I have been provided with a framework by a third party vendor for an iPhone hardware accessory. So I have a folder like Device.framework. Inside that folder is a binary file and a set of .h files. There are instructions for how to add this to an iOS project and use the classes contained within. However, I'm actually using MonoTouch and want to use a static library.
Is there a way to create a static library that makes all the classes from the framework available in the static library? So in my MonoTouch project I would link in the static library and have access to that framework.
A *.framework is simply a package containing: the static library, headers, associated meta data. Copy and paste the .framework and extract the static *.a file and related header files.
Then it's simply a matter of using the MonoTouch btouch tool to bind the static library for use in your MonoTouch project. There is a great example of how to bind a native library to MonoTouch on Github. With guidance on targeting simulator + device and using the LinkWith attribute to embed the static library in a single *.dll:
https://github.com/xamarin/monotouch-samples/tree/master/BindingSample
Also, make sure to check out the btouch Reference documentation here:
http://docs.xamarin.com/ios/advanced_topics/binding_objective-c_types
Rename that binary file to Device.a. You can do that as the framework you mention is not done by Apple, hence it has to be a static library and not a dynamic one.
Make sure your project links that library (Device.a).
Include the headers in your project and reference them where appropriate.
Related
I have a large framework (in my case, opencv2.framework and >300 MB) that my iOS static library depends on. Currently, projects that depend on my static library also need to link the framework. Is it possible to create a single static library that includes the framework in the same .a file? Additionally, can the size of the library be reduced to only contain what it needs so my app is not >300 MB?
If it matters, I'm actually going to use this static library in an iOS binding project, so that it can be consumed by a Xamarin.iOS app.
Is it possible to embed a dynamic framework inside a static library in such way that when using the .a lib in other projects, there is no need to use link framework/embed binaires.
So using the framework inside the static library just by using the header name.
If so, how is it done?
THANKS.
So, I have an iOS app project with a static library as subproject. As found multiple times here on SO, you should set the visibility of the library header files to public/private/project, depending on who should be able to use them.
Based on that, I created one class with a header file that exposes functionality to the app project (or whoever is going to use this library). Naturally, this header file imports a number of headers from other classes inside the library project. As these other header files do not provide functionality that should be exposed to the library's users, i would like to set these to "project", making them invisible to the rest of the world.
However, when i set header files to "project" they don't get copied into any of the private or public header folders. This results in a 'ProjectHeader.h' file not found error when using #import "ProjectHeader.h" in the PublicLibraryClassHeader.h when compiling the app project that uses the library.
So the question is: How can I set header files to "project" in a library project and stil use them from within that library project? Am I misunderstanding the concept of public/private/project header files in static libraries?
The easies way is to convert your static library into framework. Framework is a static library in a specific container, that does all magic for you. Btw, this words about public headers are related to frameworks, not to static libraries.
I have a an Xcode project which produces a static library. My team plans all new development in Swift. It is not possible to add Swift files to the static library project. We are dropping support for iOS 7, so it is now possible to include frameworks in our iOS app. Therefore, I intend to convert my static library project to a framework project.
I have looked but I cannot find any tools or advice for how to perform this conversion. The static library is large (more than 100 .m files).
I'm hoping for a better answer than create a new parallel framework target. I've attempted this twice. The first time as a swift target, but I wasn't able to easily import all the Objective C files. Next, as an Objective C target, but there is no .pch anymore.
To convert the static/dynamic linked framework from static linked library,
Add a new cocoa touch framework as a TARGET in your existing static linked library project.
In the Build Phases, adding all the .m, .mm, .c, .cpp, .metal, etc. into "\Build Phases\Compile Sources" phase of your static linked framework target.
Put the headers that you want to exposed in to "\Build Phases\Headers".
For dynamic linked framework, remember to check the Mach-O Type setting in your Build Settings. If you are going to use swift, you need to make sure the Mach-O type is set as dynamic library so that it will become a dynamic linked framework. For static linked framework, you'll need to set the Mach-O type as static library, but you cannot use swift in the converted static linked framework (only objective-c, objective-c++, C++, C, etc. are allowed).
Then for the app that wants to use this framework just need to include the headers as #import and add the framework into "Build Phases\Link Binary With Libraries" of your App Target. If the converted framework is dynamic linked framework, you will need to put it into "Embedded Binaries".
I saw that someone created the framework manually, creating a module.framework file and copying all the header files in a module.framework/Headers folder. This solution seems to work, the project can import correctly the files and see them as a framework correctly.
I'm not sure this is the best way to do it tough, I'm trying it on a big project that ATM is importing the static library through cocoapods, but it seems like I have some problem with the visibility of some of the classes using the framework.
I have developed an xCode static library for an iPhone App using OpenCV.
Now I want to give my static library to them but I don't want them to go through the hassle of making OpenCV work in their project by changing build settings and all that, that's what I already had to do myself in the static library.
I usually use the 'Projectception' method by dragging my static-library-project into my main xCode project. However when I use this method I usually need to add all the frameworks I use in the static library project again in my main project in the 'Link Binary with Libraries' build phase.
So my question is: is there a way that the OpenCV is only in my static library project and that a new project that imports this static library does not have to do anything extra for OpenCV to work?
Yes. Clone(copy) opencv inside your project (headers and implementation)*, desclare the copied files inside your project and don't use any c/c++ include folder and any library linkage.
*implementations are in modules/.../src/