How to share Cocoa classes?
Hi, All, Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects. I've created a set of Cocoa classes (.h and .m files) What I'd like to get is the ability to write something like this: #import MyDir/MyClass.h I don't want to distribute these classes, as a framework, but I would like just to link them directly into every executable, which refers them. As I heard, a static library, having ObjC classes inside, may cause some problems in linking. Therefore I yet didn't try this way. My question is: can I copy these shared files (.h + .m) into some system directory to make them being visible for any Cocoa project through the import directive, like above? If no, then what is the correct way to go besides manual inclusion of the same files into every XCode project? -Thanks. ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
Hello Alex, If you don't want to build a framework, best way to go is building a static library or else you have to add their sources every time you want to use it on a new project. Static library linking with ObjC class, most likely could be done successfully by only adding -ObjC and -all_load to the Other Linker Flags in the build configuration. To be able to use #import MyDir/MyClass.h, you need to add a header search path, that refers to that global directory (or system directory, if you prefer) in your project settings. Jesse Armand (http://jessearmand.com) On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM, Alexander Bokovikovopenwo...@uralweb.ru wrote: Hi, All, Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects. I've created a set of Cocoa classes (.h and .m files) What I'd like to get is the ability to write something like this: #import MyDir/MyClass.h I don't want to distribute these classes, as a framework, but I would like just to link them directly into every executable, which refers them. As I heard, a static library, having ObjC classes inside, may cause some problems in linking. Therefore I yet didn't try this way. My question is: can I copy these shared files (.h + .m) into some system directory to make them being visible for any Cocoa project through the import directive, like above? If no, then what is the correct way to go besides manual inclusion of the same files into every XCode project? -Thanks. ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/mnemonic.fx%40gmail.com This email sent to mnemonic...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Subject: Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
Thank you, Jesse, but just a couple of points to clarify: Static library linking with ObjC class, most likely could be done successfully by only adding -ObjC and -all_load to the Other Linker Flags in the build configuration. Is this option applicable to library project settings or to a project where this library is called from? To be able to use #import MyDir/MyClass.h, you need to add a header search path, that refers to that global directory (or system directory, if you prefer) in your project settings. Could you please give an example of particular directories, where I could put headers as well as the library? All directories at root level are write-protected. What is the correct location to put my own libraries? Also what particular settings are responsible for headers (and libraries) search path? Thank you! ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: Subject: Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
Is this option applicable to library project settings or to a project where this library is called from? Since the linking is done on the project that's including the library, so this should be done on the project that's using the library. Could you please give an example of particular directories, where I could put headers as well as the library? All directories at root level are write-protected. What is the correct location to put my own libraries? Also what particular settings are responsible for headers (and libraries) search path? If you want to put it in /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk/usr/lib/ you need to use the user with administrator privileges, just like when you install the Xcode and its SDK. If you put it there, the headers should be in /Developer/SDKs/MacOSX10.5.sdk/usr/include/ But, I usually just put my own projects in my own folders, not system folder, unless if I want to release that library into the public, as a part of the Mac OS X SDK, which is unlikely. When you do the latter, just add a header path corresponding to your own folder, like: /Projects/MyLibrary/Headers Libraries should be added to the project, not searched. ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
I build a number of plugins and ended up with a lot of shared code so I ended up creating a project that builds a static library with all those pieces, then make all my plugin targets dependent on it so that it gets [re-]built first. I created a common include file that includes all the headers for the code in the static library and then include that header in all my plugins. That keeps the included headers list in the various plugins neat, plus makes it easy to add new stuff to the library without having to update headers all over. As for linking, so far I haven't had any problems. The only issue I've ever run into is the case where I have a custom NSView class that doesn't get directly referenced in the code because it's being managed from the nib via bindings. In that case I've just added a if ([MyViewClass class] != NULL)... to a window controller's +initialize method to force that code not to be stripped, since I do want any classes in the library that I'm not using for a particular plugin to be stripped out. steve On Jul 6, 2009, at 1:23 AM, Alexander Bokovikov wrote: Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects. I've created a set of Cocoa classes (.h and .m files) What I'd like to get is the ability to write something like this: #import MyDir/MyClass.h I don't want to distribute these classes, as a framework, but I would like just to link them directly into every executable, which refers them. As I heard, a static library, having ObjC classes inside, may cause some problems in linking. Therefore I yet didn't try this way. My question is: can I copy these shared files (.h + .m) into some system directory to make them being visible for any Cocoa project through the import directive, like above? If no, then what is the correct way to go besides manual inclusion of the same files into every XCode project? ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
