Pass build settings from app target to dependency - ios

In my project, I have two apps and one share extension. The share extension should be embedded in both apps, but with slight differences between the apps (different bundle ID and some settings in the Info.plist).
Is there a way to tell which app is being build during the build of the extension (so I can change those values accordingly)? Or maybe a way to "pass" build settings from the app target to the extension target during build?
I was already trying to change those plist values after the extension has been built and before embedding it into the app, but that messes with code signing...

Related

How to make an extension work for several app targets?

I have an iOS App target, open to everyone for the public store, all fine.
And I have 2 extensions with it in the project, including the bundle identifier in their identifier of that iOS App target.
Now I duplicated the first App target, added some changes, etc for B2B & MDM usage, but I want to use the same extensions, without having to change their bundle identifiers each time I change the build target, and I don't want to duplicate them as well with different bundle identifiers as well, if that is avoidable.
Visual example:
Basically I want to avoid delivering the code of the second target to the users of the first target, because after all, it is the minority who needs those changes.
I tried it with App groups, but that doesn't seem to help in any way.
Is there a way to make the extensions work for both App targets?
There are these option to you:
1.
You can duplicate the extensions, provide id from your developer portal, or let Xcode add them itself, and change the target identifiers to your new target.
2.
The other way is, to change the extensions bundle ids on build actions of the scheme to your currently required ones.
This could look somewhat like this, if you want to use PlistBuddy:
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Set :CFBundleIdentifier fullBundleIdOfExtension" $PROJECT_DIR/Extension\ Directory/Info.plist
fullBundleIdOfExtension is something like com.company.application.extension
This way could cause errors sometimes on the build after a target switch, showing a dialog that the App could not be installed. This requires you to perform a clean build and rebuild.

xcode compile flags to create two apps

To what extent can I use compile flags. I want to use the same xcode project but compile two apps. The differences are:
The bundleID
The Provisioning Profile used
The URL that the code uses to access it's services
The app name (the test app has 'Test' appended to it)
As mentioned, you need two targets. Each target get it's own bundle id, Info.plist etc. Crucially, it can share source code between the two app targets, so you can create a lite and pro version of your app (not sure if that's what you are trying to do).
All you need to do is pass -DPROVERSION=1 (or whatever) to the compiler in order to do conditional compilation within a shared source file:
#if PROVERSION
// Show supadupa feature
#endif
This is done within the Build Settings of the pro app target.

Adding Framework and App Extension targets to IOS App project, am I doing it correctly?

I'm studying IOS/Swift development and I'd like to build an IOS app that in the future will have its own Today Extension. I've read that it is better to put the common logic (for example the logic that accesses Internet resources, performs some job on the result etc) between the App and its extension into a Custom Framework.. Since I think I'll need to change both Framework and App code during the development of the App, I'd like to avoid building the framework in a separate project, than use Show In Finder function to locate the framework bundle and then drag-and-dropping it within the App project.. So I'd like to know if this is the correct way to set up a Workspace with an App, the framework it uses and the Today Extension of the App:
Create a new Project with an IOS App target
Select the project in the Project Navigator and then Editor->Add Target... and specify a Cocoa Touch Framework
Editor->Add Target... and specify Today Extension
Add the framework in Linked Frameworks and Libraries
In this way I've seen that changes to the Framework sources do not need a Framework target recompilation, maybe because the project knows about the need to recompile framework sources even if I only build & run the IOS App target that uses that framework? Am I doing it right? I've seen that the Today Extension created in such way does not lists the framework in the Build Phases -> Target Dependencies while the IOS App does, but both of them correctly use the updated code of the Framework when I update it.
Then, I've noticed the following warning when I compile the project, but I don't know if it is related to the way I've setup the project:
ld: warning: linking against dylib not safe for use in application extensions: /Users/gianni/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/TestFrameworkApp-dshihhfiuepeqzddbnpgnfwilhem/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/TestFramework.framework/TestFramework
BTW is it normal that the entries within the Products folder are always red? Is it due to the fact that I build only for IOS Simulator since I don't have a Paid developer account that allows me to build for an IOS Device? Does this prevent me to build a framework that can be exported for some other Project since I can't find the Framework bundle with a right clicking on the framework product and selecting Show In Finder (and so I can't drag-and-drop it to another project)?
I hope I've been clear enough and that you'll point me in the right direction to understand what is the suggested way of starting my new project :)
It sounds to me like you're headed down the exact path I would take.
Regarding the warning you're seeing... I believe that checking the "Allow app extension API only" for your shared framework will supress that and cause build failures when you attempt to use a API that is not allowed in extensions.

User-Defined settings for WatchKit

I am using User-Defined settings (for example CustomAppBundleId) to change bundle identifier for different configurations. In the app’s plist file I set CFBundleIdentifier to ${CustomAppBundleId}. For Release configuration I use bundle:
com.yourcompany.${PRODUCT_NAME:rfc1034identifier}
and for AdHoc I use:
com.yourcompany.adhoc.${PRODUCT_NAME:rfc1034identifier}
Now I added WatchKit Extension and WatchKit App. For WatchKit Extension bundle identifier I can use the same approach. I also have to change WKAppBundleIdentifier to match the bundle identifier in the WatchKit App. Again, I could use User-Defined settings. Now the last bit is WatchKit App. Unfortunately WatchKit App doesn’t have an option to add User-Defined settings but I need to set the right values for CFBundleIdentifier and WKCompanionAppBundleIdentifier (that is equal to CustomAppBundleId in the app). Is there any way I can do it? Or should I use different approach?
Define your "User-Defined" variables in project's Build Settings rather than in target's. That way you will have the same user defined variables automatically available (inherited) in WatchKit Extension and App target.
Btw make sure you have the latest Xcode 6.3 from the App Store. This version (and most recent Xcode 6.3 beta 4) already allow you to define custom "User-Defined" in Build Settings).
Previous versions were simply missing "Build Settings" tab in WatchKit App target, but if you were brave enough, you could have modify those manually in plain text editor :-)
Update to Xcode 6.3.
In 6.3 you will have additional tabs for target configuration that should provide what you need.
But I'm almost sure you will face issues with the WatchKit App Storyboard.
In the Scenes > Identity Inspector > Custom Class you have to set the correct module - that is not possible if you have more than 1 (if you do not have more than one I would be more than interested in your setup)
I solved that issue with a pre-action script that updates the storyboard XML accordingly

iOS - Share a Today Extension with multiple app targets?

I have a project with multiple app targets (about 25).
I'm going to make a Today Extension for those apps but I don't want to create about 25 extensions with the same code and configuration.
Is it possible to create only one Today Extension that I assign to the 25 apps ?
It is possible, but with some manipulations. To connect extension with a target you need:
Add your extension to target's embedded binaries ("General" tab of project's settings)
Add extension's target to target dependencies ("Build Phases" tab of project's settings)
Prefix your extension's bundle identifier with the parent app's (your current target) bundle identifier or you will get an error:
So when you will build or distribute your target make this manipulations and fix provisioning profile's issues with Xcode (it can do this automatically).

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