Xcode is an IDE (Integrated Development Environment) created by Apple. It is used by software engineers to develop applications for the iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, Apple TV and Mac.

What are the key features of Xcode?

Write Code in Multiple Languages: Xcode offers support for the programming languages of AppleScript, C, C++, Objective-C, Objective-C++, Python, Ruby and Swift. Furthermore, there is third-party support for a number of other languages.
SwiftUI: Thanks to SwiftUI, developers can easily design responsive interfaces for Apple applications. There is a live preview panel for each of the elements you build. An interesting feature is the possibility to convert an iPad app into a Mac app, and vice versa, by ticking a single checkbox. SwiftUI automatically applies support for Dark Mode, localization, accessibility, and much more.
Version Control: Xcode is capable of creating local GIT repositories, as well as accessing remote repositories. The built-in Xcode Version Editor keeps track of the changes that were submitted to each repository and it also shows who made the changes.

How to install Xcode?

As we are used to with Apple applications, the installation of Xcode is very straightforward. Subsequently, click on Get and Install to download and install Xcode to your hard drive. Once the software is installed, you can run it through Applications or the Dock. As soon as you have opened the software, you can start working on your first Xcode project.

So how to update Xcode? This is once again fairly easy. Xcode will normally be updated automatically through its connection to the App Store. In case you have disabled automatic updates, you can manually visit the App Store and check if an update is available.

If you are programming applications for unreleased Apple operating systems, such as iOS 15 and macOS 12 Monterey, you can use Xcode 13 Beta.