iOS Usage Instructions

[louwers]

There is an XCFramework that is distributed, but it is unclear if it can actually be used on iOS.

[michaelmedellin]

@louwers were you able to make any headway on this?

[michaelmedellin]

@louwers progress on my part.

1. Download the latest release and extract the framework from crsqlite-ios-dylib.xcframework.tar
2. Add the framework to your project
   • Under project build phases, make sure the framework is in included under the Embed Frameworks phase
   • Under the General tab, make sure the framework is in the Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content list
3. Install a custom sqlite that allows for loading extensions. The native iOS Sqlite3 library does not allow extensions to be loaded at all so you need to bring in your own via another path. The sqlite3 library via Cocoapods works.
4. You'll need a method to initialize the extension in the app. For example in a C file in the project:

#include "crsqlite-init.h"
#include "sqlite3.h"

int sqlite3_crsqlite_init(sqlite3 *db, char **pzErrMsg,
                          const sqlite3_api_routines *pApi);

int crsqlite_init_from_swift() {

    return sqlite3_auto_extension((void *)sqlite3_crsqlite_init);
}

NOTE: will need corresponding header file and bridging header in the project.

5. You'll then just need to call crsqlite_init_from_swift() from your app to initialize.

@tantaman has a scaffold in the https://github.com/tantaman/xcode-starter repository. However, he's not using the framework in that example.

One of the issues I ran into is that I'm using GRDB as a SQLite interface for Swift, rather than the C sqlite API. Prepackaged GRDB uses the iOS shipped version of sqlite3 which won't load extensions (GRDB cannot use the Cocoapods sqlite3 package AFAIK). GRDB does allow for custom sqlite builds but the build of sqlite that GRDB compiles actually doesn't allow extensions either. So you need to change the compilation configuration to remove this flag and then it'll work.