I have a project that is fully built using SPM. There's one specific library that I want to use that only provides support to CocoaPods. I thought about sending a PR adding support to SPM to that library, but the library also depends on other libraries that also don't provide support to SPM.
In this scenario, there's something that can be done to stick with an SPM project structure and also be able to access the Cocoapods dependency?
I have created Umbrella framework by adding sub-framework manually.
I wanted to know how to manage dependency of this sub-frameworks using Carthage or Cocoapods.
I know that creating Umbrella framework is highly discouraged by Apple.
I also wanted to make that third party framework installation optional for the application developer to know him all the dependencies inside the framework and make the framework size minimum.
Please suggest me what will be the best way to manage sub-framework dependencies (Carthage or Cocoapods)?
Thanks in Advance.
I have written a framework that make use of SAMKeychain. This frameworkA is used inside the an iOS project.
The iOS project in return has some additional classes that uses the same SAMKeychain. I am trying to find a way to refer the SAMKeychain in the framework and include as a dependency(But do not include SAMKeychain sources) inside the framework.
I tried referencing just the header files of SAMKeychain in the framework and try to build the framework but It failed with linking error _OBJC_CLASS_$_SAMKeychain
What is the best way to share third party code between the framework and iOS project
The solution was to use dynamic frameworks . So when frameworkA is made it should be dynamic and the Pods it contains that is SAMKeychain should also be dynamic to do that you use
use_frameworks! in Podfile which will create SAMkeychain.framework for the Pod SAMkeychain.
After the frameworkA binary is created in the iOS project you have to add both frameworkA and SAMKeychain.framework as embedded binaries. And this will work just ok.
Note that if you don't use use_frameworks in the Podfile it would generate a static library of the pod which will be included in the binary of frameworkA.
Hope this helps someone!
I'm creating a Swift framework that is dependent on several other third party frameworks. Both these other frameworks support Carthage and Cocoapods.
Is there any way I can make my own framework support installing using both Carhage and Cocoapods? Or is just not achievable and should I just pick one?
You can definitely make your framework available with both CocoaPods and Carthage. This is the path that I would recommend to allow your users to use whatever solution they prefer. Also note that setting a framework up to work with Carthage also makes it much easier for users who want to use your library without either of these solutions.
On a high level, for CocoaPods you'll want to create a podspec that lists your dependencies there. This way CocoaPods will manage downloading and configuring them along with resolving them against other user dependencies. See more here.
For Carthage you'll want to configure your project with framework targets for the platforms you support and add your dependencies in your Cartfile. More on that here
Combining both is actually not difficult. With my framework I have started with CocoaPods template containing Example and Pod directories. In the example project I created a new Cocoa Touch Framework target, made sure this target is Shared (in Product - Schemes - Managed Schemes) and dragged content of my Pod/Classes directory to the project (with unchecked Copy items if needed and added Target Membership only to this newly created framework).
This should be enough, Carthage should find this shared scheme and use it. Just keep in mind you have to commit changes and create a new git tag before using your framework from Carthage.
I've created iOS Framework project using this method: https://github.com/jverkoey/iOS-Framework
Works pretty neat but I'm a little confused on how to include libraries/frameworks that are needed by my framework to work and, in particular, how to do it so that in case 3rd party client app that uses my framework can include these libs as well without conflicts.
Let's say my framework code needs these two things:
FacebookSDK.framework
libFlurry.a
The first one is an iOS Framework. When I add it to "Link Binary With Libraries" phase in my Framework and try compile the client project that uses my framework the linker complains about missing symbols - I need to add FacebookSDK to the client project which is great: there is no possibility of conflicts if client apps wants to use Facebook.
However when I do the same with Flurry static library I get duplicate symbols error when compiling client project. Which confuses me a bit, because isn't FacebookSDK.framework just a packaged static library?
ukaszs-iMac:FacebookSDK.framework lukasz$ file Versions/A/FacebookSDK
Versions/A/FacebookSDK: Mach-O universal binary with 3 architectures
Versions/A/FacebookSDK (for architecture i386): current ar archive random library
Versions/A/FacebookSDK (for architecture armv7): current ar archive random library
Versions/A/FacebookSDK (for architecture cputype (12) cpusubtype (11)): current ar archive random library
So my questions are:
why a library embedded in framework (like Facebook) is not linked to my Framework project product, whereas library included as .a file is?
how to include .a file in my framework so that it does not produce duplicate symbols error when client app using my framework also needs this particular static library?
For the use case you are describing, you should be linking to these external libraries from your application, NOT your own framework. It can be one or the other, but it can't be both.
If you decide that these dependancies belong as the responsibility of the application, you would remove them from "Link Binary With Libraries" and any other explicit linking configuration, and just project your framework project with the path to these frameworks and libraries so it can find the symbols (but not link against them) at compile time (i.e. the path to the libraries should be included LIBRARY_SEARCH_PATHS).
Use cocoapods , it's easy (http://cocoapods.org/)
Your application developers will have to include the podfile and download the dependencies.
While developing your SDK use a reference application/demo app on top of the SDK to simulate this.
You shouldn't link anything when building your framework but just create a *.a binary with your framework's objects.
Also you should not include code from other libraries in your framework as client applications may be adding the same libraries directly or requiring different versions of them, thus creating conflicts.
Off course you can reference *.h header files from other libraries in your framework in order to compile your objects.
As a result the installation steps for your framework should detail other required frameworks/libraries needed, their supported versions, how to add resource files (if any), etc. Just some of the many reasons why you may want to consider Creating a CocoaPods' podspec instead.
You should use CocoaPods. Your dependency on Facebook can be done by linking against the CocoaPod.
If you want to include that particular version of Facebook in your pod, you can put it in your repo and use the vendored_frameworks property to refer to it.
Similarly if you wanted to vendor libFlurry.a, you could do so using s.vendored_libraries.
For system libraries, you don't need to vendor them, e.g. libZ.a.
I strongly recommend creating your CocoaPod using pod lib create YourPodName. They've recently changed the mechanism for how this works and it's really nice.
You can create an Example project that shows how to use your code in context of an app.
Then one of the other neat things I just learned about, someone can do pod try YourPodName and it will automatically download, integrate and run the Xcode project.
CocoaPods is worth the trouble.
I am building my framework project using CocoaPods.
The framework uses some 3rd libs from CocoaPods.
Podfile specifies to install dependency on target of the framework.
When I build the framework, it includes all libs in the binary.
If I add use_frameworks! in Podfile, when the framework is built, it will not include 3rd party libs.
Use CocoaPods dependancy manager. Here's a good guide,
7 miniute video tutorial
Mostly if you install third party frameworks you can install with cocoapods (which is really nice, I would definitely do that) or they offer you to download the framework and include it in your Project.
If you decide to download the library and include it there is normally a list of frameworks you need in the "Getting started" guide.
Means: Offer them to install using cocoapods and to download your library but do not include anything else, give them a list what they need.