{"id":62793,"date":"2024-08-14T10:49:43","date_gmt":"2024-08-14T05:19:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/?p=62793"},"modified":"2024-08-14T12:31:43","modified_gmt":"2024-08-14T07:01:43","slug":"ios-ci-cd-integration-using-gitlab-fastlane-firebase-part-1-page-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tothenew.com\/blog\/ios-ci-cd-integration-using-gitlab-fastlane-firebase-part-1-page-1\/","title":{"rendered":"iOS: CI\/CD Integration via FastLane & Firebase using Gitlab : Part \u2013 1"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello everyone, This is a blog series where we’ll touch up on how to automate our workflow with CI\/CD in iOS with the use of tech like Fastlane, Firebase, and Gitlab repository. <\/span><\/p>\n

This is the 1st part of the series where we’ll cover the setup of the configuration for generating automated builds using Fastlane on the local machine.<\/p>\n

Introduction<\/h1>\n

When we are working on a project and need to share the build for the testing features then there are common steps to generate a build and make an archive via Xcode to share with testers. But this is a repetition process to generate a build via Xcode and also need to manage & keep upto-date the certificate and provision profile. Generally, this can be possible if a developer is available to generate the archive because they have the expertise in their domain. What will happen if a developer is not available to generate the archive then it is not possible without the help of a developer.<\/span><\/p>\n

After some research, I have discovered that there are some powerful tools available that can help us automate the build, test, and deployment of our app. So we can set up a GitLab repository for our app, and just install the Fastlane on our local machine and in the GitLab repository.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is CI\/CD?<\/b><\/h1>\n

A <\/span>CI\/CD pipeline<\/span><\/a> is an automated process utilized by software development teams to streamline the creation, testing, and deployment of applications. “CI” represents continuous integration, where developers frequently merge code changes into a central repository, allowing early detection of issues. “CD” refers to continuous deployment or continuous delivery, which automates the application’s release to its intended environment, ensuring that it is readily available to users. This pipeline is vital for teams aiming to improve software quality and speed up delivery through regular, reliable updates.<\/span><\/p>\n

Integrating a CI\/CD pipeline into your workflow significantly reduces the risk of errors in the deployment process. Automating builds and tests ensures that bugs are caught early and fixed promptly, maintaining high-quality software.<\/span><\/p>\n

GitLab<\/b> comes with CI built-in<\/span><\/a> for all projects, for free.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fastlane<\/b><\/a> helps you to automate the most time-consuming beta distribution steps including incrementing the build version, code signing, building and uploading the app, and setting a change-log.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/h1>\n

What is Fastlane?<\/b><\/h1>\n

Fastlane <\/b>is an open source suite of tools that allows you to automate your iOS or Android mobile app releases, potentially saving you hours of development time. It is powered by a Ruby configuration file called a <\/span>Fastfile<\/span><\/i>, in which you can add <\/span>lanes<\/span><\/i> to serve different purposes.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this tutorial, you\u2019ll see how to build a local fastlane pipeline that will automate the final steps of the iOS development and deployment process. You\u2019ll add lanes for signing, testing, building, and deploying a simple \u201cTodo_ios\u201d application. At the end of this tutorial, you should have everything you need to build the perfect fastlane pipeline for your next iOS app.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Fastlane Setup\/Installation<\/b><\/h1>\n

There are <\/span>many ways to install fastlane<\/span><\/a>, but we\u2019ll use Homebrew (macOS) for the task. There\u2019s also a <\/span>Swift version of fastlane<\/span><\/a> that\u2019s currently in beta.<\/span><\/p>\n

Homebrew (macOS)<\/h2>\n

This way, you don’t have to install Ruby separately, and instead homebrew installs the adequate Ruby version for fastlane.<\/p>\n

\r\n$ brew install fastlane \r\n<\/strong><\/span>\r\n<\/pre>\n
When the installation is complete, confirm it by running the following command:<\/span><\/p>\n
\r\n$ fastlane --version\r\n\r\n# Output:\r\nfastlane installation at path:\r\n\/usr\/local\/.rvm\/gems\/ruby-3.3.1\/gems\/fastlane-2.221.1\/bin\/fastlane\r\n-----------------------------\r\n[\u2714] \ud83d\ude80\r\nfastlane 2.221.1\r\n<\/strong><\/span>\r\n<\/pre>\n
Congratulations! You’re ready to use fastlane in your project.<\/span><\/p>\n
Configuring Fastlane for a project<\/strong><\/h1>\n
In this tutorial, we\u2019ll use a demo app called <\/span>Todo_ios<\/span><\/i>. You can find the complete source code <\/span>here on Gitlab<\/span><\/a> in case you miss something. You will not required to have a paid <\/span>Apple Developer account<\/span><\/a> to complete this tutorial.<\/span><\/p>\n
To get your new app started, open Xcode and create a new app.<\/span><\/p>\n
\"null\"<\/p>\n
To initialize fastlane inside the project, go to the project\u2019s root directory in your terminal and run the following:<\/span><\/p>\n
\r\n$ fastlane init\r\n<\/strong><\/span>\r\n<\/pre>\n
Fastlane will prompt you to choose a single automated action to implement, Automated actions are pre-built actions that let you automate various aspects of your development and release workflow. You\u2019ll implement multiple automated actions in this tutorial, so just select manual setup by entering 4 options<\/strong> for this tutorial.<\/p>\n
 <\/p>\n
\"null\"<\/p>\n
Go to the root directory of the project. We will see a new Gemfile, which includes project dependencies, and a .\/fastlane<\/em><\/strong> directory containing an Appfile and a Fastfile.<\/p>\n
After Completion Setup it your app directory looks like the below:<\/p>\n
\"null\"<\/p>\n
GEMFILE<\/b><\/p>\n
If you don’t see GEMFile then create it manually by following the steps:<\/span><\/p>\n