Generated .m file containing $$ in its name are not found in Xcode (J2objc 0.9.7)

[confile]

When Java files contain $$ in there name Xcode raises an error because it searches for files containing only $ in its name, i.e., one dollar sign instead of two.

I use the J2objc 0.9.7. Here is a simple example of the problem. Create two files:

package com.example;

import javax.inject.Singleton;

import dagger.Module;
import dagger.Provides;


@Module
public class ApplicationModule {

    @Provides
    @Singleton
    SomeClassX provideSomeClassX() {
        return new SomeClassX();
    }

}

and

public class SomeClassX {
}

Here are the steps to reproduce:

1. Create the .java files with annotation processing with

javac -d build/classes -sourcepath src/main/java src/main/java/com/example/SomeClassX.java src/main/java/com/example/ApplicationModule.java -classpath lib/dagger-compiler-2.0-20150330.203231-18-jar-with-dependencies.jar

This will create the class files as well as build/classes/com/example/ApplicationModule$$ProvideSomeClassXFactory.java.
2. Execute j2objc:

j2objc --no-package-directories -use-arc --build-closure -d build/classes -sourcepath src/main/java:libSrc/javax.inject-1-sources.jar:libSrc/dagger-2.0-sources.jar src/main/java/com/example/SomeClassX.java src/main/java/com/example/ApplicationModule.java build/classes/com/example/'ApplicationModule$$ProvideSomeClassXFactory.java'

this will generate the following 18 files:

3. Insert the generated files in a Xcode project and build the project with other linker flag -ObjC -lguava -ljavax_inject -ljre_emul -ljsr305

Step 3 will generate the following error:

no such file or directory: ApplicationModule$ProvideSomeClassXFactory.m

The correct file must contain two dollar signs instead of one. It seems that the transpiling went wrong in the case of two dollar signs in their name.

[confile]

I created a sample project to reproduce this issue here: https://github.com/confile/j2objc-dollarsign

[tomball]

Xcode uses $ for macros, and apparently $$ for a $ constant. That's why the filename only has one $ in the error message. Try changing the names ApplicationModule$$$$ProvideSome... If that doesn't work, ask on StackOverflow where Xcode experts may help.

[confile]

@tomball The problem is that the dagger annotation processor generates these files with $$ in the middle so I cannot change them.

[tomball]

It looks like you found an Xcode bug: where it can't build source files
with $ in their names. You need to file a bug with Apple, then find some
workaround for your project until Apple fixes this. One option is to create
a static library using Make or some other build tool, then link your app
with that library in Xcode. Or come up with some other idea, since that's
what software engineers do.

On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 12:08 AM Confile notifications@github.com wrote:

@tomball https://github.com/tomball The problem is that the dagger
annotation processor generates these files with $$ in the middle so I
cannot change them.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#517 (comment).

[tomball]

Another option you have (which would be faster than waiting for an Xcode
fix) is to fork Dagger and change its annotation processor to use something
different than $$ in their generated class names. It should be a one-line
change, and if you submit a pull request that team might include it in the
next release.

On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 6:50 AM Tom Ball tball@google.com wrote:

It looks like you found an Xcode bug: where it can't build source files
with $ in their names. You need to file a bug with Apple, then find some
workaround for your project until Apple fixes this. One option is to create
a static library using Make or some other build tool, then link your app
with that library in Xcode. Or come up with some other idea, since that's
what software engineers do.

On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 12:08 AM Confile notifications@github.com wrote:

@tomball https://github.com/tomball The problem is that the dagger
annotation processor generates these files with $$ in the middle so I
cannot change them.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#517 (comment).

[confile]

@tomball I have a much simpler solution. You can simple duplicate files like this. When you have a file x$$y.* you make a copy and name it x$y.* This way xcode will find the correct file.

[tomball]

Here's an even simpler solution: use the latest Dagger 2.0 -- they recently
changed the delimiter they use:

google/dagger@1f70d57

If you have problems with sources generated by annotation processors in the
future, please work with the teams that support those processors. The
Dagger team might have fixed this issue when you first found it, if you had
only asked them.

On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 7:41 AM Confile notifications@github.com wrote:

@tomball https://github.com/tomball I have a much simpler solution. You
can simple duplicate files like this. When you have a file x$$y.* you
make a copy and name it x$y.* This way xcode will find the correct file.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#517 (comment).

[confile]

@tomball Thank you tom you are brilliant. From our previous discussion I think I need your latest version of guava 18, since dagger needs at least 18. As we discussed earlier using dagger annotation processor directly with j2objc will only work after your guava update. Can you guess when this update will come?

Thank you so much for your help.

[tomball]

We're in the process of using jarjar https://code.google.com/p/jarjar/ to
repackage the translator so its use of Guava doesn't conflict with other
versions. Until that's complete, you'll need to use javac to do annotation
processing, then translate all .java files found in the output directory. I
assume you're already doing that, since blocking one's project waiting on
any open-source project's bug fix is never advised.

On Fri, Apr 10, 2015 at 9:06 AM Confile notifications@github.com wrote:

@tomball https://github.com/tomball Thank you tom you are brilliant.
From our previous discussion I think I need your latest version of guava
18, since dagger needs at least 18. As we discussed earlier using dagger
annotation processor directly with j2objc will only work after your guava
update. Can you guess when this update will come?

Thank you so much for your help.

—
Reply to this email directly or view it on GitHub
#517 (comment).