xcode iconApple today released Xcode 4.3 [Mac App Store], making a number of improvements to the software. Among the notable changes, Xcode is now offered directly as an app. It had previously been offered as an installer package, and the move simplifies the installation and update process.

What's New in Version 4.3

Xcode is now distributed as an application, rather than as an installer. This change enables Xcode to be updated directly from the Mac App Store.

- Includes SDKs for Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and iOS 5
- New code signing workflow supports signing OS X apps with Developer ID
- Adds installation of command-line tools to the Downloads preference pane
- Open Developer Tool menu launches Instruments, File Merge, and other tools
- ARC migration tool converts both retain/release and garbage collected code
- Additional bug fixes and stability improvements

Xcode is a free download, but users must be registered members of Apple's iOS or Mac Developer Program in order to submit apps created with Xcode to the respective App Stores.

Top Rated Comments

kainjow Avatar
179 months ago
Awesome, even the dev tools are being dumbed down.

How is it dumbed down? It's simply just better management. Should have been this way years ago IMO.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
mdriftmeyer Avatar
179 months ago
XCode 4.4 will be the big jump from Clang 3.0 -> Clang 3.1 where C++11 is fully implemented and all the Macroscalar patented hints are implemented within libc++ [a drop in replacement to libstdc++ from GNU].

http://clang.llvm.org/cxx_status.html

Tons of info over at LLVM/Clang:

http://www.llvm.org/devmtg/2011-11/

Release notes for 3.1 are not any where close to current:

http://llvm.org/docs/ReleaseNotes.html

But it's safe to say XCode 4.4 will be a big hit for the Tools and maturity of LLVM/Clang.

Clang 3.1 also ends cuts off backward compatibility of bitcodes at 3.0 and forward.


LLVM 3.1 removes support for reading LLVM 2.9 bitcode files. Going forward, we aim for all future versions of LLVM to read bitcode files and .ll files produced by LLVM 3.0 and later.

Tons of work going on with Vectorization and gaining advanced vector instruct set full support for AMD and Intel, not to mention ARM.

The mailing archives for cfe-dev [clang] and llvm-dev are heavily traffic'd.

All important changes going to Xcode 4.3 are highlighted here:

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/WhatsNewXcode/Articles/xcode_4_3.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/1006-SW1


----------

Uh-oh ... now I have two XCodes - one (version 4.2.1) in the Developer folder and now the new one (version 4.3) in the Applications folder.

Plus I have a new "Install Xcode" app in the applications folder (version 4.2.1).

What do I do? And what about all the other stuff in the developer folder?

confused

Xcode 4.3 removes Xcode 4.2.x as /Developer no longer exists.

Xcode 4.3 is one unified Application with all the Tools launched within Xcode.

https://developer.apple.com/library/ios/documentation/DeveloperTools/Conceptual/WhatsNewXcode/Articles/xcode_4_3.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/1006-SW1
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
balamw Avatar
179 months ago
If this change facilitates the delta updates instead of requiring a huge download for every minor update, I'm all for it.

B
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
flash84x Avatar
179 months ago
Does anyone who has downloaded this have tips on installing over the top of the previous release? Or tips on the best process to take to delete the previous release before downloading and running 4.3?

Or is it just as simple as dragging the previous Developer folder into the trash?

I left Xcode 4.2 where it was and installed 4.3 from the AppStore, once I launched the AppStore version I got this screen to help with the migration...

Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)
radiogoober Avatar
179 months ago
Do you mean it does this when I launch the new version? Because the developer folder and the old version are still there at the moment

You really couldn't try launching it first before writing this post?
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kainjow Avatar
179 months ago
That is the problem. The other tools downloads (graphics, IO, audio, dashcode, auxiliary and accessibility) are just apps inside the DMG and I have no idea where one is supposed to place them.

They appear to be all self contained apps, so looks like you can put them anywhere.

