Xcode file system

Question

I am using Xcode as part of my build for OS X, but since it is not the only IDE used, files may be added from the file system directly.

As far as I can tell, there are two ways of adding folders:

• Folder reference picks up all the changes on the file system but does not register any of the files as sources.
• Recursive copy allows for the files to be built but I need to constantly maintain the file structure

I am wondering if there was a way to setup Xcode to build all of the files that are a part of the folder reference or failing that, if there is a quick script to automagically fix file system discrepancies.

Answer 1

One way to import another file from add/existing file:

and set your customization for new file that added .

see this

Answer 2

It's not pretty, and I think it only solves half your problem but... If you recursively copy, then quit xcode. Then you delete the folders, and replace them with simlinks to the original folders, you at least have files that are seen as code, and they are in the same files as the other IDE is looking at... You still will need to manually add and remove files.

I sort of doubt that there's a better way to do this without some form of scripting (like folder actions) because xcode allows you to have multiple targets in one project, so it's not going to know that you want to automatically include all of the files in any particular target. So, you're going to have to manually add each file to the current target each time anyway...

Answer 3

I came up with proof-of-concept solution that works, but will require some work to use in production. Basically, I set up a new "External Target", which compiles all source files in a given directory into a static library. Then the static library is linked into the Main Application.

In detail:

1. Create a directory (lets call it 'Code') inside your project directory and put some source code in it.
2. Create a Makefile in the Code directory to compile the source into a static library. Mine looks like this.*****
3. Create an External Target (lets call it 'ExternalCode') and point it to the Code directory where your source and Makefile reside.
4. Build the ExternalCode and create a reference to the compiled static library (ExternalCode.a) in the Products area of your project. Get Info on the reference and change the Path Type to "Relative to Built Product".
5. Make sure ExternalCode.a is in the "Link With Binary Libraries" section of your main target.
6. Add the ExternalCode target as a dependency of your main target
7. Add the Code directory to your "User Header Search Paths" of your main target.

Now when you drop some source files into 'Code', Xcode should recompile everything. I created a demo project as a proof of concept. To see it work in, copy B.h/m from the 'tmp' directory into the 'Codes' directory.

*Caveats: The Makefile I provided is oversimplified. If you want to use it in a real project, you'll need to spend some time getting all the build flags correct. You'll have to decide whether it's worth it to manually manage the build process instead of letting Xcode handle most of the details for you. And watch out for paths with whitespace in them; Make does not handle them very well.

Answer 4

I'm not aware of any built-in functionality to accomplish this. If you need it to be automatic, your best option may be to write a Folder Action AppleScript and attach it to your project folder.

In all likelihood it would be a rather difficult (and probably fairly brittle) solution, though.

Answer 5

Xcode's AppleScript dictionary has the nouns and verbs required to do these tasks. Assuming your other IDE's build scripts know what files are added/deleted, you could write very simple AppleScripts to act as the glue. For example a script could take a parameter specifying a file to add to the current open project in Xcode. Another script could take a parameter to remove a file from the current project. Then your other IDE could just call these scripts like any other command line tool in your build script.