In case there is the need to do some actions "automatically" while building an app we can attach a shell script to a "build phase". All Xcode targets have a chain of phases which are executed in order to produce the final build . This chain can be changed adding extra actions.
Examples of uses :
- copy files in other location after/before build
- create pkg .app (zip/tar) and move package to the staging directory
- update build info (build version, number and date)
- ...
Step #1
Create a new phase :
- open Xcode project
- select compile "target" (under "Targets" group for example : myClient)
- right click on "myClient" target then select from menu : "Add" -> "New Build Phase" -> "New Run Script Build Phase"
Consider that actions (phases) are executed in order as they are listed. In our example (see below screenshot):
1. Run Script - Build version
2. Run Script - CP
...
So you need to move the script (up/down) in the position where you need (example before or after link phase or compile...).
Step #2
Double click on "Run Script" opens the "editor". Here you can write directly your schell script (in text area under Script) .
Note : here your script sees all Xcode environment variables such as src path : ${SRCROOT}
For Build Setting Reference (TARGET_BUILD_DIR, SRCROOT ...) click here.
Bonus
As example we create an about.html page within all information about our application such as build number and date of build.
for example the build_string : "Build 1.0.189 (2011-05-26)"
Some notes about file about.html:
- about.html is a project resource which is displayed in a UIVewView (for example selecting button "about" in your application).
- about.html contains a lot of HTML text so we need to "include" separately the build_string which change at every build
Note : we wont change/create the txt directly in about.html
We can edit about.html in order to include a second file info.html (auto generated by the script).
So info.html will contain only build information : <font ....> Build 1.0.189 (2011-05-26) </font>
Those files (about.html and info.html) have to be added to project as resources. Really info.html will be regenerate, using a shell script, every time you compile. When UIVewView will load about.html the file info.html will be included in iframe.
So we have two files :
1. Static file about.html contains :
...
<p>
<strong>My Client</strong>
<iframe src="info.html" frameborder="no" width=300 height=40></iframe>
</p>
...
2. Auto generated file info.html
as said info.html is the file generated automatically every time the application is compiled. In order to generate info.html :
- create a phase as script (described above)
- write the below code (this code will generate info.html)
awk '{print ($1+1);}' ${SRCROOT}/Resources/extra/buildinfo.txt >${SRCROOT}/buildinfo.tmp
mv ${SRCROOT}/buildinfo.tmp ${SRCROOT}/Resources/extra/buildinfo.txt
echo "<HTML><font border=0 size=2px color=#999999>Build 1.0.cat ${SRCROOT}/Resources/extra/buildinfo.txt (date +%Y-%m-%d)</font></HTML>" > ${SRCROOT}/Resources/extra/info.html
Note : file buildinfo.txt is a support file where is stored just last build number (is just a counter in order to store the last build number).
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