Mike Clark

If you're programming in Xcode, it pays to know some keyboard shortcuts. Of course, there are a ton of shortcuts you could learn. And some guys know them all. I'm not one of those guys. I tend to use a fairly small, high-impact set of essential shortcuts. Through repeated use on my day-to-day work, they become automatic. Then once in a while I'll discover a new shortcut, and if I use it often enough it'll stick.

If you're feeling a tad overwhelmed by all the Xcode shortcuts, here's a place to start: my Xcode keyboard shortcuts cheat sheet. It's relatively short by IDE cheat sheet standards (only 45 shortcuts), and I like it that way. It's the sweet spot for what I can remember. And by focusing on just these shortcuts I've become a lot more productive in Xcode. These are the same shortcuts I teach visually in my Becoming Productive in Xcode screencasts. The best way to see how I work in Xcode is to check 'em out!

On a related note, here's a chance to practice your Xcode shortcuts: Attend an iPhone Studio this summer! We have two courses scheduled in August—in Reston, VA and Denver, CO—covering the new iPhone 3.0 SDK. I think it's the best way to quickly get up to speed on iPhone development. Every time I've sat in on one, I've learned something new from the instructors. It's a fun 4 days of hands-on programming, and we promise you won't go away hungry.