10 iOS Dev Tools to Boost Your Workflow

Introduction

Developing high-quality iOS apps requires utilizing the right tools. The iOS ecosystem offers a rich set of developer tools to improve workflows and boost productivity. In this article, we'll review some of the top iOS dev tools to help you develop, test, debug, and monitor your apps efficiently.

We'll cover both free open source tools and paid services across key categories like mocking APIs, managing dependencies, debugging performance, testing UIs, integrating analytics, and more. Whether you're just starting out or are a seasoned iOS developer, integrating a few of these iOS dev tools into your process can help you build better apps faster.

Let's dive in and explore how these tools can level up your iOS development!

Mocking and API Testing

Mocking web APIs during development is crucial for enabling effective offline testing. Rather than needing real backend services deployed, you can mock responses and test app logic independently. Here are some great mocking tools for iOS:

Mockeroo - Mockeroo lets you generate mock data for testing including JSON, CSV, and SQL formats. You can customize schemas and sample values easily.
Beeceptor - Beeceptor provides a free REST API mocking service. You can quickly create endpoints and sample responses to test HTTP requests.
Nocilla - Nocilla is an open source library for stubbing HTTP requests in Swift. It has no runtime dependencies making it lightweight and easy to add to iOS projects.
Hoverfly - Hoverfly is an open source API simulation tool. It can capture HTTP traffic then mimic APIs for testing without needing real services.
Mountebank - Mountebank is an advanced open source tool for mocking HTTP/HTTPS, SOAP, and SMTP requests. It has many options for customizing stub behaviors.

Comparing Open Source and Paid Tools

For mocking APIs, both open source and paid solutions have pros and cons to weigh. Open source tools like Nocilla and Hoverfly are free to use but require more hands-on configuration. Paid services like Mockeroo offer greater convenience but at an added cost.

Nocilla has the advantage of being lightweight with no dependencies. But Hoverfly has more built-in capabilities like shaping traffic and matching requests. For teams with sufficient engineering bandwidth, open source provides flexibility. But individual developers may prefer paid solutions for the ease of use.

Xcode UI Testing

Xcode offers built-in capabilities for UI Testing on iOS and macOS apps. It uses the XCTest framework to enable test automation in Swift or Objective-C.

For example, you can write a test to validate tapping on a button shows an expected screen:

func testShowSettings() {
  let app = XCUIApplication()
  app.buttons["Settings"].tap()

  XCTAssertTrue(app.staticTexts["Settings"].exists)
}

Xcode generates snapshots and videos of test runs to simplify debugging failures. UI tests can run on both simulators and real devices. While Xcode provides the basics, many teams still prefer third-party frameworks for advanced use cases. But Xcode UI Testing is a handy option already integrated into the development environment.

Dependency Management

Efficiently managing app dependencies is essential for Swift and Objective-C projects. Here are some popular solutions:

Swift Package Manager - Apple's built-in dependency manager integrated with Xcode. It handles adding, removing, and updating dependencies.
Carthage - A decentralized dependency manager for Swift and Objective-C. It takes a decentralized approach with no central repo.
CocoaPods ($) - The most popular dependency manager for iOS/macOS development. It has over 200,000 libraries and is integrated into Xcode.
Jazzy ($) - A paid tool for generating documentation sites for Swift and Objective-C. It can produce docs for iOS/macOS projects including dependencies.

For open source needs, Carthage is a great option. But CocoaPods offers more convenience and integrations for a small monthly fee. Evaluate your requirements to pick the right tradeoff between control and ease of use.

Debugging and Performance

Identifying and fixing bugs is critical during iOS development. Here are some handy debugging and performance tools:

Xcode Memory Graph - Xcode's memory graph debugger helps spot retain cycles, memory leaks, and other issues. It provides object allocation histories and auditing.
FBRetainCycleDetector - Facebook's open source library detects retain cycles causing memory leaks at runtime. It integrates well with Xcode's memory graph.
Instruments - Apple's Instruments tool tracks CPU, memory, network, energy, and other metrics. It helps monitor and improve app performance.
Datadog ($$$) - Datadog is a paid monitoring service for visualizing application performance. It has iOS integration for tracking key metrics.
Skedler ($) - Skedler is an app performance monitoring platform. It tracks stability metrics and can detect crashes plus send alerts.

