Question

I have started using c++ extensively in school and now my programs are getting to the point where have more than 1 file (i.e. header, driver, implementation file). I don’t know enough about software development to understand or get a grasp of how to setup the build process by looking at apple’s guides. Could someone walk me through how to compile a simple c++ project with a header and two c++ files in xcode? Do I first need to make a makefile??

Answer 1

In Xcode:

• Select File -> New Project…
  • Select Mac OS X -> Application -> Command Line Tool (I’m assuming that you are making a simple C++ app that uses stdin/stdout, not a Cocoa-based GUI)
  • For “Type”, choose “C++ stdc++”
  • Click “Choose…” and give the project a name and location
• A new project window will appear. Open the “Source” group (folder) on the right hand side. There will be a main.cpp file. You can use that file if desired, or select it and hit the Delete key to get rid of it.
• Select Project -> Add to Project…
  • Select the files (headers and .cpp files) you want to add to the project.
• Select Build -> Build and Run to run your project

You will want to learn more about Xcode if you are going to use it as your main IDE. There’s a lot of documentation for Xcode, but most of it is designed for people creating Cocoa apps. For developing simple C++ console apps, you can probably start with the Xcode Workspace Guide.