A Brief Introduction to Xcode 4 Workspace

1. Editor Area: Shows your project's properties, or the contents of files you select from the Navigator Area.
• In a new project it shows your project's properties.
  • Click on main.cpp in the navigator area to see your code in the editor area.
  • Click on your project's top level item, with the blue app icon, to see project properties again.
• You can jump to specific functions within a file by clicking on the text or function name at the end of the Jump Bar at the top of the editor window.
  • At the end of what looks like a directory path, the Jump Bar will say No Selection
  • Click those words to reveal a menu with one item - the main function.
  • Click the main function in that menu. Its header will be highlighted, and XCode takes you to it, if it is off the screen.
  • The same method can take you any function or function prototype in your program
    
    
2. Toolbar: collects important functions.
• By far the most useful ones to you right now are the Run (Command-R) and Stop (Command-.) buttons to the left. Their purpose should be obvious. The run button will save your files and compile your program for you if necessary.
• Please note the Breakpoints button. It toggles debugging mode. Any time you add a breakpoint to your code, debugging mode will be turned on automatically. You can use the Breakpoints button to disable all breakpoints at once and exit debugging mode.
  • Add breakpoints to your code by clicking in the bar to the far left of the editor area.
  • Run your code.
  • The Debug Area will open at the bottom of the workspace window and show you some debugging controls.
  • Note the current running line in the editor area, and the automatic variables to the left of the debug area.
  • Stop the program.
  • Toggle the Breakpoints button and run again.
  • Note your program's output to the right of the debug area. You can click here to type input if required.
• Also note the View buttons to the right. They can show or hide the side and bottom panes.
  
  
3. Navigator Area: this pane allows you to explore the various components of your project.
• Initially the folder, or Project Navigator, icon will be selected in the navigator selector bar. This is the navigator you will use most often.
• If you did some debugging you will be in the Debug Navigator.
• You will also use the exclamation mark, or Issue Navigator, icon to debug your program. When you have a compile time error, you can see the list of errors there.
  • create an error in main.cpp and Run your program. The error will be highlighted in the Editor.
  • You will also see a red exclamation mark in the Toolbar's status window. Click it and your navigator will switch to the issue navigator.
  • Fix the issue, test it, and switch back to the project navigator.
    
    
4. Debug Area: allows you to interact with console based programs, see log messages and control the debugger.
   • You saw the input/output pane when you ran your code earlier.
   • Start debugging.
   • Note the Debug bar. From left to right are:
     • minimize
     • continue
     • step over
     • step in
     • step out
     • Thread and stack location.
       • This is also shown in the Debug Navigator.
       • When a program crashes, you don't always end up in a useful function - often it's a library function. Navigate the stack to see what line in your code caused the error.
   • You can add an expression to the Auto variables pane by alternate clicking there and selecting Add Expression.
     
     
5. Utility Area: you will not be using this at all in this class. You can learn about it at your leisure.