Adding Framework and App Extension targets to IOS

Question

I'm studying IOS/Swift development and I'd like to build an IOS app that in the future will have its own Today Extension. I've read that it is better to put the common logic (for example the logic that accesses Internet resources, performs some job on the result etc) between the App and its extension into a Custom Framework.. Since I think I'll need to change both Framework and App code during the development of the App, I'd like to avoid building the framework in a separate project, than use Show In Finder function to locate the framework bundle and then drag-and-dropping it within the App project.. So I'd like to know if this is the correct way to set up a Workspace with an App, the framework it uses and the Today Extension of the App:

1. Create a new Project with an IOS App target
2. Select the project in the Project Navigator and then Editor->Add Target... and specify a Cocoa Touch Framework
3. Editor->Add Target... and specify Today Extension
4. Add the framework in Linked Frameworks and Libraries

In this way I've seen that changes to the Framework sources do not need a Framework target recompilation, maybe because the project knows about the need to recompile framework sources even if I only build & run the IOS App target that uses that framework? Am I doing it right? I've seen that the Today Extension created in such way does not lists the framework in the Build Phases -> Target Dependencies while the IOS App does, but both of them correctly use the updated code of the Framework when I update it.

Then, I've noticed the following warning when I compile the project, but I don't know if it is related to the way I've setup the project:

ld: warning: linking against dylib not safe for use in application extensions: /Users/gianni/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/TestFrameworkApp-dshihhfiuepeqzddbnpgnfwilhem/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/TestFramework.framework/TestFramework

BTW is it normal that the entries within the Products folder are always red? Is it due to the fact that I build only for IOS Simulator since I don't have a Paid developer account that allows me to build for an IOS Device? Does this prevent me to build a framework that can be exported for some other Project since I can't find the Framework bundle with a right clicking on the framework product and selecting Show In Finder (and so I can't drag-and-drop it to another project)?

I hope I've been clear enough and that you'll point me in the right direction to understand what is the suggested way of starting my new project :)

Answer 1

It sounds to me like you're headed down the exact path I would take.

Regarding the warning you're seeing... I believe that checking the "Allow app extension API only" for your shared framework will supress that and cause build failures when you attempt to use a API that is not allowed in extensions.