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BundleContents.md

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Content bundled in the app bundle

There are a few items that are automatically included during the build, and that we're supposed to copy to the app bundle somehow:

  • @(None) and @(EmbeddedResource) items with the CopyToOutputDirectory or the CopyToPublishDirectory metadata set (to either Always or PreserveNewest).
    • CopyToOutputDirectory doesn't work with directories (for frameworks), in that case CopyToPublishDirectory must be used.
  • @(Content) and @(BundleResource) items (the CopyToOutputDirectory or CopyToPublishDirectory metadata has no effect on these items).
  • Runtime packs (our own, or the runtime itself (CoreCLR/MonoVM)). We have some logic to detect this.
  • The output from referenced projects (transitively).
  • NuGets with a runtimes/RID/native directory. An aggravating issue here is that NuGet will strip the relative path at some point (dotnet publish with a rid flattens Nuget package files).
  • The ResolvePackageAssets adds to the NativeCopyLocalItems group
  • Then ResolveLockFileCopyLocalFiles adds it to ReferenceCopyLocalPaths
  • And of course files added directly to @(ResolvedFileToPublish).

The problem is that we have to decide where to place these files in the app bundle.

For this purpose, we support the PublishFolderType metadata on items in the ResolvedFileToPublish item group, and will place these files accordingly. Below is a list of known/valid PublishFolderType values and the corresponding action taken for each.

Important

See PublishFolderType doesn't work from a referenced library project for using PublishFolderType in library projects.

In all cases the relative directory is preserved (i.e. we don't follow the behavior in dotnet/sdk#9643.

If the PublishFolderType metadata isn't set, we'll try to guess. If we guess wrong, then developers can override the target location by:

  • Setting PublishFolderType=None on items.
  • Setting the TargetPath metadata on items to specify a different location in the app bundle (if PublishFolderType is also set, the TargetPath path is relative to the folder of the specified PublishFolderType value).
  • The Link metadata can be used just like TargetPath.
  • For some item groups it's also possible to set CopyToOutputDirectory=Never on items that shouldn't be copied.

The guessing

  • @(Content) or @(EmbeddedResource) items: PublishFolderType=Resource
  • @(BundleResource) items: PublishFolderType=Resource
  • Assemblies and their related files (*.dll, *.exe, *.pdb, *.mdb, *.config):
    • If the PackageDebugSymbols property is set to true': PublishFolderType=Assembly`.
    • If the PackageDebugSymbols is set to something else: PublishFolderType=None.
    • If the PackageDebugSymbols is not set: PublishFolderType=None for release builds, PublishFolderType=Assembly otherwise.
  • *.xml: if there's an assembly with the same name (*.exe or *.dll), then PublishFolderType=None
  • A *.resources directory or a *.resources.zip file next to an assembly with the same name is treated as a third-party binding (PublishFolderType=AppleBindingResourcePackage), and we handle it as such (the exact details are not relevant for this discussion).
  • Native frameworks (*.framework/*): PublishFolderType=AppleFramework
  • Native xc frameworks (*.xcframework/*): PublishFolderType=AppleFramework
  • Resources (*.jpg, *.png, ...?): PublishFolderType=Resource
  • *.framework.zip and *.xcframework.zip: PublishFolderType=CompressedAppleFramework
  • *.dylib: PublishFolderType=DynamicLibrary
  • *.so: PublishFolderType=PluginLibrary
  • *.a: PublishFolderType=StaticLibrary
  • No other files are copied. We show a warning if we find any such files.

Known/valid PublishFolderType values

None

The item won't be copied to the app bundle.

RootDirectory

The item will be copied to the root directory of the app bundle. The Link metadata can be used to place an item in a subdirectory relative to the root directory.

Assembly

The item is copied to where the managed assemblies are located in the app bundle.

The assembly will not be AOT-compiled (only assemblies that are reachable by iterating recursively over all assembly references starting with the executable assembly are AOT-compiled), and won't be executable on platforms where AOT-compilation is required.

The target directory is:

  • iOS, tvOS: the root directory of the app bundle
  • macOS, Mac Catalyst: the Contents/MonoBundle/ subdirectory (the MonoBundle name can be customized if desired).

Resource

Items are copied to where resources are located in the app bundle.

The target directory is:

  • iOS, tvOS: the root directory of the app bundle
  • macOS, Mac Catalyst: the Contents/Resources/ subdirectory.

AppleBindingResourcePackage

This is a third-party binding resource package, and the actual action performed depends on the contents of the package (we'll link with static libraries, link with and embed dynamic libraries and frameworks).

Setting the TargetPath or Link metadata has no effect these items.

CompressedAppleBindingResourcePackaged

Treated as a zipped third-party binding resource (first unzipped, and then treated as AppleBindingResourcePackage).

AppleFramework

  • If the item is a *.framework or *.xcframework directory, these directories will be copied to the app bundle's Frameworks directory.
  • If any of the item's containing directories is an *.xcframework directory, then select that directory instead.
  • Otherwise, if any of the item's containing directories is a *.framework directory, then select that directory instead.
    • This means that if a MyFramework.framework/MyFramework file is listed, any other files in the MyFramework.framework directory will also be copied to the app bundle.
    • The order is important here: we're checking for *.xcframework before *.framework, because the former will often contain the latter, and we need to link with the former.
  • Otherwise an error is shown.

