Xcode 4 plugin development

Question

I searched everywhere but can't find anything. Does anyone know how to create an Xcode 4 plugin?

Answer 1

As far as I know , there is no official way to create Xcode 4 plugins (just as it was not for v3.x).

Here is an open glad Xcode lack of plugin support:

Please support 3rd party ability to extend Xcode through public plugin API. Aperture, Visual Studio, Eclipse, TextMate, and other applications benefit from this ability. I would like to see more advanced refactoring, code analysis (think that Jetbrains Resharter), and modeling.

Provide the plugin API for Xcode 4 (rdar: // 8622025)

Please deceive this if you want plugins !

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Edit: just stumbled upon this:

Cedric Luti : " Xcode 4 supports custom plugins , see CLITool-InfoPlist for an example working Xcode 4 plugin. You just need to add XC4Compatible (true) to Info.plist."

https://github.com/0xced/CLITool-InfoPlist

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Considering these GitHub repositories may also be useful:

• Xcode4 API plugin documentation (link dead)

• Xcode Plugin Template (link updated)

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Next mogenerator The Xmod plugin can be a good starting point.
(Not at all compatible with Xcode-4, the last time I checked, though)

Answer 2

The best way to find out is to look at the github plugin code (see the long list below):

• This is basically a plugin.
• No main.m No MainMenu.xib
• The first class is loaded by setting the NSPrincipalClass to info.plist
• in your init: you register for AppKit notifications
• See code examples
• some check the mainBundle application id to make sure it is Xcode
• The Xcode Editor Window Class is DVTSourceTextView
• Its subclass is DVTSourceTextView: NSTextView: NSText
• so you can register to listen to your notifications for NSTextView or NSText
• e.g. NSTextViewWillChangeNotifyingTextViewNotification

Since it is not an official standard, I noticed that each sample is loaded differently.

XCODE PLUGIN SAMPLES

compiled either by github / web search for

'DVTSourceTextView' 

This is the class name of the Xcode editor window.

or

Info-list button

 'XC4Compatible' https://github.com/omz/ColorSense-for-Xcode https://github.com/ciaran/xcode-bracket-matcher - uses a ruby parser run as pipe! https://github.com/joshaber/WTFXcode https://github.com/0xced/NoLastUpgradeCheck http://code.google.com/p/google-toolbox-for-mac/downloads/list see GTMXcode4Plugin https://github.com/DeepIT/XcodeColors https://github.com/0xced/CLITool-InfoPlist https://github.com/sap-production/xcode-ide-maven-integration https://github.com/ciaran/xcode-bracket-matcher 

GET IN NSTextView, which is a console

https://github.com/sap-production/xcode-ide-maven-integration

 - (NSTextView *)findConsoleAndActivate { Class consoleTextViewClass = objc_getClass("IDEConsoleTextView"); NSTextView *console = (NSTextView *)[self findView:consoleTextViewClass inView:NSApplication.sharedApplication.mainWindow.contentView]; if (console) { NSWindow *window = NSApplication.sharedApplication.keyWindow; if ([window isKindOfClass:objc_getClass("IDEWorkspaceWindow")]) { if ([window.windowController isKindOfClass:NSClassFromString(@"IDEWorkspaceWindowController")]) { id editorArea = [window.windowController valueForKey:@"editorArea"]; [editorArea performSelector:@selector(activateConsole:) withObject:self]; } } } return console; } 

Answer 3

Take a look at this new plugin: https://github.com/sap-production/xcode-ide-maven-integration . Perhaps you can get some concepts for your plugin.

Answer 4

ColorSense for Xcode 4 was released on Github yesterday. Since the code is really compact, extending only to 3 classes, I think you should take a look there.

Answer 5

Xcode does not have a public plug-in API.

This was the case with earlier versions, and this also applies to Xcode 4.

Answer 6

Take a look at this article: Xcode 4: Builder Interface Plugins

Answer 7

No, Xcode does not support plugins, alternatively you can try AppCode, another IDE for iOS / MacOS, it supports plugin development.