Bundle Name, Executable Name, Product Name...anything else?

Question

Bundle Name, Executable Name, Product Name... any more??

can someone please help clarify the use of each of these in Xcode on an iPhone project? They never fail to confuse the living bajezus out of me...and Im tired of getting them wrong.

Someone please explain... why the hell do we need this many different naming schemes for one app environment? and what do I use each of these for so I can stick them in the right cubby hole in my head?

Answer 1

If you look at an info.plist, it goes something like this:

Bundle Display Name - ${PRODUCT_NAME} Executable File - ${EXECUTABLE_NAME} Bundle Name - ${PRODUCT_NAME} 

So you can see, that normally PRODUCT_NAME gives you the same name for the bundle and what the user sees.

In some cases you may want a more complex display name that is not suitable for naming things like bundles or executables, which is why you can change them independently - but you don't have to. The default is that PRODUCT_NAME is the same name as the project name, but you can also override it in the build settings.

You shouldn't be changing the way they are set up in info.plist, unless you have a very good reason... just change PRODUCT_NAME.

Answer 2

Bundle name - is folder name, where your app (including executable file and all resources) will be stored (Cool Program.app).

Executable name - is a program binary name, i.e. Cool Program.app/CoolProgram

Bundle display name - is what will be shown on iPhone screen, for example Cool Prog (since Cool Program probably will not fit on Springboard).

And, Apple claims, that Bundle Display name must correspond to Bundle name, i.e. you cannot use bundle name TheApplication, and bundle display name Something Other