Distributing iOS framework as file or pods

Question

I try to add a framework from a client that we have to use in our product, and it is distributed as a file.

The problem I am facing is that the framework does not work with the simulator, I have to use a debug version of the framework when I want to use the simulator. But the debug version can not be included when we release to app store, it will be rejected they say.

When I google this problem, it looks like Apple does not allow this kind of frameworks. Or has this been changed lately?

I also find information about so called FAT frameworks, is that something new?

I have tried to find information about this on apple.com, but I haven't found anything that explains the situation.

When I use a framework like Firebase that is distributed as pod I don't have this problem.

What is the difference between these frameworks? Is it something that the client can do with the framework so that it is possible to use it both in simulator and in app store?

Answer 1

When I google this problem, it looks like Apple does not allow this kind of frameworks. Or has this been changed lately?

The way it works is that Apple doesn't allow simulator binaries (x86_64 and i386) to be uploaded to the app store.

I also find information about so called FAT frameworks, is that something new?

FAT frameworks are nothing new. They are basically a wrapper around a FAT binary. A FAT binary contains multiple architectures.

When I use a framework like Firebase that is distributed as pod I don't have this problem.

They don't have this problem because they are distributed as Pods. These frameworks have FAT binaries, i.e. containing both Device (armv7, arm64) and Simulator (i386, x86_64). And then the real magic happens at Cocoapods' end. Cocoapods uses a build time script to strip the binary of unnecessary architectures.

You can do the same with your framework by using the same script that cocoapods uses :)

#!/bin/sh
set -e

echo "mkdir -p ${CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR}/${FRAMEWORKS_FOLDER_PATH}"
mkdir -p "${CONFIGURATION_BUILD_DIR}/${FRAMEWORKS_FOLDER_PATH}"

SWIFT_STDLIB_PATH="${DT_TOOLCHAIN_DIR}/usr/lib/swift/${PLATFORM_NAME}"

install_framework()
{
  if [ -r "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/$1" ]; then
    local source="${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/$1"
  elif [ -r "${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/$(basename "$1")" ]; then
    local source="${BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR}/$(basename "$1")"
  elif [ -r "$1" ]; then
    local source="$1"
  fi

  local destination="${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${FRAMEWORKS_FOLDER_PATH}"

  if [ -L "${source}" ]; then
      echo "Symlinked..."
      source="$(readlink "${source}")"
  fi

  # use filter instead of exclude so missing patterns dont' throw errors
  echo "rsync -av --filter \"- CVS/\" --filter \"- .svn/\" --filter \"- .git/\" --filter \"- .hg/\" --filter \"- Headers\" --filter \"- PrivateHeaders\" --filter \"- Modules\" \"${source}\" \"${destination}\""
  rsync -av --filter "- CVS/" --filter "- .svn/" --filter "- .git/" --filter "- .hg/" --filter "- Headers" --filter "- PrivateHeaders" --filter "- Modules" "${source}" "${destination}"

  local basename
  basename="$(basename -s .framework "$1")"
  binary="${destination}/${basename}.framework/${basename}"
  if ! [ -r "$binary" ]; then
    binary="${destination}/${basename}"
  fi

  # Strip invalid architectures so "fat" simulator / device frameworks work on device
  if [[ "$(file "$binary")" == *"dynamically linked shared library"* ]]; then
    strip_invalid_archs "$binary"
  fi

  # Resign the code if required by the build settings to avoid unstable apps
  code_sign_if_enabled "${destination}/$(basename "$1")"

  # Embed linked Swift runtime libraries. No longer necessary as of Xcode 7.
  if [ "${XCODE_VERSION_MAJOR}" -lt 7 ]; then
    local swift_runtime_libs
    swift_runtime_libs=$(xcrun otool -LX "$binary" | grep --color=never @rpath/libswift | sed -E s/@rpath\\/\(.+dylib\).*/\\1/g | uniq -u  && exit ${PIPESTATUS[0]})
    for lib in $swift_runtime_libs; do
      echo "rsync -auv \"${SWIFT_STDLIB_PATH}/${lib}\" \"${destination}\""
      rsync -auv "${SWIFT_STDLIB_PATH}/${lib}" "${destination}"
      code_sign_if_enabled "${destination}/${lib}"
    done
  fi
}

# Signs a framework with the provided identity
code_sign_if_enabled() {
  if [ -n "${EXPANDED_CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY}" -a "${CODE_SIGNING_REQUIRED}" != "NO" -a "${CODE_SIGNING_ALLOWED}" != "NO" ]; then
    # Use the current code_sign_identitiy
    echo "Code Signing $1 with Identity ${EXPANDED_CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY_NAME}"
    local code_sign_cmd="/usr/bin/codesign --force --sign ${EXPANDED_CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY} ${OTHER_CODE_SIGN_FLAGS} --preserve-metadata=identifier,entitlements '$1'"

    if [ "${COCOAPODS_PARALLEL_CODE_SIGN}" == "true" ]; then
      code_sign_cmd="$code_sign_cmd &"
    fi
    echo "$code_sign_cmd"
    eval "$code_sign_cmd"
  fi
}

# Strip invalid architectures
strip_invalid_archs() {
  binary="$1"
  # Get architectures for current file
  archs="$(lipo -info "$binary" | rev | cut -d ':' -f1 | rev)"
  stripped=""
  for arch in $archs; do
    if ! [[ "${VALID_ARCHS}" == *"$arch"* ]]; then
      # Strip non-valid architectures in-place
      lipo -remove "$arch" -output "$binary" "$binary" || exit 1
      stripped="$stripped $arch"
    fi
  done
  if [[ "$stripped" ]]; then
    echo "Stripped $binary of architectures:$stripped"
  fi
}

Just pass your framework to install_framework method like so:

install_framework "$BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR/BadgeSwift/BadgeSwift.framework"