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Learn how to modify your command-line target in Xcode to function as an XPC server to receive messages from another process.
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This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/67502993/ asked by the user 'Irad K' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/8214369/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/67508206/ provided by the user 'Arthur Bulakaiev' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/2869674/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

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How to Add XPC Server Capabilities to Your Xcode Command-Line Tool

In macOS application development, the need for inter-process communication can arise often. If you're developing a command-line tool that acts as a daemon, you may want to enable it to communicate with other processes through XPC (Cross-Process Communication). This guide explores how you can modify your command-line target in Xcode to function as an XPC server, allowing you to receive messages from other applications.

Understanding the Challenge

You have a command-line tool that runs as a daemon, managed by a plist file located in /Library/LaunchDaemons. Your goal is to send and receive XPC messages between your command-line tool and a standalone Mach-O file within your application bundle's Resources subfolder.

Current Implementation

You've already started by implementing the XPC listener in your main method with the following code snippet:

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However, you're wondering if this implementation is sufficient or if you need to create a new target specifically for the XPC service. Let's dive deeper into the solution.

Solution Steps

You can add XPC server capabilities to your command-line target with the following steps:

1. Set Up Your Code

First, ensure that your code correctly sets the delegate for the listener. While you've already initiated the listener, you haven't set the delegate yet. Here’s how you can do that:

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The ServiceDelegate class will handle incoming XPC connections. Remember to implement the required delegate methods to manage these connections effectively.

2. Update the Launch Daemon Configuration

Next, you'll need to declare your Mach service in the launch.plist. This is crucial for your daemon to register itself as a service that other applications can interact with. The declaration should look like this:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Including this configuration tells the system that your command-line tool should be discoverable as an XPC service under the specified Mach service name.

3. Understand the Execution Context

It's important to note that your daemon operates within a root namespace. That means while user applications can see your daemon's Mach endpoint and connect to it, the reverse is not true. Your daemon won't have visibility into user applications unless specifically coded to do so.

Conclusion

In summary, you can successfully turn your command-line tool into an XPC server by following these steps. By setting the delegate for your listener and properly configuring your launch daemon's plist, you enable other applications to communicate with your daemon via XPC. This opens a world of possibilities for interactions between processes in your macOS environment, enhancing the functionality of your applications standing alone or as part of a larger system.

Feel free to reach out if you have further questions or need clarification on any part of the process!