Support xcframeworks

[tmspzz]

Implement support for #2799

This feature involves:

• supporting creation of xcframeworks in build
• supporting creation of archives with xcframeworks
• supporting binary xcframeworks
• avoiding xcframeworks in copy-frameworks
• dSYMs ?

[tmspzz]

@ikesyo @mdiep @jdhealy @NachoSoto can anyone please give a first review pass?

The review path should be: build command -> archive command -> bootstrap with binary in Carfile

[ikesyo]

I don't take a deeper look yet, but I think that the XCFrameworks should not be in Carthage/Build/$platform because the format supports bundling frameworks for multiple platforms. Those should be placed directly in Carthage/Build or Carthage/Build/XCFrameworks.

[tmspzz]

The way I implemented it, the .xcframework created by Carthage contains platform+platformsimulator, never multiple platforms.

[NachoSoto]

The way I implemented it, the .xcframework created by Carthage contains platform+platformsimulator, never multiple platforms.

I haven’t looked at the code yet, but I would expect the Xcode command to generate these for all platforms? If not, we probably do need to change that, as the main advantage of this is to be able to finally get rid of copy-frameworks (http://www.openradar.me/radar?id=6409498411401216) and to support #2799.

[tmspzz]

@NachoSoto

I haven’t looked at the code yet, but I would expect the Xcode command to generate these for all platforms?

It does, just it doesn't combine tvOS and watchOS in the same .xcframework. It combines tvOS + tvSimualtor in one xcframework bundle where inside there are 2 separate framework bundles each for slices for the correct architecture. They are not fat binaries anymore.

So there radar problem is solved.

[tmspzz]

@ikesyo I think that technically you are correct, I imagine the format would support placing all platforms in one .xcframework . If one did that then it wouldn't make sense to go with Carthage/Build/$platform.

I didn't go that way since I'm not sure how this is expected to be used. However the platform specific .xcframeworks could be just repacked in another .xcframework in the end if we wanted to do so.

[tmspzz]

So this is the current structure on disk, just use your imagination for the other platforms 😄

[ikesyo]

It will be okay as a first step 😃

[tmspzz]

I'm not sure what else is supposed to happen to support Catalyst ? Can anyone point me to more documentation? https://developer.apple.com/documentation/uikit/creating_a_mac_version_of_your_ipad_app

[mdiep]

My guess for Catalyst is that the XCFramework needs to contain both iOS and macOS versions so that the correct platform can be chosen.

[samrayner]

It's a bit more complicated than that unfortunately. With some help from @owensd on Twitter I managed to rebuild my app's dependencies and get things running.

A ios-x86_64-uikitformac build is required, done against the My Mac destination (-destination generic/platform=macOS) and included alongside the iphoneos13.0 and iphonesimulator13.0 SDK builds. A regular x86 Mac framework in the xcframework won't help with Catalyst.

I assume this can be done through the command line but I couldn't figure it out so here are my manual Xcode steps. As usual with these things I'm not sure all of them are required but they got things working.

• Open dependency workspace or project from Carthage/Checkouts
• Edit scheme and set Run build configuration to Release
• Edit Build Settings:
  • Base SDK = iOS (in case framework base is macOS)
  • Supported Platforms = iOS (in case framework supports native macOS builds)
  • Build Libraries for Distribution = YES (recommended in Xcode 11 release notes)
  • Supports UIKit for Mac = YES
  • Derive UIKit for Mac Product Bundle Identifier = YES
• Adjust codesigning as required
• Ensure the Mac device checkbox is checked in General > Deployment Info
• Run against My Mac
• Copy the framework and dSYMs from Build > Products > Release-uikitformac in DerivedData
• xcodebuild -create-xcframework -framework ios.framework -framework sim.framework -framework uikitformac.framework -output output.xcframework

I'm sure there's a way to maintain a framework's native macOS support while also offering UIKit for Mac support but I'm not sure how. I guess you would need two Mac build destinations?

Hope that helps.

[tmspzz]

@mdiep just tried that, didn't work :(

@samrayner thanks for all the information. I'll see what I can make of it

[tmspzz]

There are 2 issues to solve:

• build iOS schemes with macosx sdk, this produces the Release-uikitformac build that we want
• repack all .xcframeworks in a new one

[tmspzz]

example build command:

xcrun xcodebuild -workspace /Users/tommaso/Code/lab/Alamofire/Alamofire.xcworkspace -scheme Alamofire\ iOS -configuration Release -sdk macosx ONLY_ACTIVE_ARCH=NO CODE_SIGNING_REQUIRED=NO CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY= CARTHAGE=YES archive -archivePath ./here SKIP_INSTALL=YES GCC_INSTRUMENT_PROGRAM_FLOW_ARCS=NO CLANG_ENABLE_CODE_COVERAGE=NO STRIP_INSTALLED_PRODUCT=NO

[samrayner]

FYI, thread: https://twitter.com/samrayner/timelines/1136688278529290241

[DavidBrunow]

I don't think it makes sense to merge this to master until Xcode 11 is out of beta. The latest beta changed the naming convention of "uikitformac" to "maccatalyst" which breaks this implementation and we don't know what other changes are coming in the future.

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[nancy-gomez]

Catalina GM and Xcode 11 GM have been out, and it seems quite a few PRs exist to enable the ability to build .xcframeworks for catalyst support. So, curious to know what the hold up is? 🤔😢

[stale]

This issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has not had recent activity. It will be closed if no further activity occurs. Thank you for your contributions.

[boobesh-s]

When this support will be available?

[ddaddy]

Is there still no Mac Catalyst support in Carthage?

[eltonf]

I've been begrudgingly moving all of my Carthage frameworks to CocoaPods and to SPM when available. I love Carthage but not supporting Mac Catalyst is becoming a non-starter for me.

[lilpit]

adding XCFramework support would be the best way to fix this -> #3019 introduced by Xcode 12 betas

[chrisballinger]

For anyone else who was watching this issue, it looks like xcframework work has continued in this other PR: #2881