CodeWarrior vs Xcode issues
CodeWarrior vs Xcode issues
- Subject: CodeWarrior vs Xcode issues
- From: "Andy O'Meara" <email@hidden>
- Date: Tue, 07 Jun 2005 12:22:21 -0400
Apple xcode devs and users,
As a Codewarrior person past the initial conversion stage, no looking at
workflow-related issued with xcode, I have some of xcode roadmap and IDE
questions and concerns. I'm just upgraded from xcode 2.0 to 2.1.
I've submitted a a couple of my issues as an xcode feature request in
apple's bug reporter, but I'm not convinced Apple is looking out for devs
who aren't gcc gurus (but need a also demand a lot from their compiler). My
small company develops performance graphics stuff for win32 as well as mac
os x, so it's been very effective over the years to use codewarrior to
target CFM carbon, mach-o, and win32. The fact that Metrowerks has barely
touched codewarrior in the last three years shows how far-ahead every aspect
of their IDE and compilers were when CW8 and 9 came out. Under codewarrior,
I got to keep all our cross-platform code in a DLL and .bundle project, and
that was damn nice (and unfortunately is no longer a reality now that I've
had to switch as a result of MW's languishing of CW and now Apple move to
intel).
Anyway, here's my questions/concerns/issues, so I encourage you to
address/answer all three and tell me it truly is the time to stop looking at
codewarrior like it was an ex-girlfriend I just can't get over.
- Codewarrior has great warning control and suppression support. I realize
the gcc has many warning-related features, but I don't have the
resources/interst/patience to become a gcc options and flags guru (when
there's two other compilers that I have to manage as well). I find it
ironic that Apple beats the "just works" drum incessantly, yet for their
very own devs, xcode isn't an exhaustive GUI around gcc. As a result, mac
os dev professional don't get the same "mac os experience" that, say, a
video production professional gets with Final Cut Pro. I have no doubt
everyone here loves mac os b/c of their user experience for "normal" apps,
so we can we have that user experience in xcode (especially now, when we're
being forced to switch to xcode). Currently, my cross-platform code base
compiles like a champ, but there's certain warnings that come up that are a
horrible distraction from real warnings that I may need to know about (see
Apple bug report 4133876).
1) Syntax/editor features. Again, Apple beats the
cocoa-and-xcode-is-superior drum, but how impressed can I be when Apple
doesn't seem to have matched (or surpassed) codewarrior's editor in full?
Here's the two biggies for me that impact my workflow greatly:
a) Syntax coloring for C++ method and class identifiers. Visually, it
makes a big difference to me to look at a code block and visually see what I
can click on an jump to (b/c class methods and instance vars are a different
color). This feature also saves me from making a typo, catching it from a
compile error, and having to do a recompile (because in CW, as you type, the
word will change color once it's a match to a class method or var
identifier).
b) There's no way to bind a key sequence/command to the "Go to
Counterpart" command. Doesn't this go against Apple's UIG's about that
every command should be accessible via a menu command? More generally,
Codewarrior has exhaustive support to bind *any* action to a key command or
toolbar button. In CW, I'm switching back and fourth between .h and .c/.cpp
files all the time, so if I have to reach over and grab the mouse every time
b/c there's no key command in xcode, my workflow and concentration is
severely disrupted. If there's a way to do this, please let me know, and I
take back all my criticisms for this item.
2) .bundle debugging. In xcode, there doesn't seem to be support for
attaching to a process that's using a .bundle that you'd like to debug. If
this is possible, please briefly describe how to do this. If it's not, I'm
sure that everyone here agrees that this is a glaring shortcoming of xcode
and needs to get addressed asap. (given that it'd be so glaring, I can only
assume it can be done, yet I cannot find any info in the help or via any
menu item).
Thanks for your attention, and I look forward to responses (and hopefully
answers!). Trust me, I'd love to hear that I've just been a clod and that
xcode can do all of the above!
Thanks,
Andy O'Meara
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