Sometimes we only need to use the install_flutter_plugin_pods method in podhelper.rb. For example, using Shorebird in an iOS hybird app scenario, we need to build Flutter.xcframework and App.xcframework and embed them into the iOS native project. In order to avoid unnecessary conflicts, use install_flutter_plugin_pods method to install Flutter plugin pods.

@jmagman this code change seems ok to me, but probably more important, is this a supported workflow?

can you explain this a bit more, I'm curious. Is the scenario that your hybrid app uses CocoaPods and needs the same pods between the native app and the Flutter module? So you'd rather pod install run only once and deal with all the version solving so they don't conflict? Or is there something else going on?

@jmagman According to the various ways to integrate the Flutter module introduced in the document, our app initially used Option A to integrate the Flutter module. When using Shorebird, it requires switching to something like Option B.

shorebird release ios-framework-alpha

When using the above command, Shorebird will use its own modified Flutter framework and engine to build Flutter.xcframework and App.xcframework.

In my Flutter module, I use some Flutter plugins based on native third packages, such as sqflite, which relies on FMDB, and FMDB is a dependency in our native project.

Pod::Spec.new do |s|
  s.name             = 'sqflite'
  ...
  s.dependency 'FMDB', '>= 2.7.5'
  ...
end

https://github.com/tekartik/sqflite/blob/70d127224b33594963f2df51157ad4481d41a5a4/sqflite/ios/sqflite.podspec#L18

When using Option B to build xcframework, there will be FMDB.xcframework. I dragged these xcframeworks into Build Settings > Build Phases > Link Binary With Libraries.

The following error will occur when compiling.

Showing Recent Messages
Multiple commands produce '/Users/lxf/.../xxx.app/Frameworks/FMDB.framework'

And the Option B will miss some vendored_frameworks such as realm

Pod::Spec.new do |s|
  s.name                      = 'realm'
  ...
  s.vendored_frameworks       = 'realm_dart.xcframework'
  ...
end

https://github.com/realm/realm-dart/blob/47e1ee72a6182bc3d5c13c0bac588066fdc6fffb/flutter/realm_flutter/ios/realm.podspec#L33

Related feedback: #125530

I also tried to embed these vendored_frameworks through scripts, but this way is troublesome.

I have tried putting the s.dependency that the Flutter plugin depends on one by one into the Podfile of the native project, and no longer embedding these xcframeworks. This solution is not friendly, because I need to judge whether the native project already has the same dependency. If there is, it needs to be discarded.

Even if the above problem was solved, our app would crash as soon as it started. After investigation, I found that it was because connectivity_plus relied on ReachabilitySwift. I put its dependency in the Podfile of our native project, but what it requires is Reachability.xcframework.

dyld[31764]: Symbol not found: _$s12ReachabilityAAC10ConnectionO4wifiyA2DmFWC
  Referenced from: <8142F86E-4C9C-3513-AD29-D3522FC6677F> /Users/lxf/.../connectivity_plus.framework/connectivity_plus
  Expected in:     <DA318000-9A97-35AD-87EA-7C5B635DE010> /Users/lxf/.../Frameworks/Reachability.framework/Reachability

In addition, we also need to determine whether each xcframework is a static framework or a dynamic framework, otherwise it will not be installed and run on the iPhone.

Related feedback: #122183

Based on so many problems mentioned above, I finally chose to create a podspec file to declare dependencies on the already built Flutter.xcframework and App.xcframework, and then combined with install_flutter_plugin_pods
method to integrate native third packages. 😂