I've developed a static library that I'd like to share between XCode projects. I did some reading to learn exactly how to include this library as a binary dependency so that it runs on both the device and the simulator and that lead to a couple of manual steps which I'd now like to automate. Overall I'd like to be able to release new versions of my library and have a simple upgrade process for any project using the older version. Currently that process consists of deleting and/or copying the new binary files over the original location, deleting copying over new header files. The initial install consists of the same two steps along with additional project/target level configuration to set conditional linker flags based on the target SDK. Is there a way this could be automated? I mean I know I could do something like write an Applescript to do the heavy lifting but how? Has anyone ever automated xcode build settings via applescript? How would I call into XCode via Applescript? Are there any other alternatives? Is there a better way to maintain binary level dependencies?
Update
I'm looking to maintain a binary level dependency where project A depends on a static library created by project B. Something similar to a framework that can be included into an XCode iPhone project easily. After building "B" I want something that can practically be dropped into and project including A. While I am becoming aware of all the procedures around leveraging such a dependency I am looking for some solutions to soften up all of the rough edges.
Add a custom build script through Xcode:
select your target under the Targets group on the left
select Add -> New Build Phase -> New Run Script Build Phase
double click on the new Run Script item underneath your target
this allows you to write a shell script, accessing most of the Xcode environment variables related to the current build, e.g. $BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR
if you check the "Show environment variables in build log" and view the detailed build output you can see all the variables available.
Have a Google search and you'll find lots of examples, e.g. section 20.3 here etc.
If you are using Subversion I believe you can use SVN externals to specify which particular version of your library to use.
You just have to drag & drop your library project in your project. xCode will dot the rest...
Regards,
Thierry
Related
I am looking for a simple library ( and/or app - eventually want both ) example ( like a math library or whatever) for iOS which has a makefile for it that I can use as a template to make other makefiles from and learn. Static of course, (and dynamic if iOS supports it so I can have 2+ apps that share common code)
There is lots of incomplete and cryptic info out there but so far I havn't found any nice concise "with these source files" you create a makefile this way to build an iOS "fat" library I can import into other projects.
This would be on a Mac with the ios4 sdk installed.
It is always great to start with something that basically works.
I have created complex makefiles before for unix and windows and for other devices.
thanks.
The first link pictorially represents the process step by step that you've asked then the second link contains a package that allows a programmer to compile a make file based project
click me
click me
If you want to build a static library using a make file and link against it every time you build your Xcode project, you can add a "run script" build phase in your project before all the others, which runs this make file, and then add the built library to your linking phase. If you want a make file that builds the entire iOS project, I don't think it's posible (you can use the command line to compile the project without Xcode opened though).
How do I reference another project which has code I wish to leverage in XCode 4. In particular I'm trying to make use of the NSDate extensions from here.
Some notes:
I was assuming I should probably reference rather than trying build a framework
I tried copying the existing "Hello World" xcode project file across into my project, however this didn't seem to work
Do I need to create a new "Target" based on "coco touch static library" option?
Then would I need to Edit the current Product Scheme so that when I build the new target would build
What do I need to do on my project side exactly - should going Add Files, and choosing the extensions Xcode Project File be enough?
thanks
I was assuming I should probably reference rather than trying build a framework
yes, reference and link with it, unless you need only a bit of it. at this stage, separating the bits you want may be an advanced topic (depends on the lib's layout/depends as well). you should prefer to reference and link because it will normally minimize your maintenance time, especially if you use it in multiple projects.
I tried copying the existing "Hello World" xcode project file across into my project, however this didn't seem to work
you don't create a project, you add the library's xcode project to your app or library, set the lib as a dependency, add the library to your search paths if needed, then link with the library.
Do I need to create a new "Target" based on "coco touch static library" option?
no
Then would I need to Edit the current Product Scheme so that when I build the new target would build
no. you configure it as a dependency. you may need to alter the lib's build settings if there is a major conflict, which the linker or compiler would point out.
