I am wondering how to handle running two versions of xcode on a mac, or if it is even possible.
I currently have a number of production apps that I service with the release xcode7. I must have this available for uploading app versions to the app store.
I also have a ipod touch device I have the ios9.1 beta running, and want to test and write code for the new os.
However, xcode7 says I can't test ios 9.1 beta, that I have to install xcode beta. Also, I've read that you can't push apps to the app store with the beta. So how can you maintain current apps, as well as, build new functionality?
Maybe I have missed something? some setting that allows me to toggle between these xcodes? or will the mac allow me to have two different versions of XCode installed? I assumed it would just override the other.
I don't want to buy another mac, or to partition the one I have, or keep downloading and installing different versions on all the devices, if I don't have to.
Any information would be helpful, how does everyone else handle this?
You simply need to rename them in /Applications; for example:
Xcode 6.4: /Applications/Xcode6.app
Xcode 7.0: /Applications/Xcode7.app
Xcode 7.1 beta: /Application/Xcode-beta.app (the default anyway).
They will co-exist perfectly happily, however if you do command line builds, you'll want to use xcode-select to select the version you want to use when using xcodebuild or clang, etc.
The betas generally come with the name Xcode-beta.app (this is true for the iOS 9.1 beta), so you can just download it and copy it to the /Applications folder as usual.
In the rare cases where that's not true, you can just rename Xcode.
You can install both versions. They will happily co-exist in your /Applications folder. One will be called Xcode, the other will be called Xcode-Beta
Xcode 5 has a preferences pane that allow one to download iPhone 6.1 simulator, however I can't find a place where it allows downloading of iOS 6 SDK, thus it is not possible to set the active SDK to iOS 6 when developing with Xcode 5. Is there a workaround that would allow Xcode 5 to install iOS 6 SDK?
EDIT:
Workarounds should no longer be necessary now that Xcode 5 is generally available and allows you to download previous versions of the SDK.
EDIT: Starting Feb 1, 2014, Apple will no longer accept pre-iOS7 apps for submission to App Store. So while this technique still works, it will not be useful for most readers.
Yes, this is fine. I still build with iOS 4.3 for one project (it's been awhile since we updated; but they still accepted it after iOS 6 came out), and I currently build 10.5 apps with Xcode 5.
See How to point Xcode to an old SDK so it can be used as a "Base SDK"? for details on how to set it up. You can use my fix-xcode
script to link everything for you every time you upgrade.
The only trick is getting the old SDKs. If you don't have them, you generally need to download old versions of Xcode (still available on developer.apple.com), open the installer package, and hunt around to find the SDK you need.
SDKs can be found within the installer package at:
Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/
I was also running the same problem when I updated to xcode 5 it removed older sdk. But I taken the copy of older SDK from another computer and the same you can download from following link.
http://www.4shared.com/zip/NlPgsxz6/iPhoneOS61sdk.html
(www.4shared.com test account test#yopmail.com/test)
There are 2 ways to work with.
1) Unzip and paste this folder to /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs & restart the xcode.
But this might again removed by Xcode if you update xcode.
2) Another way is Unzip and paste where you want and go to /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs and create a symbolic link here, so that the SDK will remain same even if you update the Xcode.
Another change I made, Build Setting > Architectures > standard (not 64) so list all the versions of Deployment Target
No need to download the zip if you only wanted to change the deployment target.
Here are some screenshots.
Yes, I just solved the problem today.
Find the SDK file, like iPhoneOS6.1.sdk, in your or your friend's
older Xcode directory.
Copy & put it into the Xcode 5 directory :
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs.
Then you can choose the SDK like below :
Hope this helps you.
Find and download old SDK. Older SDKs are found here.
I have copied the xcode.app directory as Xcode_4.6.3.app.
Now you can test and debug in both xcode versions. You have to run them from the corresponding folders or create shortcuts in your desktop. When building from command line give the parameter as iPhoneOS6.1 instead of iPhoneOS7.0
This worked great for me in Xcode5 and iOS.
Go to into Xcode5's SDK dir. Its usually located at:
/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs
Add a symbolic link to the old SDK like this:
sudo ln -s /Applications/Xcode_4.6.3.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk iPhoneOS6.1.sdk
Or more accurately from anywhere in the command line,
sudo ln -s /Applications/Xcode_4.6.3.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk
You can download the older SDK and install it in
Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/
folder. Logout + Login just to make sure the changes take effect and you should see the older SDK in your new XCode
Just to add, you can actually download old versions of the simulator with Xcode 5 itself - just go to preferences and you'll find them under Downloads:
Download Xcode 4.6.x from the Apple Dev Center: https://developer.apple.com/downloads/index.action
Create a folder called Xcode4 within the Applications folder and drag-n-drop the downloaded dmg there.
