iOS Dropbox dropped ObjC .m file support

[Seoras]

I've been using DropBox ever since I started writing iOS Apps as a backup.
It's simple to use and let's me share my development projects between desktop and laptop quickly.
Dropbox has also been useful for file versioning.
If I want to look at a previous version I could do so on my browser for any file saved there.
That is until I upgrade to Pro a few weeks ago and now I can only view header files (.h) but not ObjC (.m)

Raised a support ticket and was told that this was the supported list:
https://www.dropbox.com/help/6
Quote "I have spoken with our engineers and currently there aren't any known plans in the near future for adding previews for Objective C text files."
BS. This isn't "adding" support this would be "restoring" support for ObjC.
.m file type is plain text as far as I'm aware is it not? Why the fuss? Why the removal?
Partisan anti-Apple devs in DB me-thinks?

I'm lazy, I know. I should be using something like GitHub to version control my iOS development work but I write independently and I don't share my code. This could be the game changer for me. I see advantages to pulling branches as I've got a major re-write coming up and I also want to do current version bug fix releases in parallel.
Any else worth looking at for project backup and versioning that easy to use?

 

[xStep]

I recently setup a Bitbucket account which allows me five free repos. I'm only placing apps destined for the App Store up there. Any new code gets setup with the localized git infrastructure and gets backed up in whole via Zip and movement to another drive. That's mostly just sample and experiment code anyway.

There is another thread here regarding git and options.

 

[AxoNeuron]

I purchased a NAS, put in two 4TB hard drives. I use BitTorrent Sync to keep my computer development folders in sync with the NAS in addition to regular Time Machine backups. Since I often switch between my main development computer (a hackintosh) and my MB Pro, it's really useful.

Best of all, I can use netgear's readycloud Web app, their ios app, and more to access it when I'm not home (in addition to remote FTP access). It has a lot of options for sharing, for example you can create a link to share a file or folder that will expire after its used. Lots of great options. I keep the two drives in RAID0 in case one of them fails.

I also use Bitbucket as well since it is free and private. You can set it up in Xcode to quickly push your project to bitbucket/etc. I definitely recommend this setup, it works well for me.

 

[tyche]

Get to using git even using its basic feature set is incredibly useful. Anytime I'm doing anything with storyboard and especially stack views, git is a life saver to revert screwups.

I use git locally with a remote sync to a private gitlab vm located elsewhere with incremental backups on both systems.
I also recommend creating a good .gitignore file before initializing a repo. You can generate one here: https://www.gitignore.io/

 

[1458279]

Git is actually pretty nice because of how it works with Xcode. You can do the things you want to do all inside Xcode.

 

[AxoNeuron]

You might also try using Box instead

 

[*SteveB*]

+1 for BitBucket, it's a great service.

Before I had a 'real' job in iOS development and it was just a hobby, I never investigated git. My perception at that time was that it would take a long time to learn, and that I didn't really need it.

Got a job, and was up and running with git after a day, making daily commits (initially all using SourceTree, not the command line). I felt like a bit of a chump for not investigating it before, I could have saved so much development time and plenty of headaches. Not only is everything safely backed up, after a while you will also wonder how you ever developed anything without the workflows that git gives you.

My advise would be to abandon your dropbox backup/versioning strategy and move to git, you'll be up and running in an hour or so. I also have all of my data backed up with BackBlaze, which I can't recommend enough.

 

[Mascots]

I had a spare box so I recently started with GitLab and I like it a lot.

But you should be using GIT, if you're not, you might as well tie you hands behind your back and code with your nose. I've preached this before, and will continue to say: there is no alternative. It allows you to fragment your workflow in way that prevent your work from blocking proper updates and manage a complex multi-workflow setup without much effort. I have over 10 branches in my current project, each loaded with a different feature and moving between them, merging them, and keeping them together is super easy.

I highly suggest looking at Driessen's A Successful GIT Branching Model to understand what you can really do - I've followed that pattern for years without fail. Don't let the complexity of version control keep you away, and don't be misconceived, collab is just a small piece of the puzzle.

 

[AdonisSMU]

I've been using git for years now. it's really the best way to keep up with your work. I'm a command line type of person so I use the command line for git. However, source tree is good to. Some people also like the git app.