Thank you for the reply, It looks like your case is just what I'd like to have, though my situation is simpler, as my shared code is the same for different projects (though different projects may include other different pieces). Therefore the problem of code stripping (which you described) should not appear for me. Nevertheless, I'd appreciate it highly, if you'll guide me through the XCode project settings adjustment, as it sounds foggy for me, how to make static library to rebuild itself when main project is built. What particular settings should I add to the main project? Also it's not clear, where to put that common header file? What is the correct location for that? Am I correct in my understanding, that placing this .h file into the right place I'll have the ability to include my classes (stored in static library) by single #importmysubdir/myincfile.h ? If yes, then it is just, what I'd like to get! The same question is about static library itseklf -- where it should be located? Should I create my own directory system or is it better to use some standard (system) directories for that? If I must use my own directories, then where should I add a path to them to avoid the necessarity to add this path to every new XCode project manually? Thank you. - Original Message - From: Steve Christensen puns...@mac.com To: Alexander Bokovikov openwo...@uralweb.ru Cc: cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 9:30 PM Subject: Re: How to share Cocoa classes? I build a number of plugins and ended up with a lot of shared code so I ended up creating a project that builds a static library with all those pieces, then make all my plugin targets dependent on it so that it gets [re-]built first. I created a common include file that includes all the headers for the code in the static library and then include that header in all my plugins. That keeps the included headers list in the various plugins neat, plus makes it easy to add new stuff to the library without having to update headers all over. As for linking, so far I haven't had any problems. The only issue I've ever run into is the case where I have a custom NSView class that doesn't get directly referenced in the code because it's being managed from the nib via bindings. In that case I've just added a if ([MyViewClass class] != NULL)... to a window controller's +initialize method to force that code not to be stripped, since I do want any classes in the library that I'm not using for a particular plugin to be stripped out. steve On Jul 6, 2009, at 1:23 AM, Alexander Bokovikov wrote: Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects. I've created a set of Cocoa classes (.h and .m files) What I'd like to get is the ability to write something like this: #import MyDir/MyClass.h I don't want to distribute these classes, as a framework, but I would like just to link them directly into every executable, which refers them. As I heard, a static library, having ObjC classes inside, may cause some problems in linking. Therefore I yet didn't try this way. My question is: can I copy these shared files (.h + .m) into some system directory to make them being visible for any Cocoa project through the import directive, like above? If no, then what is the correct way to go besides manual inclusion of the same files into every XCode project? ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
How to share Cocoa classes?
Hi, Another option is to just drag and drop the .m and .h icons from the main project to new project. This gives you the option of making a new copy or using a link to the originals. I often use the link method, having a Master app that is used to develop and test the object, then when it passes all my tests, link it to the production apps. cheers Kevin On Mon, Jul 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM, Alexander Bokovikovopenwo...@uralweb.ru wrote: Hi, All, Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects. I've created a set of Cocoa classes (.h and .m files) What I'd like to get is the ability to write something like this: #import MyDir/MyClass.h I don't want to distribute these classes, as a framework, but I would like just to link them directly into every executable, which refers them. As I heard, a static library, having ObjC classes inside, may cause some problems in linking. Therefore I yet didn't try this way. My question is: can I copy these shared files (.h + .m) into some system directory to make them being visible for any Cocoa project through the import directive, like above? If no, then what is the correct way to go besides manual inclusion of the same files into every XCode project? -Thanks. ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/mnemonic.fx%40gmail.com This email sent to mnemonic...@gmail.com ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
Nevertheless, I'd appreciate it highly, if you'll guide me through the XCode project settings adjustment, as it sounds foggy for me, how to make static library to rebuild itself when main project is built. What particular settings should I add to the main project? Add the target of the project (which will produce the library) to the project dependencies that's using the static library. Also it's not clear, where to put that common header file? What is the correct location for that? Am I correct in my understanding, that placing this .h file into the right place I'll have the ability to include my classes (stored in static library) by single #importmysubdir/myincfile.h ? If yes, then it is just, what I'd like to get! The same question is about static library itseklf -- where it should be located? Should I create my own directory system or is it better to use some standard (system) directories for that? If I must use my own directories, then where should I add a path to them to avoid the necessarity to add this path to every new XCode project manually? Just create your own directory system, that would be simpler. To automate the inclusion of that path, you may be able to use Xcode configuration settings file. ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
On 6.7.2009, at 20:30, Alexander Bokovikov wrote: Thank you for the reply, It looks like your case is just what I'd like to have, though my situation is simpler, as my shared code is the same for different projects (though different projects may include other different pieces). Therefore the problem of code stripping (which you described) should not appear for me. Nevertheless, I'd appreciate it highly, if you'll guide me through the XCode project settings adjustment, as it sounds foggy for me, how to make static library to rebuild itself when main project is built. What particular settings should I add to the main project? Also it's not clear, where to put that common header file? What is the correct location for that? Am I correct in my understanding, that placing this .h file into the right place I'll have the ability to include my classes (stored in static library) by single #importmysubdir/myincfile.h ? If yes, then it is just, what I'd like to get! The same question is about static library itseklf -- where it should be located? Should I create my own directory system or is it better to use some standard (system) directories for that? If I must use my own directories, then where should I add a path to them to avoid the necessarity to add this path to every new XCode project manually? Besides the suggestions of other, an additional method to handle this are Xcode source trees. You can define paths to source trees in Xcode preferences (that is, per machine), and then use these definitions to set paths in projects relative to a defined source tree. This frees you from the need to have the exact same directory setup on each computer which uses the project. Kai ___ Cocoa-dev mailing list (Cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com) Please do not post admin requests or moderator comments to the list. Contact the moderators at cocoa-dev-admins(at)lists.apple.com Help/Unsubscribe/Update your Subscription: http://lists.apple.com/mailman/options/cocoa-dev/archive%40mail-archive.com This email sent to arch...@mail-archive.com
Re: How to share Cocoa classes?
