What’s new in Xcode 15

Editing

• All simulators are now optional to download, reducing Xcodes download size further

• Code completion is faster, makes less mistakes

• Press ➡️ key to get all overloads of a function in auto-complete

• Function suggestions are now ordered by usage frequency and context-aware

• Symbols are now generated for Images and Colors in Asset Catalogs

• use via Image(.yourImage) or ImageResource.yourImage with autocompletion support & compiler checks

• likewise you can use Color(.yourColor) or ColorResource.yourColor with autocompletion

• String Catalogs replace .strings and .stringsdict files – migrate those legacy files via right-click “Migrate”

• A visual editor shows all languages with their current translation progress and all singular & pluraized translations in one place

• New translation keys in code are automatically detected and added to the file

• Real-time preview of documentation by using Assistant Editor

• Macros make for more expressive APIs, help eliminate repeated code

• @Observable, #Predicate, @Model examples of macros from Apple

• New template for creating your own macro packages with sample code provided

• “Expand Macro” in quick actions menu (Cmd + Shift + A) shows code that’s generated by macro – supports breakpoints

• #Preview { ... } replaces PreviewProvider protocol, much easier & more flexible

• #Preview even supports UIKit & AppKit directly, just create a ViewController for example

• #Preview supports also Widget timeline, previewing all differentt time views

Navigating

• New Bookmarks navigator (in left menu), right-click any code or search query to add a bookmark

• You can provide a description for the bookmark, which shows from right side of the code (like #warning)

• Bookmarks are groupable (like folders), to give them different semantic meanings like TODOs/reminders/etc.

• You can “complete” a bookmark by pressing a checkbox to its left, or simply delete them – same result

• New type of search queries available: “conforming type” e.g. to find all conformances to ViewModifier protocol

• When a search query is bookmarked, you need to press “refresh” button to re-execute query & update matches

Sharing

• Uncommitted changes now presented in a single scrollable view

• You can make smaller changes to your code right within that view if you find small issues like typos

• Stage changes

Testing

• 45% fater reporting

• You can filter tests at the bottom left

• New design for reports with a high-level summary of test plan: Top Insights, Stats with pie chart, & more

• New “Performance Metrics” tab

• UI tests have full recording until fail, plays automatically when stepping through test, timeline for scrubbing available

• Even the UI hierarchy is recorded so you can see the hierarchy at any given time during the test

Debugging

• OSLog deeply integrated to Xcode

• Initialize: let logger = Logger(subsystem:...)

• Then call: logger.info(...), logger.warning(...), logger.error(...), logger.notice(...)

• Clean presentation of logs in Console with background color & optional metadata fields

• Filtering possible based on metadata, like log level

• Right-clicking and selecting “Jump to Source” brings you to line where log happened

Distributing

• Xcode Cloud: Test notes support, Notarization support

• Signature Verification for .xcframeworks

• New Privacy Manifest file for 3rd party frameworks

• Xcode produces PDF report based on all privacy manifests or included frameworks to help fill App Stor Connect privacy labels

• New TestFlight internal testing option during distribution to prevent accidental release to customers

• New push notification when uploaded build processing finished on Connect (build ready for distribution)