Open a terminal window
$sudo cp -R /Applications/Xcode4/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/
You will be prompt to enter a password since you're inside a system folder
Open Xcode 5 and you should now see both SDKs
Just for me the easiest solution:
Locate an older SDK like for example "iPhoneOS6.1 sdk" in an older version of xcode for example.
If you haven't, you can downlad it from Apple Developer server at this address:
https://developer.apple.com/downloads/index.action?name=Xcode
When you open the xcode.dmg you can find it by opening the Xcode.app (right click and "show contents")
and go to Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1 sdk
Simple Copy the folder iPhoneOS6.X sdk and paste it in your xcode.app
right click on your xcode.app in Applications folder.
Go to Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/
Just paste here.
Close your xcode app and re-open it again.
To test an app in iOS 6 on your simulator:
- Just choose iOS 6.0 in your active sheme.
To build your app in iOS 6, so the design of your app will be the older design on an iPhone with iOS 7 also:
- Choose iOS6.1 in Targets - Base SDK
Just note : When you change the base SDK in your Targets, iOS 7.0 won't be available anymore for building on the simulator !
Can do this, But not really necessary
How to do this
Jason Lee got the answer. When installing xCode I preferred keeping previous installations rather than replacing them. So I have these in my installation Folder
So /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs Contain different sdks. (Replace Xcode.app with correct number) copy previous sdks to
/Applications/Xcode 3.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs
Here is my folder after I copied one.
Now restart xCode and you can set previous versions of sdks as base sdk.
Why it is not necessary
Refering Apple Documentaion
To use a particular SDK for an Xcode project, make two selections in your project’s build settings.
Choose a deployment target.
This identifies the earliest OS version on which your software can run.
Choose a base SDK
Your software can use features available in OS versions up to and including the one corresponding to the base SDK. By default , Xcode sets this to the newest OS supported by Xcode.
Rule is Use latest as base SDK and set deployment target to the minimum version app supposed to run
For example you can use iOS 7 as base sdk and set iOS 6 as deployment target. Run on iOS 6 simulator to test how it works on iOS 6. Install simulator if not available with list of simulators.
Additionaly You can unconditionally use features upto iOS 6. And Conditionally you can support new features of iOS 7 for new updated devices while supporting previous versions.
This can be done using Weakly Linked Classes ,Weakly Linked Methods, Functions, and Symbols
https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/developertools/conceptual/cross_development/Using/using.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/20002000-SW3
Weak Linking
Suppose in Xcode you set the deployment target (minimum required version) to iOS6 and the target SDK (maximum allowed version) to iOS7. During compilation, the compiler would weakly link any interfaces that were introduced in iOS7 while strongly linking earlier interfaces. This would allow your application to continue running on iOS6 but still take advantage of newer features when they are available.
The other answers here are correct too, but I find the following steps to be the easiest:
Just download Xcode 4.6.3 from the dev center link that says "Looking for an older version of Xcode?" (currently points here) and mount the dmg.
Then in terminal, copy the SDK files over:
cp -R /Volumes/Xcode/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/iPhoneOS6.1.sdk /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Platforms/iPhoneOS.platform/Developer/SDKs/
Finally, relaunch Xcode and you're done.
My app was transitioned to Xcode 5 seamlessly because it can still build with the original iOS Deployment Target that you set in the project (5.1 in my case). If the new SDK doesn't cause some insurmountable problem, then why not build using it? Surely there are many improvements under the hood.
For example, I will much prefer to use Xcode 5 instead of Xcode 4.6.3. Why? I'll get a lot more battery life because the UI scrolling of text/code areas in Xcode 5 no longer chews up an entire CPU thread.
Linking the 6.1 SDK into Xcode 5 as described in the other answers is one step. However this still doesn't solve the problem that running on iOS 7 new UI elements are taken, view controllers are made full-size etc.
As described in this answer it is also required to switch the UI into legacy mode on iOS 7:
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] setBool:YES forKey:#"UIUseLegacyUI"];
[[NSUserDefaults standardUserDefaults] synchronize];
Beware: This is an undocumented key and not recommended for App Store builds!
Also, in my experience while testing on the device I found that it only works the second time I launch the app even though I'm running the code fairly early in the app launch, in +[AppDelegate initialize]. Also there are subtle differences to a version built using Xcode 4.6. For instance, transparent navigation bars behave differently (causing the view to be full-size).
However, since Xcode 4.6.3 crashes on Mavericks (at least for me, see rdar://15318883), this is at least a solution to continue using Xcode 5 for debugging.
I downloaded XCode 4 and took iOS 6.1 SDK from it to the XCode 5 as described in other answers.
Then I also installed iOS 6.1 Simulator (it was available in preferences). I also switched Base SDK to iOS 6.1 in project settings.
