Data Formatters in XCode (or how to make XCode suck less at custom containers)

Ever been working on somebody else’s code with their cruddy old custom string class and come across this?

Gee, thanks summary!

…only to drill down into the object to find more of this:

WHARGARBL?

Do you see my actual string there at the very bottom? Man… I’d really hate to have to do this every damned time I want to get at a string! Luckily, that empty summary box is not the final word in debugger previews. Instead you can use a handy little scripting language to create DATA FORMATTERS that will do the work for you. Check this out!

What's that?

….and then…

HOOOOOOOOO!

BAM! You win. By the way, in case  you were wondering: The ‘:s’ gives you the summary field of the value you’ve drilled down to.

Also this:

The Console can be useful as well.

P.S. — You can build Data Formatters into your project via a Bundle, instructions HERE

Soooo…

...Yeah

I’m sorry I abandoned you, Internet! I know I haven’t called or written lately, and I’m really sorry for that. I’ve been spending quite a bit of my off-hours time developing noncritical engine features for NYMPH, and haven’t really had much time to write on the ol’ blog.

I’ve got a couple ideas for posts kicking around that you may find interesting. Firstly I want to write about why the hell it’s so hard to turn a profit over here in Gameland while Techland over in the Valley seemingly has more money than it knows what to do with. I mean– I know we’re kind of commoditized as a field, but don’t we get a pass by sheer virtue of the fact that we’re in a creative industry? Evidently not.

But there’s more!