The stripping issue is came up for me because I do have dead-code stripping turned on so that the individual plugins aren't any larger than they need to be. The main impetus for the static library was as a repository for various code pieces that may or may not be used for a particular plugin, but which rarely need to be rebuilt as compared with the plugin itself. What I did was to create a separate project file with a static library target that included all of the .h, .mm and .cpp files that go into the static library. That build creates the static library. I make sure that the build works and that I end up with an appropriate object file. For my plugins, I'd create a project file with a single target. I drag the static library into the project and assign it to the target, then drag the static library's project into the file area for the plugins project but -don't- assign it to the target. If you then double-click on the target icon, under the General tab you can click on the plus (+) button and select the static library target in its project. That will create a dependency between the target you just created and the static library project so that the static library will be built (if necessary) before your target is built. If you want to have one target per project, you can duplicate the project file as a template; if you want all of your targets in a single project file, you can likewise duplicate the target as a template so that you start off with both the inter-project dependency as well as the inclusion of the static library. As for where to put the common header and static library, that's really your choice. In my case, all of the plugins go together so I made several per projects (one for each group of plugins) within a single folder, then created a common library subfolder to hold the hierarchy of files in the static library and other subfolders to hold the per-plugin sources. I end up with a ../../CommonLibrary/ CommonLibrary.h sort of path for the static library's header but that hasn't been a problem since the path doesn't change. steve On Jul 6, 2009, at 11:30 AM, Alexander Bokovikov wrote: Thank you for the reply, It looks like your case is just what I'd like to have, though my situation is simpler, as my shared code is the same for different projects (though different projects may include other different pieces). Therefore the problem of code stripping (which you described) should not appear for me. Nevertheless, I'd appreciate it highly, if you'll guide me through the XCode project settings adjustment, as it sounds foggy for me, how to make static library to rebuild itself when main project is built. What particular settings should I add to the main project? Also it's not clear, where to put that common header file? What is the correct location for that? Am I correct in my understanding, that placing this .h file into the right place I'll have the ability to include my classes (stored in static library) by single #importmysubdir/myincfile.h ? If yes, then it is just, what I'd like to get! The same question is about static library itseklf -- where it should be located? Should I create my own directory system or is it better to use some standard (system) directories for that? If I must use my own directories, then where should I add a path to them to avoid the necessarity to add this path to every new XCode project manually? Thank you. - Original Message - From: Steve Christensen puns...@mac.com To: Alexander Bokovikov openwo...@uralweb.ru Cc: cocoa-dev@lists.apple.com Sent: Monday, July 06, 2009 9:30 PM Subject: Re: How to share Cocoa classes? I build a number of plugins and ended up with a lot of shared code so I ended up creating a project that builds a static library with all those pieces, then make all my plugin targets dependent on it so that it gets [re-]built first. I created a common include file that includes all the headers for the code in the static library and then include that header in all my plugins. That keeps the included headers list in the various plugins neat, plus makes it easy to add new stuff to the library without having to update headers all over. As for linking, so far I haven't had any problems. The only issue I've ever run into is the case where I have a custom NSView class that doesn't get directly referenced in the code because it's being managed from the nib via bindings. In that case I've just added a if ([MyViewClass class] != NULL)... to a window controller's +initialize method to force that code not to be stripped, since I do want any classes in the library that I'm not using for a particular plugin to be stripped out. steve On Jul 6, 2009, at 1:23 AM, Alexander Bokovikov wrote: Maybe it's a dummy question, but I can't find a way to share some ObjC classes with several XCode projects
