This is a utility to extract build configuration settings from an Xcode project into a set of xcconfig files.
The current release, pre-built, code-signed, and notarized is available for download at https://buildsettingextractor.com.
If you decide to move Xcode build settings out of your project file and into xcconfig files, this utility can make that initial move easier. It’s also an easy way for the curious to take a look at the build settings in a project without fear of accidentally changing them.
For each target and the project itself, BuildSettingExtractor will generate one xcconfig file per build configuration plus a shared xcconfig file with all shared build settings for that target.
Using the app:
- Launch BuildSettingExtractor
- Drag an Xcode Project file (xcodeproj) to the app window
- Choose a destination folder
Choose Preferences… (Command-,) from the BuildSettingExtractor menu to set generation options.
- BuildSettingExtractor does not alter the original Xcode project file.
- BuildSettingExtractor does not update existing xcconfig files, it does a one-time extraction.
- BuildSettingExtractor does not hoist shared target build settings to the project level.
- Do not taunt BuildSettingExtractor.
The generated xcconfig files include build setting explanations gleaned from Xcode:
// Framework Search Paths
//
// This is a list of paths to folders containing frameworks to be searched by the
// compiler for both included or imported header files when compiling C, Objective-C,
// C++, or Objective-C++, and by the linker for frameworks used by the product. Paths are
// delimited by whitespace, so any paths with spaces in them need to be properly quoted.
// [-F]
FRAMEWORK_SEARCH_PATHS = $(DEVELOPER_FRAMEWORKS_DIR) $(inherited)
// Info.plist File
//
// This is the project-relative path to the plist file that contains the Info.plist
// information used by bundles.
INFOPLIST_FILE = BuildSettingExtractorTests/BuildSettingExtractorTests-Info.plist
These comments can be turned off in the Preferences window for a more compact file:
FRAMEWORK_SEARCH_PATHS = $(DEVELOPER_FRAMEWORKS_DIR) $(inherited)
INFOPLIST_FILE = BuildSettingExtractorTests/BuildSettingExtractorTests-Info.plist
Version 1.4.6
Jun 12, 2023
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 15.0-compatible project files.
– Updated list of build setting info files.
– Tested on macOS 13.4 Ventura, Apple Silicon.
– Built with Xcode 14.3 on macOS 12.4 Ventura.
Version 1.4.5
Sep 13, 2022
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 14.0-compatible project files.
– Added grouping to conditional build setting generation.
– Updated URL in generated files.
– Tested on macOS 12.5.1 Monterey, Apple Silicon.
– Built with Xcode 14.0 on macOS 12.5.1 Monterey.
Version 1.4.4
May 7, 2022
– Updated list of build setting info files for Xcode 13.3 and later.
– Added backstop entry for SWIFT_VERSION build setting.
– Tested on macOS 12.3.1 Monterey, Apple Silicon.
– Built with Xcode 13.3.1 on macOS 12.3.1 Monterey.
Version 1.4.3
Oct 21, 2021
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 13.0-compatible project files.
– Tested on macOS macOS 11.6 Big Sur.
– Tested on macOS 12.0.1 Big Sur, Apple Silicon.
– Built with Xcode 12.5.1 on macOS 11.6 Big Sur.
Version 1.4.2
Nov 14, 2020
– Added native Apple Silicon support.
– Updated app icon to follow macOS 11 Big Sur guidelines.
– Updated icons in preferences window for macOS 11 Big Sur.
– Fixed row spacing issue when building with Xcode 12 and later.
– Updated list of build setting description files for Metal compiler and linker.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 11.4-compatible project files.
– Added documentation for the BuildSettingInfoSubpaths.plist file.
– Updated copyright notice.
– Tested on macOS 10.14.6 Mojave.
– Tested on macOS 10.15.7 Catalina.
– Tested on macOS 11.0.1 Big Sur, Apple Silicon.
– Built with Xcode 12.2 on macOS 10.15.7 Catalina.
Version 1.4.1
Aug 3, 2020
– Added ability to drag Xcode project to app icon to extract settings.
– Added support for no word separator in generated file names.
– Added validation for text fields that should never be empty.
– Added mechanism for handling introduced build setting info files.
– Updated list of build setting info files for Xcode 12.0 beta.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 12.0-compatible project files.
– Convert app scheme to use a test plan.
– Tested on macOS 10.15.5 Catalina.
– Tested on macOS 11.0 Big Sur beta 3.
– Built with Xcode 11.6 on macOS 10.15.5 Catalina.
Version 1.4
May 17, 2020
– Moved preferences from a sheet to a separate window.
– Added preference to generate xcconfig files in folders grouped by target.
– Added preference to group project xcconfig files in a folder.
– Added preference to set name of folder enclosing all generated xcconfig files.
