Apple Apps and Bazel

This page contains resources that help you use Bazel to build macOS and iOS projects. It links to a tutorial, build rules, and other information specific to using Bazel to build and test for those platforms.

Working with Bazel

The following resources will help you work with Bazel on macOS and iOS projects:

• Tutorial: Building an iOS app
• Objective-C build rules
• General Apple rules
• Integration with Xcode

Migrating to Bazel

If you currently build your macOS and iOS projects with Xcode, follow the steps in the migration guide to start building them with Bazel:

• Migrating from Xcode to Bazel

Apple apps and new rules

Note: Creating new rules is for advanced build and test scenarios. You do not need it when getting started with Bazel.

The following modules, configuration fragments, and providers will help you extend Bazel’s capabilities when building your macOS and iOS projects:

• Modules:

  • apple_bitcode_mode
  • apple_common
  • apple_platform
  • apple_platform_type
  • apple_toolchain
  • XcodeVersionConfig

• Configuration fragments:

  • apple

• Providers:

  • ObjcProvider

Xcode selection

If your build requires Xcode, Bazel will select an appropriate version based on the --xcode_config and --xcode_version flags. The --xcode_config consumes the set of available Xcode versions and sets a default version if --xcode_version is not passed. This default is overridden by the --xcode_version flag, as long as it is set to an Xcode version that is represented in the --xcode_config target.

If you do not pass --xcode_config, Bazel will use the autogenerated XcodeVersionConfig that represents the Xcode versions available on your host machine. The default version is the newest available Xcode version. This is appropriate for local execution.

If you are performing remote builds, you should set --xcode_config to an xcode_config target whose versions attribute is a list of remotely available xcode_version targets, and whose default attribute is one of these xcode_versions.

If you are using dynamic execution, you should set --xcode_config to an xcode_config target whose remote_versions attribute is an available_xcodes target containing the remotely available Xcode versions, and whose local_versions attribute is an available_xcodes target containing the locally available Xcode versions. For local_versions, you probably want to use the autogenerated @local_config_xcode//:host_available_xcodes. The default Xcode version is the newest mutually available version, if there is one, otherwise the default of the local_versions target. If you prefer to use the local_versions default as the default, you can pass --experimental_prefer_mutual_default=false.