Xcode is a suite of developer tools for Mac and iPhone programming. Xcode is also the IDE included in the developer tools. As far as IDEs go, Xcode has become my favorite over the years. It’s simple yet powerful. But as good as it is, there’s always room for improvement, so yesterday I asked on Twitter, what plugins do other Xcode developers find useful? Turns out there are a number of really useful Xcode plugins. Here is the list of favorites based on responses to my tweet.

Code Pilot is by far the favorite based on the number of responses I received. Code Pilot provides easy navigation through your Xcode project. If you are a keyboard junkie like me than you owe it to yourself to try out Code Pilot.

Accessorizer is the second most popular plugin. Accessorizer saves you time by generating boiler plate code for you. For instance, you can use Accessorizer to generate the @property declarations based on a set of ivars. Give the Accessorizer Quick Start Guide (PDF) a read to get a sense of what Accessorizer can do for you.

Mogenerator tied for second most popular plugin. It generates Objective-C code for Core Data models. It works differently than Xcode in that Mogenerator manages two classes per entity, one intended for the machine and the other intended for humans. The Mogenerator sites says, “The machine class can always be overwritten to match the data model, with humans’ work effortlessly preserved.” Perfect for Core Data projects. FYI, Mogenerator is an open source project created and maintained by the most-excellent Jonathan ‘Wolf’ Rentzsch.

Completion Dictionary is a free plugin that enhances Xcode’s own code completion. It allows you to define your own expansion macros. You type a few letters and press the completion shortcut. You instantly have new code added to the file. This plugin reminds me of Delphi Live Templates, which I used religiously back when I did lots of Delphi programming. Oh, and did I mention Completion Dictionary is free?

What other Xcode plugins are out there? Which ones do you find useful? Post a comment if you have a favorite plugin not listed here.

A few weeks ago I renamed the iPhone developer meet-up from NSiPhoneDevs to NSHappyHour. When I announced the name change I said I would follow up with the reasons behind the name change but I totally spaced and forgot. Thanks to @jlbruno for reminding me to explain the reasons behind the change.

I came up with the name NSiPhoneDevs back at the beginning of the year. I like the name because it’s a good play on words, or rather a good play on prefixes. “NS” is the class name prefix in the foundation framework used by iPhone and Mac developers, but “NS” also stands for North Shore. For those who don’t know, Salem MA is located in Boston’s North Shore area. So NSiPhoneDevs is short for North Shore iPhone Developers.

While I like the name it is not without it’s problems. First, NSiPhoneDevs doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. I for one am guilty of saying “NSiDevs” on more than one occasion. Another issue with the name is some may believe it excludes iPad developers. This is a stretch I know but I’m sure with the release of the iPad there will be more new developers entering the space who consider themselves iPad developers.

The third, and most important reason for the name change, is the name NSiPhoneDevs excludes a major developer group, the Mac developer. I talked with many Mac developers who said they are not interested in the group because it’s iPhone only, and this includes Mac developers who also do iPhone development. My intentions were never to exclude Mac developers. On the contrary, I want more Mac developers to come especially given that I’m doing more Mac desktop development these days.

The iPhone has attracted a large number of developers who come from other platforms including Windows, .NET, and Java. The reasons for moving from another platform to the iPhone varies by developer. Some are interested in mobile development. Some are interested in joining in on the gold rush. For others, including me, the reason is out of love for Cocoa, Objective-C, Xcode, and OS X.

I switched from Windows and web development to work in the world of Apple because, in my opinion, it provides the best developer experience. Programming on my Mac, whether for the desktop or for the devices, is way more fun for me then in Windows, and I find the developer tools to be far better than anything else I have used in recent years.

So back to the NSHappyHour name change. As someone who is also doing Mac development I did not want others in the Mac developer community to feel excluded. After all, we all use a Mac for programming, we use Xcode as our developer IDE, and we work with many of the same core frameworks.

This point hit home for me at NSConference 2010 where I met a lot of people who share the same passion and love for the developer experience provided by the fruit company. It was at this time I realized NSiPhoneDevs is the wrong name.

The NSiPhoneDevs name is good because it builds off the hype that is the iPhone, but at the same time the name is bad because it does not recognized the development community as a whole. At the end of the day we all work with pretty much the same tools and we can learn a lot from one another whether you are writing iPhone/iPad only apps, desktop only apps, or doing all of the above.

So the group is now called NSHappyHour. After all, that’s what the group is really about. Getting together with fellow Cocoa developers to talk shop over a few beers. So if you are writing code and producing apps for the iPhone, iPad and or Mac then NSHappyHour is the perfect gathering for you to socialize, learn, and network while enjoying tasty adult beverages.

For more information about NSHappyHour, visit http://nshappyhour.org.

Last week I attended NSConference USA which was the conference’s first visit to the States. I had an awesome time and I will definitely return to NSConference next year. Heck, I might even attend both the USA and UK events.

The sense of community combined with the unique structure of the conference made for a wonderful time. NSConference is different from other developer related conferences in that there are not multiple tracks during the day. Instead all the attendees, called delegates at NSConference, sit in the same room and listen to the same talks. The other difference is the 30 minute break between sessions. This combination makes for a great conference going experience.

Why does the combination work so well? As a delegate I didn’t have to run from room to room to hear different talks and to find a new seat. I’m able to leave my gear in one spot for the entire day, and because I don’t have to run room to room I can spend more time meeting and talking with other delegates. This is were the 30 minute breaks really help out.

At other conferences my chats between sessions are never long enough to really get to know other developers. The 30 minute breaks at NSConference gives you plenty of time to chat with folks you already know and to meet new ones. And because of this I actually met more people at NSConference then I have at the last 3 conferences I have attended.

And meeting other iPhone and Mac developers has never been so easy. I arrived in Atlanta late Saturday afternoon not knowing a single person. Within an hour and a half I was talking with other delegates, having beers, and sharing stories. I feel like I met close to 90 percent of all the delegates by the end of the conference, and I definitely formed new friendships with a good number of those that I met. As someone who works from home, making these connections and feeling apart of a community is very important to me. And this aspect alone makes attending NSConference worth well.

I haven’t said much about the session talks yet. And yes, the talks were great. I found every topic useful and informative. The speakers really know their stuff and I learned tons. If you are seeking knowledge in Mac and iPhone development than there is no better independent developer conference. But more important to me were the connections I made with others in the iPhone and Mac development community. And this includes getting to know the speakers as well.

There are many more good things I can say about NSConference. For instance, the party Monday night was a blast. Eating at the Silver Skillet each morning was a great way to start the day. Dinner and drinks each night with the delegates was so much fun. The only negative part of the conference for me were the lunches, though many folks told me the lunches were better than those offered at WWDC.

Lunches aside, NSConference is a must attend conference for all iPhone and Mac developers.