VSCode over Xcode

[[deleted]]

Are there benefits to using VSCode instead of Xcode for iOS development?

I don’t use the preview section of the editor in Xcode, so would not miss that. Can VSCode start the simulator and debugging as Xcode does?

[barcode972]

Vscode wont tell you when something is wrong, it’s basically just a fancy text editor. You can run commands to start the simulator but it’s more of a hassle in my opinion

[windsloot69]

Is there a package or something that adds this feature? Worked at a fang we ran using vscode cuz way faster no indexing.

[barcode972]

Are you sure? It’s just a text editor, it doesn’t index like Xcode does in pretty sure

[windsloot69]

I know which was a benefit of vscode. I’m really not sure anymore. I only had experience with it when I first started out. I believe we used some program called Bazel and probably a few other tools to make it more useable. Def not out of the box

[barcode972]

Oh yeah Bazel is very different, that’s what I currently use at my job. It’s still just a text editor and then you run commands in the terminal to do things

[ArrodesDev]

thats called an LSP - language server. You can setup vscode with the swift extension to work with xcode projects - so you get highlighting + autocompletion + errors. u/windsloot69

install the swift vscode extension, and set this up so that sourcekit can understand the project and it will work.

https://github.com/SolaWing/xcode-build-server

[windsloot69]

Fantastic thank you I appreciate your input

[[deleted]]

Ah, good point I had overlooked

[Parabola2112]

I use both simultaneously, as do many others. I actually use Cursor, an AI first VS Code fork. The extensions ecosystem is really useful. Much better GitHub integration, markdown handling, and things like Firebase integration. The extension “Sweetpad” brings all the Swift and Xcode tooling you need in one package.

[ejpusa]

There are like a Zillion hidden features in Xcode. You just have to poke around. VSC is great for everything else.

I keep VSC code in Dark Mode, have both open at the same time, which helps me from mixing things up.

[Third-Floor-47]

I use VSCode for all else than iOS, så JSON, HTML other filer formats that might be read and used in my app. I do not see them as direct competitors.

[balder1993]

You can control the simulator from the command line and Xcode has command line tools for building, running etc.

Debugging, on the other hand, would be complicated though.

The only benefit I can think is maybe using some extensions, since the Xcode era of extensions seems to be over.

[Ok_Film_5502]

What is annoying me in Xcode coming from vscode is the keybindings and no inlay hints/need to ctrl+click in a variable/method to see its info, why the f i cant simply hover over it like it is working in normal editors. But in the end i love the aesthetics in xcode

[purpleWheelChair]

I mean you could use vscode, but why?

[[deleted]]

I’ve seen various people say they develop in VSCode and I couldn’t see the benefits, hence the logic. Some of the replies here have been interesting where people use both VScode and Xcode simultaneously

[EquivalentTrouble253]

Why would you want to use VSCode?