I am currently refactoring an iOS app which contains massive amount of classes, and as requested, I made few CocoaTouch frameworks (and again, as requested, not static libraries) to contain these classes based on their purpose (models, requests, etc.).
However, framework A contains class, that I need to use in framework B, and I'd like to ask if anyone knows how to "connect" the two frameworks? Like some sort of chaining, maybe?
I guess by connecting frameworks you mean you want to use classes from framework A in framework B.
Step 1: Target Dependencies
I assume your framework targets belong to the same project. In this case you need to make sure that framework A is a target dependency of framework B. This way framework A will be build before framework B.
Step 2: Linking
The linker needs to know where he can find the symbols for framework A if you want to use them in framework B. Therefore, add framework A in the Link Binary with Libraries build phase of framework B.
You should now be able to use classes of framework A in framework B. You also need to add framework B as target dependency to your app target, link both frameworks with the app, and also add both frameworks as Embedded Binaries to the corresponding Build Phase.
In my xCode project I have a Framework target, that I need to ship with other developers.
Also I have another app target that depends on Framework target.
Both my app target and framework target should use the same third-party framework. So I added this framework to both targets.
But when I run my app, I see a lot of warnings in console like this:
Class <ClassName> is implemented in both <Path to my framework> and <Path to my app>. One of the two will be used. Which one is undefined.
I realized that warnings disappear when I remove -ObjC linker flag. But this flag is required by another frameworks that I use.
So my questions is:
How I can avoid such warnings?
Should I embed third-party framework inside my framework? (As I know this is not a good choise)
What I really want to implement: How can I build my framework so that other developers can download third-party framework independently so that my framework still can use it?
I am building a cocoa touch framework and including in my code third party framework - "framework_X"
How can i use it in a way that "framework_X" will not be linked directly to my framework, instead it will require the consumer project which use my framework to link "framework_X" to his project in order for it to work.
In Android this is done easily, but in Xcode if i am not linking the "framework_X" in my framework the project won't build
You can load libraries at runtime. Here an example of loading zlib with dlopen():
https://github.com/nicklockwood/GZIP/blob/master/GZIP/GZIP.m
Imagine the following scenario;
I'm developing a cocoa touch framework that requires SomeLibrary (e.g. AFNetworking). My framework is going to be included into someone's project that might require SomeLibrary as well.
How do I accomplish this without running into these nasty duplicate warnings when I include AFNetworking into my framework directly (either via source code or Cocoapods)?
I've tried it with Cocoapods on both projects (my framework, and a test project that includes my framework), but that results in duplicate code warnings as well.
When I don't add AFNetworking into my framework development project, the compiler can't find the required files, which is why I can't build it. I've tried with including AFNetworking's source code directly into the main project, and using the pod, but in both cases the AFNetworking/AFNetworking.h import in the framework project fails.
How can I do this without making a pod out my framework (which isn't really an option)?
I've found this related answer, but I don't know what search path to set for the framework project in order to find a library of the master project;
https://stackoverflow.com/a/23123725/1069487
Any help would be highly appreciated!
You will have to build your framework linked against static library.
You build AFNetworking as a static library (that will give you a .a file as AFNetworking.a)
You build your framework that link against your static library. But be aware that the library won't be embedded in your framework (there is no way to include static library into framework on iOS). Your framework is able to use AFNetworking API because it is linked against it.
any project that use your framework and use AFNetworking methods of your framework need to link with the static library AFNetworking.a that you should provide as a standalone file beside your framework.
See iOS-Framework here for more details : https://github.com/jverkoey/iOS-Framework
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.