Xcode is the main tool you will use during your apps development. It has a variety of settings and can be customized in the way it suits you, but it’s not as difficult it appears to be.

The difficult may be the code, programming language you will enter to write your application. Xcode is not only used to built iPhone apps but as well for Mac and other environments.

As you see on the Xcode screenshot above, its window has 3 major parts.

1. Toolbar
   1. Active Target
      Here you can choose what is the active target. In most cases there will be only one position. Targets are useful if you won’t to create two similar version of your application, full and lite for example, although for beginners it’s much easier to create a new copy of the project for each version.
   2. Active SDK
      Here you can select for which environment and firmware version you are going to compile your application. It’s the best to compile for the lowest possible version. If you want to debug your application on iPhone Simulator choose Simulator – iPhone [version], if run on real device, choose Device – iPhone [version]. To run your code on iPhone using official way you have to be an iPhone Developer (and pay $99).
   3. Active Build Configuration
      Choose Debug for simulator, Release for real device and Distribution (will be available later) to send it later to App Store.
   4. Action
      Never mind, most of this option are available in ctrl-click menus.
   5. Build & Build and Go
      Compiles (and runs) your application.
   6. Tasks
      Terminates / kills application.
   7. Info
      Never mind.
   8. Editor
      Never mind.
   9. Search
      Ask your brother.
2. Left part of the window
   When you create a new project, Xcode makes many files for you, so it saves your time because the main part of your application usually is the same. As you see files in project are organized into folders (groups), by default: Classes, Other Sources, Resources,Frameworks and Products. You can organize it in a way you like. I will explain what each file does in one of next lessons.
3. Right part of the window
   Right part is divided into two sub-parts. Upper part shows the list of contents in selected folder / group / project / framework. Lower part displays a place where finally you can put some code.

That’s all. Not so difficult I guess.

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