How to Print a List of “Build Settings” in an Xcode Project

28 February 2025 Stephan Petzl Leave a comment Xcode

Understanding and managing build settings in Xcode is crucial for optimizing your development workflow. Whether you are troubleshooting an issue or configuring a new environment, accessing a comprehensive list of build settings can be invaluable. This guide will walk you through the most effective methods to print a list of “Build Settings” in your Xcode project.

Using the Command Line

A straightforward approach to list Xcode build settings is by utilizing the xcodebuild command with the -showBuildSettings flag. This method outputs all relevant settings directly to your terminal.

$ xcodebuild -project myProj.xcodeproj -target "myTarg" -showBuildSettings

This command provides a detailed list of environment variables and their current values, which can be crucial for debugging or documentation purposes.

Creating a Run Script Build Phase

For a more integrated solution, consider adding a Run Script Build Phase to log build settings each time the target is built:

• Navigate to the Build Phases tab of your target settings.
• Click the “＋” button to add a new Run Script Phase.
• Set the shell to /bin/bash and the command to export.
• Drag the phase to occur before “Copy Headers” or “Compile Sources”.
• Optionally, rename the phase to “Log Build Settings”.

This approach logs the environment variables, providing a handy reference directly in your build logs.

Alternative Methods

For those who prefer a graphical interface, Xcode provides an option to toggle between setting names and titles:

• In the Build Settings tab, go to the Editor menu.
• Select “Show Setting Names” to view the variable names.
• Toggle back to “Show Setting Titles” as needed.

This can be particularly useful when you need to reference specific variables in scripts or documentation.

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