– Folder enclosing generated xcconfig files is named according to preference value.
– Added preference to automatically save generated files in same folder as source project.
– Added preference for line spacing between settings.
– Added preference for aligning build setting values.
– Added a preview to each preference pane.
– Added Close command to the File menu.
– Added shared xcscheme file to allow Xcode Server usage.
– Updated list of build setting info files for Xcode 11.4.
– Updated minimum macOS deployment target to 10.14.
– Tested on macOS 10.15.4 Catalina.
– Built with Xcode 11.4.1 on macOS 10.15.4 Catalina.
Version 1.3.2
Oct 13, 2019
– Spaces are now replaced with separator in generated xcconfig file names.
– Added BSE-CodeSigning.xcconfig file to store easily accessible code signing settings.
– Enabled hardened runtime to allow app notarization.
– Enabled sandboxing with entitlement for read-write access to user-selected files.
– Added support for Xcode beta as build setting info souce.
– Added error reporting if no build setting info source is found.
– Refactored error creation, handling and presentation.
– Refactored AppKit-dependent category methods into separate file.
– Removed precompiled headers.
– Moved to explicit @import statements.
– Tested on macOS 10.15 Catalina.
– Built with Xcode 11.1 on macOS 10.14.6 Mojave.
Version 1.3.1
Sep 15, 2019
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 11.0-compatible project files.
– Add mechanism for handling deprecated build setting info files.
– Update list of build setting info files for Xcode 11.
– Add test to ensure build setting info files load without error.
– Process Markdown in build setting options to plain text.
– Tested on macOS 10.14.6 with Xcode 11.
– Tested on macOS 10.15 Catalina beta 8.
– Built with Xcode 11.0 on macOS 10.14.6 Mojave.
- NOTE: The Xcode project file refuses to open in Xcode 11 GMc on macOS 10.15 Catalina beta 8.
Version 1.3
Sep 25, 2018
– Added Dark Mode support.
– Built with Xcode 10.0 on macOS 10.14 Mojave.
Version 1.2.8
Sep 24, 2018
– Updated list of build setting description files to include Apple Clang file.
– Fixed crash when xcspec file was not found when reading build setting descriptions.
– Tested Xcode 10.0-compatible project files with Xcode 10.
– Tested build setting descriptions with Xcode 10.
– This the last version that will build cleanly on macOS 10.13 and earlier.
– Built with Xcode 9.4.1 on macOS 10.13.6 High Sierra.
Version 1.2.7
Aug 19, 2018
– Added alert to notify users if the selected project contains no build settings.
– Added names and descriptions for some common settings without info.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 9.3-compatible project files.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 10.0-compatible project files. (Tested with beta 6.)
– Made changes to prepare for Mojave Dark Mode.
Version 1.2.6
Nov 3, 2017
– Added menu item to choose Xcode project.
– Removed unused menu items.
– Added window minimum size.
– Updated window with options more befitting a single-window app.
– Improved support for reading build setting descriptions from xcspec files.
– Updated list of build setting description files to include Swift xcspec file.
Version 1.2.5
Jun 13, 2017
– Resolve possible naming conflict between generated project and target files.
– Updated list of build setting description files to include LLDB 8.1 file.
– Updated list of build setting description files to include LLDB 9.0 file.
– Fixed incorrect Markdown in the ReadMe file.
Version 1.2.4
Nov 14, 2016
– Updated list of build setting description files to include LLDB 7.1 file.
– Updated list of build setting description files to include LLDB 8.0 file.
– Added support for reading build setting descriptions from xcspec files.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 6.3-compatible project files.
– Updated to extract build settings from Xcode 8.0-compatible project files.
Version 1.2.3
Nov 9, 2015
– Updated list of build setting description files to include new LLDB 7.0 file.
– No longer inexplicably using return instead of newline character in two spots.
Version 1.2.2
May 25, 2015
– Added brand new app icon.
– Removed default Credits.rtf file.
Version 1.2.1
May 16, 2015
– Updated list of build setting description files to include new LLDB 6.1 file.
Version 1.2
May 16, 2015
– Added options for generated file names in Preferences. (Thank you Alex Curylo!)
Version 1.1.1
May 12, 2015
– Fixed crash on Mavericks.
Version 1.1
February 7, 2015
– Added build settings explaination comments gleaned from Xcode.
– Files are shown in Finder after they are generated.
– Both options can be turned off in new Preferences pane.
– Extraction and file generation now occurs in the background.
Version 1.0
January 31, 2015
– Initial version of BuildSettingExtractor.
– Generates xcconfig files from the build settings in an Xcode project.
This code is provide as-is with no warranties express or implied.
Please put projects in source control to guard against things going horribly awry.