Creating iOS framework with CocoaPods, Carthage, SPM support and Travis for running test and Fastlane for release automation — Part 5

Creating Swift framework is easy but adding CocoaPods, Carthage and Swift Package Manager support at the same time can sounds like scary in the first place. In addition to that adding Travis to run test for all commits and adding Fastlane to automate release processes for all dependency managers looks like a horror movie. But don’t be afraid. After you finished this series, you can easily create your own Swift frameworks that uses all these tools to make it perfect!

This series consist of 5 parts:

Part 1 — Create CocoaPod and release it.

Part 2 — Add Carthage support

Part 3 — Add Swift Package Manager support

Part 4 — Integrate Travis to build example project and run tests for framework

Part 5 — Integrate Fastlane to automate release processes by running just one line of command.

1. Install fastlane

Make sure you have the latest version of the Xcode command line tools installed:

xcode-select --install

Install fastlane using

[sudo] gem install fastlane -NV

or alternatively using brew cask install fastlane

2. Setup fastlane

Navigate your terminal to your project’s directory and run

cd ODCustomFramework
fastlane init

3. Press 4 for manual setup when terminal asks.

4. Open Fastlane file inside ODCustomFramework/fastfile. Then paste the following lines:

After that open ODCustomFramework/Gemfile and paste following:

gem “cocoapods”

5. Commit and push all changes to the GitHub.

git add .
git commit -m "Fastlane integration"
git push

6. Navigate your terminal to your project’s directory:

cd ODCustomFramework

Run one of the followings:

exec fastlane patch // increments patch count -> 0.1.X
exec fastlane minor // increments minor count -> 0.X.0
exec fastlane major // increments major count -> X.1.0

Let’s recap from Part 1, every time you want to release new version of your framework via CocoaPods, Carthage and Swift Package Manager, you have to go through following steps:

1- Implement changes for new version
2- Run tests to be sure they are working
3- Commit and push changes for new version.
4- Tag new version to git
   git tag 0.1.1
   git push origin 0.1.1
Carthage and Swift Package Manager installs your framework from GitHub. If you configure your framework correctly, it can be installed via Carthage or Swift Package Manager after this step. However, CocoaPods has 4 more steps to complete release processes.
5- Increment podspec version => i.e. s.version = '0.1.1'
6- Validate local podspec: 
   pod lib lint ODCustomFramework.podspec
7- Validate pod for release 
   pod spec lint ODCustomFramework.podspec
8- Release
   pod trunk push ODCustomFramework.podspec

After Travis and Fastlane integration, steps 2, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 are automated and those steps are no longer needed to repeat every time you want to release new version.

1- Implement changes for new version
2- Commit and push changes for new version.
3- Travis runs tests automatically after every push.
4- Run following fastlane command to automate all release processes. (step 4, 5, 6, 7, 8)
   exec fastlane major | minor | patch

That’s all. Now you have a framework that can be installed by CocoaPods or Carthage or Swift Package Manager. Besides that you don’t need to run tests for every changes. Travis will do that after you push changes to GitHub. Lastly, when you decide to release new version, only thing you need to do is running one line of command and Fastlane will do the rest.

You can find ODCustomFramework here, and if you want to see real life example, you can look ODScrollView which is developed by me.

Thanks!