How to use the command 'xcodebuild' (with examples)

The ‘xcodebuild’ command is a powerful tool for building Xcode projects. It allows developers to build workspaces and projects, as well as show available SDKs. In this article, we will explore three different use cases of the ‘xcodebuild’ command and provide code examples, motivations, explanations, and example outputs for each use case.

Use case 1: Build workspace

Code:

xcodebuild -workspace workspace_name.workspace -scheme scheme_name -configuration configuration_name clean build SYMROOT=SYMROOT_path

Motivation:

Building a workspace is useful when you have a project that consists of multiple targets and dependencies. The ‘xcodebuild’ command allows you to build the entire workspace, ensuring all the dependencies are built correctly.

Explanation:

• -workspace workspace_name.workspace: Specifies the name of the workspace file.
• -scheme scheme_name: Specifies the name of the scheme to build.
• -configuration configuration_name: Specifies the name of the build configuration.
• clean: Cleans the build products before building.
• build: Builds the specified workspace.
• SYMROOT=SYMROOT_path: Specifies the path to store the build products.

Example output:

=== BUILD TARGET target_name OF PROJECT project_name WITH CONFIGURATION Debug ===
... // Build output details
** BUILD SUCCEEDED **

Use case 2: Build project

Code:

xcodebuild -target target_name -configuration configuration_name clean build SYMROOT=SYMROOT_path

Motivation:

Building a project is useful when you only have a single target without dependencies. The ‘xcodebuild’ command allows you to build the project directly.

Explanation:

• -target target_name: Specifies the name of the target to build.
• -configuration configuration_name: Specifies the name of the build configuration.
• clean: Cleans the build products before building.
• build: Builds the specified project.
• SYMROOT=SYMROOT_path: Specifies the path to store the build products.

Example output:

=== BUILD TARGET target_name OF PROJECT project_name WITH CONFIGURATION Debug ===
... // Build output details
** BUILD SUCCEEDED **

Use case 3: Show SDKs

Code:

xcodebuild -showsdks

Motivation:

Showing available SDKs is useful when you want to see the list of supported SDKs on your machine. The ‘xcodebuild’ command allows you to quickly check the available SDKs.

Explanation:

• -showsdks: Displays the list of available SDKs.

Example output:

iOS SDKs:
    iOS 14.4 -sdk iphoneos14.4

iOS Simulator SDKs:
    Simulator - iOS 14.4 -sdk iphonesimulator14.4

macOS SDKs:
    macOS 10.15 -sdk macosx10.15

tvOS SDKs:
    tvOS 14.3 -sdk appletvos14.3

tvOS Simulator SDKs:
    Simulator - tvOS 14.3 -sdk appletvsimulator14.3

watchOS SDKs:
    watchOS 7.2 -sdk watchos7.2

watchOS Simulator SDKs:
    Simulator - watchOS 7.2 -sdk watchsimulator7.2

Conclusion:

The ‘xcodebuild’ command is a versatile tool for building Xcode projects. Whether you need to build workspaces or projects, or simply check the available SDKs, the ‘xcodebuild’ command provides the necessary functionality. With the code examples, motivations, explanations, and example outputs provided in this article, developers will have a clear understanding of how to use the ‘xcodebuild’ command in different scenarios.