Continuous Integration in the Client Side Using Xcode Server

This article will guide you in setting configurations of XCode Server in Xcode to use in the client side. Client-side configuration might be quite handy if your company has a restricted web access policy from servers. All team members need to do the same configuration. At the end of the tutorial, we will have a continuous integration system with the following features:

• Code static analysis and warning monitoring

• Unit test runs

• Code coverage measurement

• Integration start options with manual, on every commit or by schedule

• Incrementing build number and pushing into Git repo

• Uploading app to Diawi and emailing to the testers

Firstly, the client should be set as Xcode Server with the following steps:

Open XCode -> Preferences -> Server&Bots

After turning XCode Server on, add this server into the xcode accounts:

Open XCode -> Preferences -> Accounts

Now you can add as many bots as you want. Bots may differ with their target git branches or their build configuration like Debug, Enterprise, or AppStore.

Select XCode -> Product -> Create Bot

After creating the bot, clicking on the integrate button starts the process. At the end of the process, the report overview screen displays the results. Each build needs a different build number. Since we are running the integration on the client side, we need to have a script that increments the build number and pushes it into a remote git repo to synchronize build numbers between team members. The script can be added as Archive Post Action:

Open Edit Scheme -> Archive -> Post-actions and select new run script action and add following script:

if [ "the$XCS_INTEGRATION_NUMBER" == "the" ]; then
echo "Not an integration build…"
else
echo "Bumping build number..."
plist=${PROJECT_DIR}/${INFOPLIST_FILE}

# increment the build number (ie 115 to 116)
buildnum=$(/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Print CFBundleVersion" "${plist}")
if [[ "${buildnum}" == "" ]]; then
echo "No build number in $plist"
exit 2
fi

buildnum=$(expr $buildnum + 1)
/usr/libexec/Plistbuddy -c "Set CFBundleVersion $buildnum" "${plist}"
echo "Bumped build number to $buildnum"

echo "Committing the build number..."
cd ${PROJECT_DIR};git add src/Info.plist
cd ${PROJECT_DIR};git commit -m "Bumped the build number for test version."
cd ${PROJECT_DIR};git push -u
echo "Build number committed."
fi

There are many continuous integration tools for iOS, but XCode Server is a native continuous integration service, so you do not depend on third-party frameworks. It is supported by Apple and running unit tests and managing certificates are very compatible with XCode development environments.