Why the iPad Pro Needs Xcode

Steve Streza:

Xcode running directly on the iPad Pro could fix many of those problems. You now have a tablet powerful enough to run an IDE, with a very nice keyboard cover, and a screen big enough to encompass all the functionality of Xcode, capable of testing almost every feature of every iOS device ever made. You can code with your keyboard and test with multitouch. You could work on a desk and take your whole development environment with you on the couch, bed, or plane.

Streza’s argument is that Xcode for iPad would help developers write better iPad apps. In the long run, maybe. The build and run cycle sure would be better if you were running the app right on an iPad, not in the Simulator on your Mac.

I don’t know if it’s going to be a WWDC 2016 thing, or a WWDC 2017 thing, but I can feel it in my gut that this is going to happen. I wouldn’t be surprised, though, if it starts in some sort of limited fashion. Maybe Xcode for iPad starts out only offering Swift playgrounds — a tool that lets you tinker and learn, but not a full-fledged IDE for apps.

Update: Federico Viticci:

Fortunately, I want to believe there’s some hope here. Over the past few months, I’ve personally heard about an iPad Pro version of Xcode in early stages, being demoed internally at Apple. I don’t know if this will ever actually happen, but it sure would make for a nice surprise at WWDC next year.

I’ve heard the same thing. I don’t know that it’s iPad Pro-only — it might be for any iPad. But it’s definitely a real project.

★ Thursday, 12 November 2015