I am concerned about an ambiguity in the Xcode 7 Release Notes regarding 
bitcode and applications that use dynamic frameworks. 

The Release Notes say, without any stated exceptions, that framework and 
library providers need to include bitcode for Xcode 7 development. They go on 
to tell developers who use third-party frameworks, without any stated 
exceptions, that frameworks and libraries include bitcode when built for Xcode 
7 development. They advise framework and library developers to distribute two 
versions of their products so they can accommodate clients built using either 
Xcode 7 or Xcode 6 because Xcode 6 does not tolerate bitcode well. 

Bitcode is only relevant to applications sold in the App Store, as I understand 
it. However, the frameworks that I distribute use the accessibility API, and 
they are embedded in clients that are assistive applications for computer users 
with disabilities. Applications that use the accessibility API, including those 
that embed my frameworks, are absolutely ineligible for the App Store per 
Apple's rules. The App Store therefore provides no reason for me to implement 
bitcode in my frameworks, or to go to the trouble of distributing two versions 
of my products.

I assume that the statements in the Xcode 7 Release Notes are merely a 
simplified warning for the general case of applications built for the App Store 
using Xcode 7, and that my customers can in fact use Xcode 7 to build assistive 
applications even if I supply my frameworks to them without bitcode. 

Does anybody know if Xcode 7 can be used to develop applications without 
bitcode? The Release Notes talk only about frameworks. They outline ways to 
strip bitcode from frameworks and to use Xcode 7 to build frameworks without 
bitcode for use in client applications developed in Xcode 6 by setting 
ENABLE_BITCODE=NO. What I wonder is whether setting the ENABLE_BITCODE build 
setting to NO will work for applications as well as frameworks.

-- 

Bill Cheeseman - [email protected]

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