"Library projects" in iOS

Question

Some time ago I created and Android app. Then I needed to create very similar app (functionality-wise) with some cosmetic, branding and small-scale functionality changes. I refactored the original app as a library project, created an app that used this library project and recreated the original functionality. Then I created a new app that used that same library project and also implemented the small-scale changes required for the second app. This worked perfectly fine. Now if a change is needed, it's very easy to implemented it in multiple apps: I just change the library project and recompile all the apps.

I also had the original application available for iOS - and need to make the second app available for iOS. I could, naturally, copy the project, make the changes and create another apps. However this would mean double work if I needed to change something in the core functionality. I'd like to be able to refactor the iOS project/app similarly to the Android one, but not sure how to go about it - or if such functionality is even available. Any suggestions are much appreciated.

Answer 1

You can create a Single project with differents targets.

Then, you will have target A, and B for example and CoreFile files that are common for all targets.

Let's suppose you have HomeViewController with some slightly differences. You can create a single interface HomeViewController.h and two implementation AHomeViewController and BHomeViewController, both extending BaseViewController.

Then open AHomeViewController, and on FileInspector at 'Target Membership' mark only target A. On BHomeViewController you do the same. Image 1, illustrate what you have to do (names are differents from the example because it's a real example from one of my projects).

If for some reason you have need to know what's targets are you using you can define it using Preprocessor Macros on Target -> Build Settings. As illustrate by Image 2.

Then you can use #ifdef APP_CB to check the current target.

Answer 2

As was mentioned you can really regulate target membership^[About] of every file which you add. But in my opinion is better to create a separate framework(library) and add it as dependency

[Swift consumer -> Swift dynamic framework]