XCode Project: should we put source code in separate folders for meaningful purpose

Question

I'm a Java developer, and a new comer to ios development. In learning phrase, I try to download some sample projects (include from small one to medium one) for reading how often they do work in an ios project. As I see, often, they put all source file into one folder (include header file, source file, .storyboard file, xib file ...) and I see this will make your project become messy.

So, I come here to ask a question that. Should we put source code in separate folders base on their usage, to make project less messy, right ? For example, all custom core data model class files should put into Model folder. All View file (such as .storyboard, .xib file ...) should put into View folder. All Controller file should put into Controller folder ...

If you often do this, please tell me your experience, how you folder your code ? And does XCode support virtual folders (that in XCode IDE you see source code in folders, but in hard drive, they're just same).

Thanks :)

Answer 1

Xcode differs from Eclipse and Android Studio in maintaining a separate project-level division of resources into folders that need have no correlation whatsoever to the file system. Given that the lack of namespaces usually leads people to be very relaxed about what formally is and is not a 'package', it's a real wild west out there.

I tend to keep things organised by mental package — model, view, controller at the top level, e.g. maybe web services, persistent store under model, etc. But even then command+shift+O and type a symbol or class name is by far the easiest way to navigate a project.

Others might argue that keeping things flat is better because then you don't have to keep the file system layout in sync manually and open-by-symbol plus the class browser obviate the need for stringent organisation, presenting a hierarchical relationship without the need to get either the disk or the workspace into agreement.

Answer 2

You first have to make the difference between folders and groups. Folders are used to organize contents on your filesystem whereas groups are used to organize contents within your Xcode project. You can think of groups as virtual folders. I personally prefer to keep a flat structure on the filesystem and organize everything using groups. This way is slightly more straight forward to include header files and it doesn't force you to maintain both the filesystem structure and the xcode structure.