Build Process

This document describes the build process for creating distributable LinkSDK XCFrameworks, covering local development builds, the automated build script, and integration with the CI/CD pipeline. The build process transforms the LinkSDK source code into a universal XCFramework that supports both iOS devices and simulators.

For information about the CI/CD pipeline and automated releases, see CI/CD Pipeline. For local development and testing setup, see Testing.

Build Script Overview

The LinkSDK uses a shell script-based build system that creates universal XCFrameworks suitable for distribution. The primary build script is build-framework.sh(), which handles the complete build, packaging, and distribution preparation process.

Build Script Execution Flow

Build Script Start

Set MARKETING_VERSION and CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION

xcodebuild archive
iOS Device Platform

xcodebuild archive
iOS Simulator Platform

xcodebuild -create-xcframework
Combine iOS + Simulator

Update Info.plist
CFBundleVersion

Copy XCFramework to Root

Create .zip Archive

Compute Swift Package Checksum

Update Package.swift

Remove Build Artifacts

Sources: build-framework.sh1-64

XCFramework Creation Process

Platform-Specific Builds

The build process creates separate archives for each supported platform using xcodebuild archive commands. The LinkSDK framework is built twice with different destination platforms:

Platform	Destination	Archive Path
iOS Device	`generic/platform=iOS`	`LinkSDK.framework-iphoneos.xcarchive`
iOS Simulator	`generic/platform=iOS Simulator`	`LinkSDK.framework-iphonesimulator.xcarchive`

Build Configuration Parameters

The build script configures several critical parameters for each platform build:

IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=13.0
SKIP_INSTALL=NO
BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION=YES
MARKETING_VERSION=$MARKETING_VERSION
CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION=$CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION

Sources: build-framework.sh19-41

XCFramework Assembly

After creating platform-specific archives, the script combines them into a single XCFramework using the xcodebuild -create-xcframework command. This process merges the iOS device and simulator frameworks into a universal binary that automatically selects the appropriate architecture at build time.

Output

XCFramework Creation

Input Archives

LinkSDK.framework-iphoneos.xcarchive
iOS Device Framework

LinkSDK.framework-iphonesimulator.xcarchive
iOS Simulator Framework

xcodebuild -create-xcframework

LinkSDK.xcframework
Universal Binary

Sources: build-framework.sh43-47

Version Management

Version Parameter Handling

The build script accepts a version parameter and derives related version identifiers:

MARKETING_VERSION: Full semantic version (e.g., "1.2.3")
CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION: Major version number extracted from marketing version

If no version is provided, the script defaults to version "1.0".

Info.plist Version Updates

The script updates the XCFramework's Info.plist file with version information using the PlistBuddy utility:

/usr/libexec/Plistbuddy -c "Add :CFBundleVersion string $MARKETING_VERSION" "$PLIST"
/usr/libexec/Plistbuddy -c "Add :CFBundleShortVersionString string $CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION" "$PLIST"

Sources: build-framework.sh49-50

Xcode Project Configuration

Target Structure

The LinkSDK Xcode project contains three primary targets defined in the project configuration:

Target Name	Product Type	Purpose
`LinkSDK`	`com.apple.product-type.framework`	Main framework library
`LinkSDKExample`	`com.apple.product-type.application`	Example implementation app
`LinkSDKTests`	`com.apple.product-type.bundle.unit-test`	Unit test bundle

Framework Build Settings

The LinkSDK framework target uses specific build settings optimized for distribution:

Setting	Value	Purpose
`BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION`	`YES`	Enables module stability for distribution
`MACH_O_TYPE`	`staticlib`	Creates static library binary
`SKIP_INSTALL`	`YES`	Prevents automatic installation
`IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET`	`13.0`	Minimum iOS version support
`ENABLE_MODULE_VERIFIER`	`YES`	Enables module interface verification
`SWIFT_INSTALL_OBJC_HEADER`	`NO`	Disables Objective-C header generation
`DEFINES_MODULE`	`NO`	Framework module definition handling

Sources: LinkSDK.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj610-692

Code Signing Configuration

The framework target uses manual code signing with conditional team settings:

CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Manual
DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = ""
"DEVELOPMENT_TEAM[sdk=iphoneos*]" = C6WMXUCWYF

Sources: LinkSDK.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj622-628

Swift Package Manager Integration

Package.swift Updates

The build script automatically updates the Package.swift file with the new framework URL and checksum:

CHECKSUM=`swift package compute-checksum "$SDK_FRAMEWORK_FILENAME.zip"`
SDK_URL="https://github.com/FrontFin/mesh-ios-sdk/releases/download/$MARKETING_VERSION/$SDK_FRAMEWORK_FILENAME.zip"

sed -i '' "s|checksum: ".*"|checksum: \"$CHECKSUM\"|g" Package.swift
sed -i '' "s|url: ".*"|url: \"$SDK_URL\"|g" Package.swift

This ensures that Swift Package Manager can verify the integrity of the distributed XCFramework and download it from the correct GitHub release URL.

Sources: build-framework.sh57-62

Build Outputs and Artifacts

File Structure

The build process generates the following artifacts:

./
├── LinkSDK.xcframework/          # Universal XCFramework
│   ├── Info.plist               # Framework metadata
│   ├── ios-arm64/               # iOS device architecture
│   └── ios-arm64_x86_64-simulator/ # iOS simulator architectures
├── LinkSDK.xcframework.zip      # Compressed distribution package
└── Package.swift                # Updated with new checksum/URL

Build Folder Management

The script uses a temporary ./build folder for intermediate artifacts and cleans up after completion:

BUILD_FOLDER='./build'
# ... build operations ...
rm -r $BUILD_FOLDER

Sources: build-framework.sh13-53

Local Development Usage

Manual Build Execution

Developers can execute the build script locally with an optional version parameter:

# Build with default version (1.0)
./build-framework.sh

# Build with specific version
./build-framework.sh 2.1.0

Prerequisites

Local builds require:

Xcode 15.0 or later (compatible with objectVersion = 70)
Valid Apple Developer certificate for code signing
Access to QuantumIOS dependency package

Sources: LinkSDK.xcodeproj/project.pbxproj6 build-framework.sh1-64