Configure the code signing setting of the Xcode project with the configuration settings file

When developing an iOS app that you plan to distribute as open source or sample code, you might prefer not to embed code signing settings directly into the project file. However, while working locally, you must set the code signing settings. Otherwise, you will not be able to install it on the device.

In these scenarios, employing a build configuration file for code-signing settings proves beneficial.

Create the build configuration file

For more information about how to create the build configuration file, please see the following article.

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Using the above article as a guide, create the following three build configuration files.

• Debug.xcconfig
• Release.xcconfig
• Signing.xcconfig
  

Set Debug.xcconfig to debug build and Release.xcconfig to release build.

Write the following in Debug.xcconfig and Release.xcconfig to include Signing.xcconfig.

#include? "Signing.xcconfig"

Configure the code signing

In Xcode, code signing is set up in the following places.

• Signing & Capabilities tab of each build target.
• Signing of Build Settings tab.

Signing & Capabilities tab

The Signing & Capabilities tab for each target sets target-specific code signing settings. The values in this tab are also set in the Signing of the target’s Build Settings.

The configuration items are grouped under Signing.

Build Settings tab

The Signing of the Build Settings tab contains code-signing-related settings, and the Signing & Capabilities and the Build Settings tabs are synchronized. Signing & Capabilities tab is synchronized with the Build Settings tab.

Signing & Capabilities tab is not available in the project settings, but Build Settings tab is also available in the project settings.

Typically, we configure this in the Build Settings tab of the project, rather than in the target settings, because all targets within the project use the same code signing settings.

The settings related to the code signing are the following.

Clear the signing settings of the project file

Prior to modifying the code signing settings in the build settings file, you should clear the existing values in the project file. Xcode will prioritize the project file settings if they are written in both the project and build settings files.

Do as follows.

Edit the build settings file

Edit Signing.xcconfig to configure code signing. There are four items to configure.

• CODE_SIGN_STYLE
• DEVELOPMENT_TEAM
• CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY
• PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER
  

CODE_SIGN_STYLE

CODE_SIGN_STYLE specifies whether the Xcode manages the code signing settings. The following values are defined.

DEVELOPMENT_TEAM

DEVELOPMENT_TEAM specifies the development team. The value is a team ID. The team ID is displayed at TEAM ID on the Apple Developer website’s Membership Details page.

CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY

CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY specifies the code signing certificate to sign. The value is a certificate name that is displayed in Xcode. For example, Automatic setting is Apple Development. Specify the name containing the team ID, like Developer ID Application: Akira Hayashi (XXXXXXXX) in the keychain. Replace the (XXXXXXXX) with your team ID.

PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER

PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER specify the provisioning profile file. The value is name or UUID.

Example of the sample configuration settings file

The following code is a sample of Signing.xcconfig.

CODE_SIGN_STYLE = Automatic
DEVELOPMENT_TEAM = ABCDEFGHIJ
CODE_SIGN_IDENTITY = Apple Development
PROVISIONING_PROFILE_SPECIFIER = ExampleProfile

Remove from git management

You use Signing.xcconfig to avoid including code signing settings in the deployed project file, so you should exclude Signing.xcconfig from git management. To avoid build-failure when the Signing.xcconfig is missing, use the #include? statement to include it in the Debug.xcconfig and Release.xcconfig.