE is like a relic from the 90's.

Once you use a refactoring tool to rename a class and have it renamed everywhere in your project, you get a taste for what XCode is missing. There are several refactorings like this that shave a lot of time out of some of the more annoying tasks. Code generation allows you to define a method or property once and have it added to both .h and .m files, as well as have properties synthesized. If you want to add an argument to the method signature, that is done in one step, too. The SVN integration in IntelliJ IDEA was superb. I have had issues using SVN in XCode where the interface refuses to load history, and the interface for managing conflicts just isn't there (try having 2 devs change the project file). These are just a few things off the top of my head.

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#8

I love JetBrains products. These guys are awesome. I don't write Apple Code (iOS or Mac OS), but I'm sure it is really cool. They built my favorite Java IDE, IntelliJ.

This will probably be a great project for people who are used to JetBrains products. If you are developing iOS applications on the side you won't have to learn a whole new environment.

For 100% iOS development I doubt many people will switch. The integration between Xcode, Interface Builder and the various Apple frameworks is something that will be hard if not impossible to implement in another IDE.

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#9
post #3

I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode? I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

XCode is based on the same framework as the other IDEs, so you can expect excellent refactoring, static analysis, and "code rewriting" features. Also, the version control integration of the platform is top-notch, especially for git. I use IDEA to manage all of my local git repositories, and I only use the command line now for pushing remotes and git-log (I use IDEA for the rest because it is faster for me).

Disclaimer: I'm on the JetBrains "Academy" which means they sponsor some of my speaking and stuff.

Re: JetBrains AppCode: an Objective-C IDE That Makes a Difference

#10
post #7
post #3

I might be missing something, but was are the advantages of this over using Xcode? I'm all for options, and $50 to $150 usd is not prohibitive for an IDE, but since Xcode is free and directly from Apple, there must be some really good features for me to switch IDEs.

Disclaimer: I do Java using Eclipse for my day job, and have used one of their Java IDEs in the past (IntelliJ IDEA). The code-editing side of XCode compared to these IDE is like a relic from the 90's. Once you use a refactoring tool to rename a class and have it renamed everywhere in your project, you get a taste for what XCode is missing. There are several refactorings like this that shave a lot of time out of some…

Off-topic: How would you compare Eclipse to IntelliJ IDEA and why did you choose Eclipse?
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