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Written_11/25/2021
I suppose I don't own a Mac. I would like to acquire one, but it is incompatible with the storied app that is the topic of much discussion on Stackoverflow.
Somewhere in late 2014, my brother purchased himself one, which was ultimately given away as a 'family computer' (you know, for usage by the family rather than by him alone). I can't seem to recall). The Mac uses 4 gigabytes of RAM and Catalina version 10.15. (Oops. That's terrible! Right? What possibly could it process.) Perhaps it was popular in 2014. In the fall, I upgraded my personal computer's memory to sixteen.
So, what is this so-called app?
Xcode is the app (or IDE) everyone talks about, not only on stackoverflow, but in the world. Why? Xcode, literally, has a download size of 12.4 gigs (which is for the current version), about another 25 for the unpacking (or unzipping the zip file) and yet another 4 or 5 for the installation. If you do the math, that is a lot of space for just one app.
Yes. IDEs (short for 'Integrated Development Environment') can be huge in size, but not like this. Microsoft Visual studio could go up to 20. That is if you were going to install the toolchains for .NET, ASP.NET, C# and so on (Windows). That's why there is Visual Studio Code, not as a fully functional development environment, but as a code editor taking less as 400 megabytes in space.
Why should I worry about the storage space and memory?
You are not required. Unless you have an SSD with 500 gigabytes or greater. Xcode eats through your disc and RAM like a child eating candy. A Mac must have at least 128 GB of SSD storage space and 8 GB of dedicated memory in order to run Xcode. I might not currently have any of these, or do I? Every 15 minutes, a developer with less than 16 GB of physical memory can benefit from some purging. Undoubtedly, I'll experience this as well. There may be numerous code editors in the world, but there is only one that supports iOS, Macintosh, watchOS, and TvOS. It appears like MacOS and iOS are in charge.
There should be an alternative, right?
Yes. We might have a different choice. Developer IDE maker JetBrains recently unveiled AppCode, which it claims is the "greatest alternative to Xcode." Not as cost-free as Xcode, contains a paywall.
Light at the end of the tunnel! Or not?
Because it offers all the tools and simulations needed to create complicated app designs, AppCode might be the best. But at the conclusion of the procedure, following app testing, Xcode will be required to submit our app to Apple for evaluation and deployment to the AppStore. Second, AppCode needs access to Xcode's toolchains in order to power its own simulators, therefore it requires Xcode to run in the background or remain idle. Duh!
On the bright side, the developer doesn't have to load any project into Xcode because that is what takes up most memory. Let Xcode sit in idle as we work with AppCode on our project.
How about AppCode's storage requirements?
Much superior to Xcode's. Overall, AppCode just needs roughly 5 GB. However unlike Xcode, it is not completely free. Another benefit is that Appcode has 2 GB RAM as its minimum requirement for memory, which is good.
Let's do the math, just one last time!
According to the load, the OSX kernel requires up to 1.5 to 3 GB of memory. (Say opening a tab in Safari). We'll use a Macbook with 8GB of installed memory for this example. You can utilise the remaining 5 GB for other purposes. Theoretically, I might be able to utilise 2 GB to run Xcode in the background (with memory clearing every 20 minutes), and I might need another 2 to 3 GB to run AppCode. It is a win-win for us. Yet, this is just a theory.
Second, let's give free 50 GB of the combined storage of Xcode and AppCode. I could care less.
Why the stress?
Apple sought to create a unique ecosystem for its OSX and products. I don't want you to know the specific times and locations of events, such as the WWDC conference (clearly, let's keep things straightforward). The Android environment is open. Why does that matter? Android may run and be used on devices made by numerous mobile phone manufacturers, not just one. In essence, Apple has a closed environment (just the iPhone). This means that in order to fulfil their dreams, aspiring iOS developers must discover and perfect the ecosystem's one tried-and-true formula.
What is the recipe?
Earlier, developers used Objective-C and C++ for development. Here is their successor. Swift.
Swift first debuted in 2014. With SwiftUI, the language may have greatly simplified things. But believe me, with each upgrade, it becomes more challenging.
Why the wait? Let's get going!
Getting back to setting up the environment. Good heavens! Humans have given me another option. Difficult to set up, but nothing better.
Don't have a Mac? Just do this__