After all these manipulations the project with 6.1 base sdk runs in comp ability mode in iOS 7 Simulator.
From 1st february Apple will reject app built only for iOS6 or lower. Here is also the official communication from Apple. Better start building for iOS7.
To clarify my statement: If you build for iOS6 or lower, apple will reject your app.
If you build for iOS7 AND lower everything is fine, this means:
you must use xcode5
you should deploy on iOS7 at least.
The content of the Apple email is pretty clear at me
"Make sure your apps work seamlessly with the innovative technologies
in iOS 7. Starting February 1, new apps and app updates submitted to
the App Store must be built with Xcode 5 and iOS 7 SDK."
I currently have Xcode 4.6.3 and 5.0 installed. I used the following bash script to link 5.0 to the SDKs in the old version:
platforms_path="$1/Contents/Developer/Platforms";
if [ -d $platforms_path ]; then
for platform in `ls $platforms_path`
do
sudo ln -sf $platforms_path/$platform/Developer/SDKs/* $(xcode-select --print-path)/Platforms/$platform/Developer/SDKs;
done;
fi;
You just need to supply it with the path to the .app:
./xcode.sh /Applications/Xcode-463.app
I've made an app with Codea and exported to an XCode project. Is there way to build it on IOS (or windows)?
Definitely.
Some folks over at iNinjas have successfully ported the Clang-LLVM toolchain to run on iOS. Here's a download link - install the deb on your iOS device. You will also have to copy the development sysroot (the iPhoneOSX.Y.sdk folder) from your computer to your mobile device. The device also has to be jailbroken.
(I don't remember exactly if there are any other packages to install, but perhaps odcctools from Cydia, etc, just google it.)
After that, you have to compile and link all the files. Of course, Xcode uses a proprietary format for project files, so you can't just go ahead and expect the compiler to build from the Xcode project, but you have to, for example, write a Makefile to specify that all .m files are to be compiled. Then you will have an executable file which you may or may not need to codesign.
Here is a tutorial on creating an app from your Codea/Xcode project:
http://codeatuts.blogspot.nl/2012/08/tutorial-12-submitting-to-app-store.html
Well, if you already have a mac, you can use Dringend to compile it from your iPad. It requires a program running on your mac that will do that actual compiling, and then send the file back to Dringend on your iPad, which will install it. This requires having a mac, but will let you program on your iPad away from your mac. This also requires an iOS developer license, for the code signing identities.
I have found many tutorials (such as this one) that mention being able to set the base SDK for a project's build settings to use, say, the iPhone Simulator. I am running the latest version of Xcode but the only SDKs that seem to be available are MacOS and iOS. Even after downloading some of the older simulators from Preferences>Downloads, I don't see any additional SDKs available.
I don't know if I broke something, or if I'm not even supposed to be able to select any of the simulator SDKs as the base SDK. I'm still too new to Xcode to really know. From questions such as this, I'd assume that I should be seeing at least an "iOS Simulator" as an option.
I previously was trying to experiment with compiling via makefiles and so was installing various command line tools, so I'm not sure if something just messed up my environment. I tried uninstalling xcode and developer tools entirely and reinstalling from the latest version on the app store, but it doesn't seem like it changed anything. I can't even seem to get an existing project to build for the simulator, when a while back it used to be able to, so it doesn't even seem to matter which project I have open.
Did I break something, or am I just missing something obvious?
You are missing something obvious. :)
The Base SDK has nothing to do with running on a device or the simulator. Leave the Base SDK as "Latest".
To run your app in the simulator, notice the dropdown menu in the toolbar just to the right of the Play and Stop icons. In the dropdown, choose the target to build and then the device or simulator you want to run with. Once chosen, go to the Product menu and choose Run (Cmd-R).
iTunes will not sync an app with the same or lower version, which is (somewhat) good for users, but it is a PITA for developers. (When possible, I develop apps to be backwards/forwards/sidewards compatible so any version will work with any data.)
I am developing Enterprise applications, with different editions of the same version number.
I frequently wish to test apps with the same or lower versions without having to uninstall and then have to recreate data. I want to be able to install arbitrary versions of *.ipa files without having to uninstall the app from the device.
Is there any way to force iTunes to install the same or lower version *.ipa files over the app on the device?
I could use XCode, but it is not entirely convenient to check-out the previous version, build, and install, when I have the *.ipa file sitting right there.
I have looked at iPhone Configuration Utility, but it also seems to require an uninstall.
Matt
you can export/import data from any version of your app out/into any other version using the organizer window in Xcode 4.2. So what I normally do is export the data from version n+1 then drag/drop the .app bundle for version n into the organizer window. Xcode will overwrite version n+1 with version N. you can then import the data from version n+1 that you exported earlier.