The current Xcode project (.xcodeproj) is challenging to manage and maintain as it contains files that cannot be easily version-controlled. For example, theproject.pbxproj file is a text file; it is highly verbose, complex to read, and prone to conflicts during merge scenarios.
Migrating the project configuration to aproject.yml file managed byXcodeGen will improve the developer experience, simplify project configuration, and enable better collaboration within the team.

Why This Is Necessary

1. Improved Version Control:

   • Althoughproject.pbxproj is text-based, its structure is fragile, and merge conflicts are common when multiple team members modify project settings simultaneously.
   • Aproject.yml file is a human-readable YAML format, making changes more understandable and straightforward to resolve in version control.

2. Consistency Across Environments:

   • project.pbxproj can accumulate untracked changes due to manual edits or differences in Xcode versions, leading to inconsistencies between team members.
   • XcodeGen generates a consistent and reproducible project file from theproject.yml.

3. Automation and Scalability:

   • XcodeGen makes it easy to automate project file generation as part of future CI/CD workflows or developer setup scripts.
   • Adding new targets, dependencies, or build configurations becomes declarative and repeatable.

Proposed Steps

1. Analyze the existing.xcodeproj structure to extract all targets, configurations, schemes, and dependencies.
2. Create aproject.yml file to replicate the current project structure and settings.
3. Validate the migration by generating the.xcodeproj using XcodeGen and ensuring it matches the original.
4. Update project documentation andMakefile to include instructions for working with XcodeGen.
5. Remove the manually managed.xcodeproj from version control, replacing it with theproject.yml and extending the.gitignore file not to commit.xcodeproj files.