But I agree, it is a bit odd for Apple to just give you a dmg with apps. They should at least give a read me saying you can put them anywhere.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

AirPods Pro Firmware Feature

Apple Releases New Firmware for AirPods Pro 2, AirPods Pro 3, and AirPods 4

Thursday November 13, 2025 11:35 am PST by
Apple today released new firmware designed for the AirPods Pro 3, the AirPods 4, and the prior-generation AirPods Pro 2. The AirPods Pro 3 firmware is 8B25, while the AirPods Pro 2 and AirPods 4 firmware is 8B21, all up from the prior 8A358 firmware released in October. There's no word on what's include in the updated firmware, but the AirPods Pro 2, AirPods 4 with ANC, and AirPods Pro 3...
iOS 26

iOS 26.2 Available Next Month With These 8 New Features

Tuesday November 11, 2025 9:48 am PST by
Apple released the first iOS 26.2 beta last week. The upcoming update includes a handful of new features and changes on the iPhone, including a new Liquid Glass slider for the Lock Screen's clock, offline lyrics in Apple Music, and more. In a recent press release, Apple confirmed that iOS 26.2 will be released to all users in December, but it did not provide a specific release date....
CarPlay Pinned Messages

iOS 26.2 Adds New CarPlay Setting

Thursday November 13, 2025 6:48 am PST by
iOS 26 extended pinned conversations in the Messages app to CarPlay, for quick access to your most frequent chats. However, some drivers may prefer the classic view with a list of individual conversations only, and Apple now lets users choose. Apple released the second beta of iOS 26.2 this week, and it introduces a new CarPlay setting for turning off pinned conversations in the Messages...
homepod mini thumb feature

New HomePod Mini, Apple TV, and AirTag Were Expected This Year — Where Are They?

Wednesday November 12, 2025 11:42 am PST by
While it was rumored that Apple planned to release new versions of the HomePod mini, Apple TV, and AirTag this year, it is no longer clear if that will still happen. Back in January, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said Apple planned to release new HomePod mini and Apple TV models "toward the end of the year," while he at one point expected a new AirTag to launch "around the middle of 2025." Yet,...
ios 26 digital id passport wallet

Apple Announces Launch of U.S. Passport Feature in iPhone's Wallet App

Wednesday November 12, 2025 9:15 am PST by
Apple today announced that iPhone users can now create a Digital ID in the Apple Wallet app based on information from their U.S. passport. To create and present a Digital ID based on a U.S. passport, you need: An iPhone 11 or later running iOS 26.1 or later, or an Apple Watch Series 6 or later running watchOS 26.1 or later Face ID or Touch ID and Bluetooth turned on An Apple Account ...
Tesla Charging

Tesla Working to Add Apple CarPlay Support to Vehicles

Thursday November 13, 2025 8:31 am PST by
Tesla is working to add support for Apple CarPlay in its vehicles, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman reports. Tesla vehicles rely on its own infotainment software system, which integrates vehicle functions, navigation, music, web browsing, and more. The automaker has been an outlier in foregoing support for Apple CarPlay, which has otherwise become an industry standard feature, allowing users to...
m1 chip slide

Five Years of Apple Silicon: M1 to M5 Performance Comparison

Monday November 10, 2025 1:08 pm PST by
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the Apple silicon chip that replaced Intel chips in Apple's Mac lineup. The first Apple silicon chip, the M1, was unveiled on November 10, 2020. The M1 debuted in the MacBook Air, Mac mini, and 13-inch MacBook Pro. The M1 chip was impressive when it launched, featuring the "world's fastest CPU core" and industry-leading performance per watt, and it's only ...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.2 Beta 2

Wednesday November 12, 2025 3:29 pm PST by
Apple today provided developers with the second beta of iOS 26.2, which adds a few new features worth knowing about. Measure App Apple's Measure app now features a Liquid Glass design for the level, with two Liquid Glass bubbles instead of white circles. Games App There's now an option to sort games in the Games app Library by size, in addition to Name and Recent. CarPlay The...
apple intelligence erroneous support list

Apple Intelligence Apparently Too Smart for M1 Macs After Listing Error

Wednesday November 12, 2025 2:49 am PST by
Update: It took a day, but Apple has now corrected its Apple Intelligence device compatibility list to show support for the earliest Apple silicon Macs. The original article follows. Apple's website is causing some confusion among Mac owners, and for good reason – its device compatibility listing for Apple Intelligence appears to have dropped support for M1 Macs. The U.S. version...
tvOS 26 Profiles

tvOS 26.2 Adds a Useful New Feature to Your Apple TV

Friday November 14, 2025 10:02 am PST by
Starting with the upcoming tvOS 26.2 update, currently in beta, additional profiles created on the Apple TV no longer require their own Apple Account. In the Settings app on the Apple TV, under Profiles and Accounts, anyone can create a new profile by simply entering a name and indicating whether the profile is for a kid. The profile will be associated with the primary user's Apple Account,...