Archive for October 31, 2024

Thursday, October 31, 2024

GitHub Copilot for Xcode

Frederic Lardinois (MacRumors, Hacker News):

Microsoft-owned GitHub is bringing Copilot to Apple’s Xcode environment for the first time. Now in public preview, this will allow developers who build apps in Apple’s IDE with the assistance of Copilot. For now, the focus here is on code completion, but Copilot Chat and its other features will likely make their way into Xcode over time.
Copilot already supports Apple’s preferred languages Swift and Objective-C, so there’s no surprise there. Copilot, like on other platforms, will offer multi-line suggestions when it can and users will be able to block suggestions that match public code.
[…]
All paying Copilot users on individual, business, and enterprise plans will have access to this public beta now. All they have to do to get started is install the Copilot extension for Xcode.

GitHub Copilot for Xcode:

GitHub Copilot is an AI pair programmer tool that helps you write code faster and smarter. Copilot for Xcode is an Xcode extension that provides inline coding suggestions as you type.

Matt Pfeiffer:

No way! I thought source editor extensions were too limited for an ai tool to be all that useful/efficient inside of the Xcode box.

Javi:

It also uses accessibility APIs

Which is why:

The installation instructions on this page make me sad for the state of macOS.

Mo Rajabi:

Github Copilot for Xcode overlays a window on top of the editor for completions as Xcode extensions can’t do it.

It’s like how SpamSieve officially has a Mail extension, but the most important stuff is all done via other APIs because extension support is so limited and buggy.

Thomas Ricouard:

I’ve tried it a bit on some sample code, and it’s better than Xcode’s new (local) predictive model. It’s faster, more accurate, and can generate more lines of code.
[…]
It seems to fall slightly short of the Copilot extension within VSCode and Cursor tab. I guess that it doesn’t index and embed your entire project, only the current file.

Jesse Squires:

Was the original author involved with the GH copy?

Marcin Krzyzanowski:

They made a deal with the original author (and paid for that).

Xcode 16.1

Apple (downloads):

Xcode 16.1 includes SDKs for iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1, tvOS 18.1, watchOS 11.1, macOS Sequoia 15.1, and visionOS 2.1. The Xcode 16.1 release supports on-device debugging in iOS 15 and later, tvOS 15 and later, watchOS 7 and later, and visionOS. Xcode 16.1 requires a Mac running macOS Sonoma 14.5 or later.

I’m not sure why it’s reported in the macOS 15.1 release notes instead of in the Xcode release notes, but an important bug seems to be fixed:

Fixed: Back-deploying apps that link QuickLookUI to macOS 11 or earlier might crash. (133213738) (FB14667312)

Unfortunately, FB13820420, where Swift apps that use the Network framework crash at launch on macOS Ventura and earlier, was introduced in Xcode 15 and is still not fixed.

When I enabled Apple Intelligence and launched Xcode 16.1 on macOS 15.1, it offered to download an AI model, and I see that there’s an Editor ‣ Show Swift Assist menu command. However, Swift Assist does not seem to be available yet, only the predictive code completion feature.

Previously:

Update (2024-11-25): Christian Beer:

Storyboard references are still broken in Xcode 16.1 and I am not allowed to use an old Xcode by Apple! This is the stuff that really makes me angry sometimes! How am I supposed to do my work, Apple?! What reason is there to “sunset“ Xcode 15.4 already?!

Apple Intelligence Mac macOS 11.0 Big Sur macOS 15 Sequoia Programming Quick Look Xcode

Comments

iOS Apple Intelligence in EU in April 2025

Romain Dillet (Hacker News, MacRumors):

Remember when Apple blamed EU tech rules — and more specifically the Digital Markets Act — to justify the fact that Apple Intelligence wouldn’t be available in the European Union? Maybe that was just an attempt to turn EU users against their regulators as Apple Intelligence is coming to the EU in April 2025 along with local language support.
[…]
While Apple Intelligence is technically out of beta, you have to set your iPhone or Mac to U.S. English. On the iPhone, Apple also checks if your Apple account is associated with a European address. If that’s the case, you can’t enable Apple Intelligence on your iPhone at all, even if you set your iPhone to U.S. English.
On the Mac, it’s a different story, as European users can try out Apple Intelligence features starting Monday.

I don’t think this is quite accurate: Apple Intelligence no longer requires a beta version of the OS, but the feature itself is still marked as in beta.

Max von Thun:

So in the end, Europeans only need to wait five extra months for Apple’s new AI features, while presumably getting a better and safer experience due to compliance with EU laws on privacy and fair competition. So much for all the hysteria about Europe being “left behind”.

So far I have not heard any specifics about what will be “better and safer.” It just seems like a combination of Apple not being ready with other languages and not having had the time to report to EU regulators what it’s doing.

Previously:

Update (2024-10-31): Holger Eilhard:

This is also incorrect: “On the iPhone, Apple also checks if your Apple account is associated with a European address.” I have a European address on my iPhone (along with my german credit cards). I happen to be in the US and can use Apple Intelligence just fine – with the device set to US English and all that.

Update (2024-11-04): Nick Heer:

All we know right now is that Apple’s E.U. rollout of Apple Intelligence coincides with the availability of a bunch of European languages. The April language pack notably also adds support for two other English languages — Indian and Singaporean — plus Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese. No word on availability in China, but Tim Cook is working on it.

Apple Intelligence Digital Markets Act (DMA) European Union iOS iOS 18

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