xcode - Should *.xccheckout files in Xcode5 be ignored under VCS?

Question

Apple has introduced a new project-related type of file in Xcode 5: "xccheckout".

This file is located in the ".xcodeproj/project.xcworkspace/xcshareddata/" directory, and it seems that it is related to the project's version control system.

An example file is here: http://pastebin.com/5EP63iRa

I suppose that this type of file should be ignored under VCS, but I'm not sure.

So here are the questions:

1. Should "xccheckout" be ignored?
2. What is its purpose?

Answer 1

You should check in an Xcode 5 .xccheckout file; in general, files in xcshareddata should be committed.

An .xccheckout file contains metadata about what repositories are used in a workspace. For a single project in a single repository that doesn't make much difference. But if you're using a workspace that has multiple projects from different repositories, the presence of an .xccheckout file in the workspace allows Xcode to know what all of the components that make up a workspace are and where to get them.