iOS app extension errors with "Cycle inside Runner" when "Thin Binary" Build Phase is before "Embed Foundation Extensions"

[cyanglaz]

part of #124287

When building iOS app extension with XCode 15, an error has shown:

Showing All Messages
Cycle inside Runner; building could produce unreliable results.
Cycle details:
→ Target 'Runner': ExtractAppIntentsMetadata
○ Target 'Runner' has copy command from '/Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/FlutterShare.appex' to '/Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex'
○ That command depends on command in Target 'Runner': script phase “Thin Binary”
○ Target 'Runner' has process command with output '/Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/Info.plist'
○ Target 'Runner' has copy command from '/Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/FlutterShare.appex' to '/Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex'


Raw dependency cycle trace:

target:  ->

node: <all> ->

command: <all> ->

node: /Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Intermediates.noindex/Runner.build/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.build/Objects-normal/arm64/ExtractedAppShortcutsMetadata.stringsdata ->

command: P0:target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-:Debug:ExtractAppIntentsMetadata ->

node: <target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49--fused-phase4-copy-files> ->

command: P0:::Gate target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49--fused-phase4-copy-files ->

node: <Copy /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex> ->

CYCLE POINT ->

command: P0:target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-:Debug:Copy /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex /Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/FlutterShare.appex ->

node: <target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49--fused-phase3-thin-binary> ->

command: P0:::Gate target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49--fused-phase3-thin-binary ->

node: <execute-shell-script-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e02f1eee2015e8ff5ebcd27678f788c2826-target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-> ->

command: P2:target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-:Debug:PhaseScriptExecution Thin Binary /Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Intermediates.noindex/Runner.build/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.build/Script-3B06AD1E1E4923F5004D2608.sh ->

node: /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/Info.plist ->

command: P0:target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-:Debug:ProcessInfoPlistFile /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/Info.plist /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/ios/Runner/Info.plist ->

node: /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex ->

command: P0:target-Runner-18c1723432283e0cc55f10a6dcfd9e0288a783a885d8b0b3beb2e9f90bde3f49-:Debug:Copy /Users/ychris/tmp/test_extension/build/ios/Debug-iphoneos/Runner.app/PlugIns/FlutterShare.appex /Users/ychris/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/Runner-ezvtmtjulscpwdbkciycnelbyryh/Build/Products/Debug-iphoneos/FlutterShare.appex

This error prevents Flutter from supporting app extension for iOS 17 and above.

[cyanglaz]

Workaround: In XCode, moving the "Embed Foundation Extensions" build phase to above "Run Script" solved the issue.

At the moment, I'm not sure if there is anything Flutter can do to prevent this.

[Rexios80]

This order works for me with an embedded watch app:

[cyanglaz]

I'm not actively working on this since there is an easy workaround.

[iPypeNB]

The change of "Embed Foundation Extensions" worked for me, but is there any reason why it happens? can it affect the performance of my app?