Switch Version of Xcode

xcode-version.sh

#!/bin/sh
# `sudo sh xcode-version -8.2.1`

# Set variables
xcodeAppsPattern="Xcode_*.app"
DidSwitchedVersions=false
CurrentV=$( defaults read /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString )
DesiredV="$1"

# Move into the right directory
cd /Applications

# Declare functions
show_intro(){
  echo ""
  echo "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
  echo "Xcode Version Manager Script"
  echo "- Originally created by Michael Minor <me@pixelbacon.com>"
  echo "---------------------------------------------------------"
}

exit_gracefully(){
  echo "~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~"
  echo ""
  exit 1
}

show_help(){
  echo "Usage:"
  echo ""
  echo "# lists versions installed"
  echo "sh ./xcode-version -list"
  echo ""
  echo "# Would switch to Xcode v8.3.2 if in Applications folder"
  echo "sudo sh ./xcode-version 8.3.2"
  exit_gracefully
}

list_currentInstalled(){
  echo "Current version: $CurrentV";
  echo "---------------------------------------------------------"
  echo "Other versions:"
  for App in $xcodeAppsPattern; do
    AppVersion=$( defaults read /Applications/$App/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString )
    echo "- $AppVersion ($App)";
  done
  exit_gracefully
}

switch_version(){
  echo "Current version: $CurrentV"
  echo "Desired version: $DesiredV"

  # If current version is the same as desired, exit
  if [ "$CurrentV" = "$DesiredV" ]; then
    echo "Desired version is already active. Exiting!"
    exit_gracefully
  fi
  echo "---------------------------------------------------------"

  # Loop through all versions of Xcode
  for App in $xcodeAppsPattern; do
    AppVersion=$( defaults read /Applications/$App/Contents/Info CFBundleShortVersionString )
    echo "Found version: $AppVersion";
    echo "---------------------------------------------------------"
    if [ "$AppVersion" = "$DesiredV" ]; then
      # Move current, rename based on version
      mv Xcode.app Xcode_$CurrentV.app
      # Rename desired to current
      mv $App Xcode.app
      DidSwitchedVersions=true
    fi;
  done

  # If target was found
  if $DidSwitchedVersions; then
    # Tell system to use the desired version
    # @see https://developer.apple.com/legacy/library/documentation/Darwin/Reference/ManPages/man1/xcode-select.1.html
    xcode-select --switch Xcode.app
    echo "SUCCESS: Switched to version $DesiredV"
  else
    echo "FAIL: Did not find desired version :("
  fi

  exit_gracefully
}

# Start
show_intro

# If no arguments, show 'help'.
if [ -z "$1" ]; then
  show_help
fi

# List
if [ "$1" = '-list' ]; then
  list_currentInstalled
fi

# Change version
switch_version

Switch Between Installed Versions of Xcode

Switching xcode versions is a pain in the @ss... This automates the process, and keeps the specific version number in tact in the file name by reading the actual CFBundleShortVersionString.

Setup

1. Expand various versions of Xcode to /Applications and append _$VERSION to the file name. I.E. Xcode_8.3.3
2. Required: Versions other than the current have to have a _ character in the file name.
3. Create a new file ~/xcode-version.sh and paste the contents.
4. Run script as desired.

Usage

# Help/Usage
sh xcode-version
# list installed
sh xcode-version -list
# switch version
sudo sh xcode-version 8.2.1

Caveats/Boo/Hiss

xcode-select --switch does NOT change the file association of xcode project files. You will manually have to Open With and choose the version you switched to. I could have put in a way to do this automatically... But it's a bit daunting for OSX. Also, I did not want the script to be that opinionated. If you're switching between versions of Xcode, this is the only non-automated step you need to do.

Why Apple did not put this in as part of the xcode-select --switch, I don't know. That makes no sense to me.

Notes

• You do not have to worry about naming a new version. You could literally name it anything and the script will find it based on the version number, as long as it has an _ in the filename.
• I created this solution after seeing every blog post or stackoverflow suggestion be manual. Bundled version has been a standard in OSX for kind of a long time now. This solution takes advantage of that standard.