After doing iOS development for a while, the choice of IDE actually directly affects your daily coding rhythm. Whether the editor is smooth, whether project creation is concise, and whether device debugging is convenient—these details come up repeatedly in day-to-day development.

A while ago, while working on an experimental utility app, I tried switching to a different development environment. Instead of continuing with my usual project configuration, I ran the project end to end in an iOS IDE called kxapp. The project wasn’t large, but it was just enough to verify how the IDE performs in project creation, code writing, device debugging, and app building.

Creating a New iOS Project

After opening the kxapp IDE, you see a fairly clean startup screen. Click Create Project, and the IDE offers several different project types:

  • Swift
  • Objective-C
  • Flutter

For this test, I chose a Swift project. After entering the project name and save path, the IDE generates the project structure.

The project directory already contains basic code files and a resources directory. You can open the entry file and start writing code, with no additional configuration steps.

During project creation, you can clearly feel that the IDE has already prepared the development environment. There are no issues with missing SDKs or build tools, and no prompts to download additional components.

For scenarios that require quickly starting a project, this approach is quite straightforward.

Writing Code in the IDE

The kxapp IDE’s editor is built on the VSCode architecture. For developers accustomed to VSCode, this interface structure will feel familiar.

The left side is the project file list, the middle is the code editing area, and the bottom is the output panel.

To test the development workflow, I wrote a simple page application:

  • The page contains a text label
  • A button used to update the content

When the button is clicked, it calls a method that reads a local configuration file and then displays the content on the interface.

While writing code, the editor provides code completion and syntax hints. For example, when you type a class name or method name, the IDE automatically offers a suggestion list.

If there are syntax errors in the code, the editor displays hint information on the corresponding line.

The VSCode extension system can also continue to be used, so AI code assistants or formatting tools can be installed directly.

Connecting an iPhone for Debugging

After the project code is written, it needs to be run on a phone for verification.

Connect the iPhone to the computer via a data cable, then build.

The build process automatically performs the following steps:

  • Compile the project source code
  • Generate the application
  • Install the app on the phone

After a few seconds, the app icon appears on the phone’s home screen. Tap the icon to launch the app.

To confirm the logic was correct, I tapped the page button, and the text label successfully displayed the contents of the configuration file.

Then I changed the button color in the code and clicked the run button again. The IDE recompiled the app and installed the new version, and the app interface on the phone updated accordingly.

This debugging process was fairly smooth, because after modifying the code you can quickly see the running result.

Built-in Compilation Tools in the IDE

Throughout the entire development workflow, the IDE did not invoke an external development environment.

The kxapp IDE has a built-in compilation tool suite. When the IDE is installed, these tools are already configured.

When you click the run or build button, the IDE invokes the internal compilation tools to complete code compilation and app building.

This approach means developers do not need to install Xcode separately. Compilation, running, and build operations can all be completed in the same IDE.

For projects that need to frequently compile test builds, this environment configuration approach reduces a lot of preparation time.

Managing Different Types of Projects

To test the IDE’s project support capabilities, I created another Flutter project.

After the Flutter project was created, I wrote a simple page, connected an iPhone, and clicked run; the IDE compiled and installed the app on the phone.

Afterward, I created an Objective-C project for testing, and it also ran normally.

In the same IDE, you can manage three different types of projects:

  • Native Swift projects
  • Objective-C projects
  • Flutter projects

This approach is quite convenient when maintaining projects across multiple technology stacks.

Building an App Installer Package

After app development is complete, you need to generate an installer package for testing or submission for review.

In the kxapp IDE, you can generate an installation file through the build menu. The IDE compiles and generates the app installer package.

Build logs are displayed in the output panel. If problems occur during compilation, you can also view detailed information here.

The generated installation file can be used for test installation or submission to the app store.