Criteria for Selecting Tools

When evaluating debugging and performance tools, some key criteria to consider are:

Features - Does the tool provide the specific capabilities you need? Prioritize must-have features.
Documentation - Are setup and usage well-documented? Good docs make adoption easier.
Community - For open source tools, is there an active community for support?
Pricing - Paid tools offer added convenience but require budget.
Integration - How easily does the tool integrate with your tech stack? Prefer turnkey solutions.
Support - Does the paid tool offer quality technical support if needed?

Keep these criteria in mind as you assess options to determine the best fit for your goals and constraints.

User Interface Testing

Thoroughly testing app UIs is needed to catch visual bugs. Here are some great options for iOS user interface testing:

Frank - Frank is an open source Swift framework for automating iOS UI tests. It uses natural language for writing test cases.
Percy ($$) - Percy is a visual regression testing platform designed for web and mobile apps. It performs pixel-by-pixel comparisons of app UIs across commits to catch visual changes.
Appium ($) - Appium is a paid cross-platform test automation tool. It supports native, hybrid, and mobile web apps on iOS/Android.
Kobiton ($$) - Kobiton provides a scalable cloud-based device lab for mobile app testing including iOS simulators.

Frank stands out as an easy to use open source option. But services like Percy and Kobiton offer advanced capabilities for a price. Carefully evaluate free vs paid tradeoffs to meet your UI testing needs.

Analytics and Monitoring

Understanding how users interact with your app is vital. Here are some analytics and monitoring tools for iOS:

Xcode Instruments - Instruments tracks basic usage metrics like CPU, memory, and network traffic.
Snowplow ($$) - Snowplow is an open source tool for collecting and analyzing behavioral data. It lets you build custom data pipelines.
Countly (Free/$) - Countly is an open source mobile analytics platform for tracking usage, demographics, events, and more. It offers white labeled dashboards.
Mixpanel ($$$) - Mixpanel is a robust paid analytics solution for understanding user engagement across mobile, web, and more.
Sentry ($$) - Sentry is an error tracking platform that aggregates crashes, exceptions, and other issues. It helps you diagnose and prioritize problems.

Consider an open source solution like Countly paired with a paid service like Mixpanel to get robust analytics capabilities for an affordable price. Match business and data needs with the features and budgets of each tool.

Code Formatting

Consistent code style is important for collaboration. Here are some iOS code formatting tools:

SwiftFormat - SwiftFormat auto-formats Swift code for style guide rule enforcement. It integrates with Xcode, Git, and CI systems.
ClangFormat - ClangFormat formats C/C++/Objective-C code based on custom style options. It helps teams maintain a unified style.
SwiftLint - SwiftLint is a popular linter that enforces Swift style and conventions through built-in configurable rules.

SwiftFormat stands out for its focus specifically on code layout and formatting. Integrate it into your workflow to automate styling code during development.

Library Management

Managing third-party libraries is essential for iOS apps. Here are some helpful tools:

CocoaPods - CocoaPods simplifies adding, removing, and updating third-party libraries in Xcode projects. It has become the standard for iOS dependency management.
Carthage - Carthage is a dependency manager that builds third-party libraries and links them into projects. It takes a decentralized approach.
Swift Package Manager - The Swift Package Manager is Apple's official dependency manager integrated into Xcode. It streamlines adding and managing libraries.

CocoaPods is likely the best choice for most iOS developers. But evaluate your needs to choose the right solution for managing third-party code.

Conclusion

iOS developers have an expansive set of dev tools to improve workflows. Integrating solutions for mocking, dependency management, debugging, testing, analytics, and monitoring will allow you to build higher-quality apps efficiently.

Carefully evaluate the tradeoffs between open source and paid tools to find options matching your budget and needs. Check out DevHunt to explore and compare iOS dev tools mentioned in this article all in one place. Let us know what your favorite iOS dev tools are!

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