What do I need to do on my project side exactly - should going Add Files, and choosing the extensions Xcode Project File be enough?
start with the process outlined above.
There is no reason to bring in an actually project. Either you can bring in the source files themselves and you could even use the same exact files instead of copying them if you want. However, if you have more than just a few files, and you don't think you will be changing the code much, then creating a static library would probably be the best option.
I was always wondering what's up with those Targets? What is it all about? What's the point of that? I never had to fiddle around with them, but obviously I can. Why should I want that, and what can I do with them? What's their purpose?
Each project can build multiple executables or libraries or call out to a makefile or shell script to build "stuff". Each one of these is a Target.
One iPhone project I have includes a separate target for each static library in my home grown SDK and a shell script target to build the Doxygen docs. Another project includes two targets, one for the app as used by general users, one for an administration & management edition.
In the first example, I need to build each library then link all the static libraries into an SDK test application, so my SDK Test App depends on all the library targets (but not the docs, since I don't need to constantly regen them.)
In the second example, the management and the general versions of the app share a considerable amount of code and resources. When I change one, I want to change them both.
The target is something like a "blueprint". It includes rules that tell the compiler what to do, which sources should be compiled, which files should be copied into the application bundle, which libraries should be linked.
If you want to make a Free-Version of your app one way to do so is to add a new target.
Of course you could just duplicate the whole project but then you had to keep those in sync if you change some code. Using a different targets makes this a lot easier.
I've build a static library working nice in a Cocoa Touch environment. Now I'd like to compile it also for Cocoa.. Can I have a single XCode project with different sdk targets? Is there some resource out there able to give hints about best the practices in this (and other) sense?
This last two months I have been working on exactly this task ( cross compiling static library for iPhone/Android/Mac OS/Linux/Windows...
It is certainly possible, a nice way, is adding an external xcode project as a target to your first xcode project. So you create a new "Active Configuration" for Mac OS X, iPhone and other platforms that you want to support.
Here, you can find a good tutorial about how to use a secondary Xcode project as a target of your main project to build a static library. It's a cool way because if you debug for example you still have all the symbols of the library, etc.
It can be done but it requires some manual tweaking of the build.
Start with the Xcode Build System Guide.
As an informal way of accomplishing this, you can create two separate projects and add references for exact same set of library source files to each project. Set one project to compile for Cocoa-Touch and the other for Cocoa. If both projects reference the same files, changes made in one project will be automatically reflected in the other. (If you have both projects open, Xcode will complain that the file has been changed by another app but otherwise it won't notice.)
I have a utility class that I continually dump new methods in. I add it to every project and just park methods as I need it. The new methods show up in old projects because the source files are shared across all the projects.
I am developing an iPhone app and have to parse xml files in order to put them into a database. I will also be using those same xml parsers in my app so users can import their own data. I was wondering how I can extract those xml parsers into a bundle or a library so I can use them both in my iPhone app and in a command line app where I just populate a sqlite3 database.
Thanks in advance!
Create a static library project, then use the interproject dependency feature of Xcode to build them in the correct order and link the app with the static library. You'll need to have a common build directory set for all the projects for this to work correctly (at least you did around Xcode 3.0, didn't check if this is still a problem with 3.1).
You can set the build directory from the target or project's build settings (in the Get Info pane). To create an interpoject dependency:
Drag the library project into the application project's Files & Groups pane.
Set up target dependency in the application target's Get Info pane. Make it dependent on the library's target.
Drag the library product in the application target's Link With Libraries step. You can find the library product by expanding the library project within the app project's Files & Groups (click the arrow).
Sounds more complicated than it is. It isn't much.
(Small extras: yes, you need a common build folder as indicated in the Xcode Project Management Guide, and the Xcode Build System Guide can help you "get" Xcode's build system, which -- at the cost of starting a religion war -- I think is one of the most flexible and simple build systems out there.)