How to Create Build Configuration File in Xcode | Xcode Project Setup Series

This article will guide you, step by step, on how to create a new build configuration file in your Xcode project.

What is a build configuration file?

A build configuration file is a plain-text file you use to specify the build settings for a specific target or your entire project.

Upon writing this article and Xcode 14, by default, Xcode creates two configuration files, Debug and Release.

Why and/or when someone needs to create a new config file?

There are endless reasons why and/or when someone needs to create a new configuration file. I will list a couple of reasons why I use them for.

• Apart from debugging and release, I also need a test build config file
• Link all configs to different APIs

You can link a build config with your code using user-defined entries. I guess you are not here to read about that. I promise I will cover that in a future article.

So let’s get right to it!

How to create a build config file in Xcode?

After successfully going through the creation of your Xcode project:

• Click on the project navigator (that little folder icon)
• Select your project on the project navigator
• Select your project on the project and targets list
• Make sure the info tab is selected

A final couple of steps are left to create a new build config file.

Click on the plus button, marked with the red circle. And finally, pick one of the available configurations, type a name if you wish, and you are good to go.