Xctool: a replacement for xcodebuild to build and test iOS and Mac projects (opens in new tab)

(github.com)

92 pointsmarcosero12y ago19 comments

19 comments

I'm incredibly frustrated by the lack of command line dev tools for iOS. For example using adb with Android, I can stop a running app, clear all of its data and start it again. I can push and pull files and can dissect the internal state as a result.

I do find various unmaintained tools for iOS as they generally use undocumented and changing backends.

My current biggest need is to grab and put files in the app sandbox. There are several gui tools that can do it like i-funbox, but absolutely nothing that is automatable. http://stackoverflow.com/questions/15980545/command-line-acc...

LegNeato12y ago

Check out http://www.libimobiledevice.org/ and https://github.com/ios-driver/libimobile-java

rogerbinns12y ago

I already did a while back. I couldn't find any evidence that it supported access to the application sandbox which uses a slightly different protocol.

orta12y ago

I have a library that does this for simulator apps in iOS: http://github.com/orta/chairs/ - but as you say, undocumented , unofficial & hacky

rogerbinns12y ago

For various reasons I need this mostly for real devices which is even less documented, official and more hacky :-)

1 more reply

seany12y ago

You mean you don't want to drive the organizer and instruments via scripting bridge? :-p

rogerbinns12y ago

I couldn't find the dictionary for the organizer. In any event the organizer only shows my apps, rather than all apps as ifunbox and similar tools do.

fruitstrap would also greatly help but it is no longer maintained (with several forks).

dfamorato12y ago

I LOOOOVEEE the output. Nice, colorful and significant.

if you want to link it to your /usr/local/bin directory.. just modify the xctool.sh XCTOOL_DIR=path/where/xctool/is/located

Now... if only i could figure out how to use the xctool with Fortify....

krohling12y ago

If you're interested in a cloud service that does the CI work for you (mobile specific) check out cisimple https://www.cisimple.com

Full disclosure, I'm one of the founders.

puls12y ago

"Runs the same tests as Xcode.app."

If this works, it's huge. Mad excited about this.

LegNeato12y ago

It works, we use it here at Facebook

gte910h12y ago

Doc could use some install suggestions.

jsankey12y ago

Agreed. When first I encountered these differences with xcodebuild I found it incredible that the IDE and command line builds are not based on the same backend (indeed the IDE could just wrap the command line tools if well-designed).

Every project's main build should be scriptable -- for reproducible releases, continuous integration etc. I wonder how Apple internally builds things for release when something this simple doesn't work (maybe they don't use OCUnit?).

stigi12y ago

I created a homebrew formula for it. The PR is not yet merged, but seems to be working quite fine: https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/pull/19590

tvon12y ago

Nicely formatted output. I've been leaning towards using Rake tasks to handle this (there are a few gems out there to help), but I'll give this a whirl.

bitserf12y ago

Oh, wicked. Giving it a shot tonight :) Being able to automate this right makes me sleep better.

ellicottvilleny12y ago

Fantastic! Love it.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse

19 comments

rogerbinns12y ago

I do find various unmaintained tools for iOS as they generally use undocumented and changing backends.

LegNeato12y ago

Check out http://www.libimobiledevice.org/ and https://github.com/ios-driver/libimobile-java

rogerbinns12y ago

I already did a while back. I couldn't find any evidence that it supported access to the application sandbox which uses a slightly different protocol.

orta12y ago

I have a library that does this for simulator apps in iOS: http://github.com/orta/chairs/ - but as you say, undocumented , unofficial & hacky

rogerbinns12y ago

For various reasons I need this mostly for real devices which is even less documented, official and more hacky :-)

1 more reply

seany12y ago

You mean you don't want to drive the organizer and instruments via scripting bridge? :-p

rogerbinns12y ago

I couldn't find the dictionary for the organizer. In any event the organizer only shows my apps, rather than all apps as ifunbox and similar tools do.

fruitstrap would also greatly help but it is no longer maintained (with several forks).

dfamorato12y ago

I LOOOOVEEE the output. Nice, colorful and significant.

if you want to link it to your /usr/local/bin directory.. just modify the xctool.sh XCTOOL_DIR=path/where/xctool/is/located

Now... if only i could figure out how to use the xctool with Fortify....

krohling12y ago

If you're interested in a cloud service that does the CI work for you (mobile specific) check out cisimple https://www.cisimple.com

Full disclosure, I'm one of the founders.

puls12y ago

"Runs the same tests as Xcode.app."

If this works, it's huge. Mad excited about this.

LegNeato12y ago

It works, we use it here at Facebook

gte910h12y ago

Doc could use some install suggestions.

jsankey12y ago

stigi12y ago

I created a homebrew formula for it. The PR is not yet merged, but seems to be working quite fine: https://github.com/mxcl/homebrew/pull/19590

tvon12y ago

Nicely formatted output. I've been leaning towards using Rake tasks to handle this (there are a few gems out there to help), but I'll give this a whirl.

bitserf12y ago

Oh, wicked. Giving it a shot tonight :) Being able to automate this right makes me sleep better.

ellicottvilleny12y ago

Fantastic! Love it.

j / k navigate · click thread line to collapse