Xcode build and export

Use this skill when you need to build an app from source and prepare it for App Store Connect. Prefer asc xcode archive and asc xcode export over raw xcodebuild recipes when they fit the project.

Preconditions

For a prepared xtool package on Linux, use portable iOS builds instead of the Xcode commands below. That workflow has a narrower project and signing contract.

• Xcode and command line tools are installed.
• Signing identity and provisioning profiles are available, or automatic signing is enabled.
• App Store Connect auth is configured when upload or build lookup is needed.

Manage version and build numbers

asc xcode version view
asc xcode version edit --version "1.3.0" --build-number "42"
asc xcode version edit --next-build-number --app "APP_ID" --platform IOS
asc xcode version bump --type build
asc xcode version bump --type patch
asc xcode version bump --type build --next-build-number --app "APP_ID" --platform IOS

Use --project-dir "./MyApp" when not running from the project root. Use --project "./MyApp/App.xcodeproj" when the directory contains multiple projects. Use --target "App" and --configuration "Release" for deterministic reads and writes in multi-target or multi-configuration projects.

To avoid low build-number rejects, resolve and apply the remote-safe build number in one command:

asc xcode version edit --next-build-number --app "APP_ID" --platform IOS --output json

Version mutations validate the full change before writing and return structured output identifying the configurations and files changed. The editor follows recursive xcconfig includes and preserves unrelated project and xcconfig content. Use asc builds next-build-number separately when you only want to inspect the remote-safe value without changing the project.