We'll also link the native executable with the framework.

Setting the TargetPath or Link metadata has no effect these items.

CompressedAppleFramework

The item is assumed to be a zip file containing one or more *.framework or *.xcframework directories. The zip file will be decompressed, and the *.framework and *.xcframework directories treated as AppleFramework items.

Setting the TargetPath or Link metadata has no effect these items.

PlugIns

The target directory is:

  • iOS, tvOS: the PlugIns/ subdirectory.
  • macOS, Mac Catalyst: the Contents/PlugIns/ subdirectory.

CompressedPlugIns

The item must be a zip file, which is decompressed, and then treated as PlugIns (the contents of the zip file will be copied to the corresponding PlugIns directory).

Setting the TargetPath or Link metadata has no effect these items.

If a plugin needs to be in a custom subdirectory, then put it in that directory in the zip file.

XpcServices

The target directory is:

  • iOS, tvOS: the XPCServices/ subdirectory.
  • macOS, Mac Catalyst: the Contents/XPCServices/ subdirectory.

CompressedXpcServices

The item must be a zip file, which is decompressed, and then treated as XpcServices (the contents of the zip file will be copied to the corresponding XPCServices directory).

Setting the TargetPath or Link metadata has no effect these items.

If an xpc service needs to be in a custom subdirectory, then put it in that directory in the zip file.

DynamicLibrary

These are dynamic libraries (*.dylib) files.

We will link with these libraries when linking the native executable.

The target directory is the same as for Assembly:

  • iOS, tvOS: the root directory of the app bundle
  • macOS, Mac Catalyst: the Contents/MonoBundle/ subdirectory.

Warning: The App Store will reject any apps with *.dylib files (for iOS and tvOS, not for macOS or Mac Catalyst).

PluginLibrary

These are plugins provided as un-versioned dynamic library (*.so or *.dylib) files.

An example are GStreamer plugins: libgstogg.dylib

We will not link with these libraries when linking the native executable since this type of plugins are loaded on demand at runtime.

The target directory is the same as for DynamicLibrary

Warning: The App Store will reject any apps with dynamic library files, for iOS and tvOS plugins must be provided as static libraries.

StaticLibrary

These are static libraries (*.a) files.

We will link with these libraries when linking the native executable.

Static libraries are not copied to the app bundle.

Unknown

We show a warning, and we don't copy the item to the app bundle (i.e. treat it as None).

Examples

Example 1

<Content Update="MyImage.png" PublishFolderType="PlugIns" />

would put MyImage.png in MyApp.app/PlugIns/MyImage.png on iOS and tvOS, and MyApp.app/Contents/PlugIns/MyImage.png on macOS and Mac Catalyst.

Example 2

<Content Update="MyImage.png" PublishFolderType="PlugIns" Link="Subfolder/YourImage.png" />

would put MyImage.png in MyApp.app/PlugIns/Subfolder/YourImage.png on iOS and tvOS, and MyApp.app/Contents/PlugIns/Subfolder/YourImage.png on macOS and Mac Catalyst.

Example 3

<Content Update="MyImage.png" Link="Resources/YourImage.png" />

would put MyImage.png in MyApp.app/Resources/YourImage.png on all platforms (and that would be wrong for macOS and Mac Catalyst).

FAQ

I have a file I want to place in the app bundle. How do I do that?

If it doesn't fit any of the existing PublishFolderType values, you can add it to the None items like this:

<None Include="MyFile.bin" CopyToPublishDirectory="Always" PublishFolderType="RootDirectory" />

I want to put a file in a specific subdirectory, not related to any other content type

<None Include="MyFile.bin" CopyToOutputDirectory="PreserveNewest" PublishFolderType="RootDirectory" Link="Subfolder/MyFile.bin" />

I don't want a file to be copied to the app bundle

The easiest way is to set PublishFolderType to None:

<EmbeddedResource Include="MyFile.bin" CopyToOutputDirectory="PreserveNewest" PublishFolderType="None" />

PublishFolderType doesn't work from a referenced library project.

The PublishFolderType metadata does not work in transitive / referenced projects that aren't platform-specific. For example: if an executable project references a net9.0 library project, adding the PublishFolderType metadata on items in the net9.0 library project doesn't have any effect, and you'll get a warning like this:

Xamarin.Shared.Sdk.targets(1836,3): Warning : The file '/myresource/file.psd' does not specify a 'PublishFolderType' metadata, and a default value could not be calculated. The file will not be copied to the app bundle.

The workaround is to set MSBuildDisableGetCopyToPublishDirectoryItemsOptimization=true in the library project:

<PropertyGroup>
  <MSBuildDisableGetCopyToPublishDirectoryItemsOptimization>true</MSBuildDisableGetCopyToPublishDirectoryItemsOptimization>
</PropertyGroup>

See #20947 for more information.

References