How to tell Xcode how to include a library specified with angle brackets?

Question

I often see open source code importing third-party libraries in Xcode / Objective-C implementation files like this:

#import <ThirdPartyLibrary/utilities.h>

but when I drag & drop the file structure and files of such a library in my project, all these imports are corrupted and Xcode does not know where the files are.

I end up hand-modifying every import to look like:

#import "utilities.h"

And include appears it is relative to the current physical folder on the file system. When a library split its files in folders on file system and I drag-drop it in Xcode, Xcode creates groups for the folders. But for import, I have to specify the folder name. Problem is when I am in a folder, for example:

http/httpTools.h

Then when httpTools.h wants to import utilities.h from the root, I have to change

#import <ThirdPartyLibrary/utilities.h>

to

#import "../utilities.h"

which is a chore. After doing this for 5 hours I thought damn, there must be a better way. Can someone explain what is the secret to teaching Xcode a new framework location that can be imported with angle brackets? The framework btw is source code. Not compiled. Just the naked code.

Answer 1

Specify the include path using the compiler flag -I, or the Xcode build settings alias HEADER_SEARCH_PATHS. Of course, you can use build variables when doing so.

Answer 2

Just stumbled upon the same issue, there are two types of search paths in Xcode:

Header Search Paths
User Header Search Paths

If you add your own include folders into Header Search Paths, you can use angled brackets.