So far in this project all my debugging has been done with NSLog() calls since the code is pretty simple. To run my plugin each time I have been dragging the binary from the Build folder to Aperture's export plugins folder, launching Aperture, and then selecting Random Wok from the File > Export menu.

So how about debugging with the debugger? If I do a debug build, go through the same steps, and the run Aperture, my breakpoints are never hit. What is going on?

This is happening because the application, Aperture, is not being run by the debugger, and so my plugin is not being run by the debugger. To make XCode run Aperture I modified the instructions I found in a technical Q & A on Apple's developer site that shows how to handle this situation with a Web Kit plugin. In my case I create a new custom executable in the Projects folder on the left side of the XCode window and set it up this way:

Then I make sure that my build options for the debug build are set correctly: no optimization, generate all symbols, don't strip:

Now I can set breakpoints and have them hit:

I still have to copy the executable and run Aperture manually. But there is a way to fix that. I add a new run script :

And set it up like this:

The debug version is set up with a symbolic link and the release version with a copy. Here is the full text:
# clean up any previous products/symbolic links in the target folder
if [ -a "${USER_LIBRARY_DIR}/Application Support/Aperture/Plug-Ins/Export/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}" ]; then
rm -Rf "${USER_LIBRARY_DIR}/Application Support/Aperture/Plug-Ins/Export/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}"
fi

# Depending on the build configuration, either copy or link to the most recent product
if [ "${CONFIGURATION}" == "Debug" ]; then
# if we're debugging, add a symbolic link to the plug-in
ln -sf "${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}" \
"${USER_LIBRARY_DIR}/Application Support/Aperture/Plug-Ins/Export/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}"
elif [ "${CONFIGURATION}" == "Release" ]; then
# if we're compiling for release, just copy the plugin to the Internet Plug-ins folder
cp -Rfv "${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}" \
"${USER_LIBRARY_DIR}/Application Support/Aperture/Plug-Ins/Export/${FULL_PRODUCT_NAME}"
fi
Here is how the debug version looks in the Export folder:

Now when I compile and run or compile and debug, the script is run and Aperture is launched. Any breakpoints I have set work.

The other parts of this series can be found via the Cocoa page.

Tags: Aperture, Plug-ins, Random Wok, Cocoa, Breakpoints, Automation