ios - How to archive an app that includes a custom framework?

Question

I have an xcode framework project that I've created, which I can compile into a myframework.framework file. After compiling, I drag this framework into the Frameworks project folder of my application, and then to make use of classes from the framework I add the proper import statement to any class that needs it; this allows my app to successfully compile with references to classes defined in the framework. To get the app to deploy successfully to my device, I also add my custom framework to the "Embedded Binaries" section for my target. With all this in place, I can build my app from xcode and run it on my device.

My problem comes when I attempt to Archive my application for the app store. When I attempt to do this, I get a ton of compiler errors where xcode says it cannot find the declarations for any of the classes defined in my custom framework.

How can I set up Archive in xcode so that it properly references and embeds my custom framework?

Answer 1

You actually don't need to put it in the "embedded binaries" section. You only need it in the "linked frameworks and libraries section. Make sure that your framework is a Universal Framework (meaning it can compile for all architectures), and make sure you have the right compiler flags set (-ObjC if your framework has any categories etc) There may be some other things you need to set as well like "Other C Flags" if your framework includes any c code and you want to enable bitcode in your client app then you should put "-fembed-bitcode" in your framework Other C Flags. Those were the things I needed to do to get my framework app to the store. I think its a just a misconception that you need to put this in embedded binaries as well to get it to archive for the store.

This is the build script I use to generate the universal framework. It builds right to my desktop. You can uncomment section 8 if your framework is in Swift. You want to create an aggregate target and add this as a run script in build phases.

# Merge Script

# 1
# Set bash script to exit immediately if any commands fail.
set -e

# 2
# Setup some constants for use later on.
FRAMEWORK_NAME="MyFramework"

# 3
# If remnants from a previous build exist, delete them.
if [ -d "${SRCROOT}/build" ]; then
rm -rf "${SRCROOT}/build"
fi

# 4
# Build the framework for device and for simulator (using
# all needed architectures).
xcodebuild -target "${FRAMEWORK_NAME}" -configuration Release -arch arm64 -arch armv7 -arch armv7s only_active_arch=no defines_module=yes -sdk "iphoneos"
xcodebuild -target "${FRAMEWORK_NAME}" -configuration Release -arch x86_64 -arch i386 only_active_arch=no defines_module=yes -sdk "iphonesimulator"

# 5
# Remove .framework file if exists on Desktop from previous run.
if [ -d "${HOME}/Desktop/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework" ]; then
rm -rf "${HOME}/Desktop/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework"
fi

# 6
# Copy the device version of framework to Desktop.
cp -r "${SRCROOT}/build/Release-iphoneos/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework" "${HOME}/Desktop/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework"

# 7
# Replace the framework executable within the framework with
# a new version created by merging the device and simulator
# frameworks' executables with lipo.
lipo -create -output "${HOME}/Desktop/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}" "${SRCROOT}/build/Release-iphoneos/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}" "${SRCROOT}/build/Release-iphonesimulator/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}"

# 8
# Copy the Swift module mappings for the simulator into the
# framework.  The device mappings already exist from step 6.
#cp -r "${SRCROOT}/build/Release-iphonesimulator/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework/Modules/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.swiftmodule/" "${HOME}/Desktop/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.framework/Modules/${FRAMEWORK_NAME}.swiftmodule"

# 9
# Delete the most recent build.
if [ -d "${SRCROOT}/build" ]; then
rm -rf "${SRCROOT}/build"
fi

Once your framework is on the desktop, if you go inside of it there will be a text document with the same name as your framework. If you navigate to that and run the command "lipo -info" on it in terminal you should get the following output:

Architectures in the fat file: MyFramework are: armv7 armv7s i386 x86_64 arm64