The workspace with the iOS project and related a static library project

Question

I am fighting with Xcode 4 workspaces. Currently Xcode 4 wins. Thus, my situation:

I have the workspace with the iOS app project. There is also static library project iOS app depends on in the this workspace.

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Solution #1

I try to configure like this:

• the app project:
  • add to target's Build Phases > Link Binary With Library a product (libmystaticlib.a);
  • set USER_HEADER_SEARCH_PATHS to $(TARGET_BUILD_DIR)/usr/local/include $(DSTROOT)/usr/local/include;
• the static library project:
  • add some header files to target's Build Phases > Copy Headers > Public;
  • set SKIP_INSTALL to YES.

And important thing: both projects must have configurations named the same. Otherwise, if I have, e.g., configuration named Distribution (Ad Hoc) for the app and Release for the static library, Xcode can't link the app with the library.

With this configuration archiving results to an archive with the application and public headers from static library projects. Of course, I am not able to share *.ipa in this case. :(

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Solution #2

I have also tried another configuration:

• Xcode preferences:
  • set source tree for the static library, e.g, ADDITIONS_PROJECT;
• the app project:
  • add to target's Build Phases > Link Binary With Library a product (libmystaticlib.a);
  • set USER_HEADER_SEARCH_PATHS to $(ADDITIONS_PROJECT)/**;
• the static library project:
  • don't add any header files to Public!;
  • set SKIP_INSTALL to YES.

I still need to care about configuration names for both projects. But in result I can build and archive successfully. In the result I get archive and I can share *.ipa.

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I don't like the second solutions, because in this case I don't get any real advantage of the Xcode 4 workspace. The same effect I can add get, if I add the static lib project inside the app project. Therefore, I think something is wrong with my solution. Any suggestion how better to link a static libraries?

Answer 1

I also found a solution that works with build and with archive.
In your static library set the Public Headers Folder Path to ../../Headers/YourLib
In your app config set the Header Search Paths to $(BUILT_PRODUCTS_DIR)/../../Headers

In your app you will be able to code #import <YourLib/YourFile.h>

Don't forget the Skip Install = YES option in your static lib.

Answer 2

We've found an answer, finally. Well, kind of. The problem occurred because Xcode 4 places public headers into InstallationBuildProductsLocation folder during build for archive. Apparently, when archiving it sees the headers and tries to put them into archive as well. Changing Public Headers Folder Path of the lib to somewhere outside of InstallationBuildProductsLocation, for example, to $(DSTROOT)/../public_folders and adding this path to Header Search Path solve the problem. This solution doesn't look very elegant, but for us it seems to be the only option. May be you'll find this useful.