what is xcode on mac

Xcode is an integrated development environment (IDE) created by Apple Inc. for developing software applications for iOS, iPadOS, macOS, WatchOS, tvOS, and beyond. It includes a suite of tools that developers can use to write, debug, and test software, as well as tools for managing project files and resources. Xcode provides developers a unified workflow for user interface design, coding, testing, and debugging. It is a complete developer toolset for creating apps for Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Apple TV. Xcode includes the Xcode IDE, Swift and C/C++/Objective-C compilers, Instruments analysis tool, simulators, the latest SDKs, and hundreds of powerful features. Xcode supports the Swift programming language, which is safe, fast, and modern. It also supports C/C++/Objective-C compilers for legacy code or other use cases. Xcode is the only official tool for creating and publishing apps on the Apple App Store. All Mac OS users can use Xcode for free, but in order to distribute the apps on multiple App store platforms, an Apple Developer Program has to be subscribed for and the subscription is priced at $99 annually.