Fix pbxproj output differences (keys not sorted, extra properties) (#46)

* Avoid default file props; stable JSON key ordering

Stop auto-populating PBXFileReference defaults (fileEncoding, includeInIndex) and avoid initializing empty input/output path arrays in PBX build phases so the library doesn't add properties Xcode omits when round-tripping projects. Add deterministic JSON writer ordering (case-sensitive ASCII with "isa" first) for stable output. Update tests to reflect the removed defaults and to skip fixtures that rely on original non-sorted key order.

* Update fixtures with sorted keys instead of skipping tests

Re-process project.pbxproj and project-with-entitlements.pbxproj
through the parser/writer to normalize key ordering, then restore
them in inOutFixtures array.

Co-Authored-By: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

---------

Co-authored-by: Claude Opus 4.5 <noreply@anthropic.com>

Author: EvanBacon

src/api/PBXFileReference.ts

@@ -103,12 +103,9 @@ export class PBXFileReference extends AbstractObject<PBXFileReferenceModel> {
   }
 
   protected setupDefaults() {
-    if (this.props.fileEncoding == null) {
-      this.props.fileEncoding = 4;
-    }
-    // if (this.sourceTree == null) {
-    //   this.sourceTree = "SOURCE_ROOT";
-    // }
+    // Note: fileEncoding and includeInIndex are intentionally NOT set as defaults.
+    // Xcode only includes these properties when explicitly set. Setting them
+    // automatically would cause unnecessary changes when round-tripping projects.
 
     if (
       !this.props.lastKnownFileType &&
@@ -118,10 +115,6 @@ export class PBXFileReference extends AbstractObject<PBXFileReferenceModel> {
       this.setLastKnownFileType();
     }
 
-    if (this.props.includeInIndex == null) {
-      this.props.includeInIndex = 0;
-    }
-
     if (this.props.name == null && this.props.path) {
       const name = path.basename(this.props.path);
       // If the values are the same then skip setting name.
@@ -132,11 +125,6 @@ export class PBXFileReference extends AbstractObject<PBXFileReferenceModel> {
     if (!this.props.sourceTree) {
       this.props.sourceTree = getPossibleDefaultSourceTree(this.props);
     }
-
-    // Clear the includeInIndex flag for framework files
-    if (this.props.path && path.extname(this.props.path) === ".framework") {
-      this.props.includeInIndex = undefined;
-    }
   }
   getParent() {
     return getParent(this);

src/api/PBXSourcesBuildPhase.ts

@@ -246,18 +246,9 @@ export class PBXShellScriptBuildPhase extends AbstractBuildPhase<
       this.props.shellScript =
         "# Type a script or drag a script file from your workspace to insert its path.\n";
     }
-    if (!this.props.outputFileListPaths) {
-      this.props.outputFileListPaths = [];
-    }
-    if (!this.props.outputPaths) {
-      this.props.outputPaths = [];
-    }
-    if (!this.props.inputFileListPaths) {
-      this.props.inputFileListPaths = [];
-    }
-    if (!this.props.inputPaths) {
-      this.props.inputPaths = [];
-    }
+    // Note: inputPaths, outputPaths, inputFileListPaths, outputFileListPaths
+    // are intentionally NOT initialized to empty arrays. Xcode omits these
+    // properties when they are empty.
     super.setupDefaults();
   }
 }

src/api/__tests__/PBXFileReference.test.ts

@@ -75,8 +75,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       expect(ref.uuid).toBe("XX4DFF38D47332D6BF0183XX");
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: undefined,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         name: "SwiftUI.framework",
         path: "System/Library/Frameworks/SwiftUI.framework",
@@ -85,28 +83,23 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
     });
 
-    it("should set default file encoding", () => {
-      const xcproj = XcodeProject.open(WORKING_FIXTURE);
-      const ref = PBXFileReference.create(xcproj, {
-        path: "test.swift",
-      });
+    // Note: fileEncoding and includeInIndex are no longer set by default
+    // to avoid adding properties when round-tripping projects.
+    // Users can set these explicitly if needed.
 
-      expect(ref.props.fileEncoding).toBe(4);
-    });
-
-    it("should set includeInIndex for regular files", () => {
+    it("should not set fileEncoding by default", () => {
       const xcproj = XcodeProject.open(WORKING_FIXTURE);
       const ref = PBXFileReference.create(xcproj, {
         path: "test.swift",
       });
 
-      expect(ref.props.includeInIndex).toBe(0);
+      expect(ref.props.fileEncoding).toBeUndefined();
     });
 
-    it("should clear includeInIndex for framework files", () => {
+    it("should not set includeInIndex by default", () => {
       const xcproj = XcodeProject.open(WORKING_FIXTURE);
       const ref = PBXFileReference.create(xcproj, {
-        path: "TestFramework.framework",
+        path: "test.swift",
       });
 
       expect(ref.props.includeInIndex).toBeUndefined();
@@ -141,8 +134,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         lastKnownFileType: "sourcecode.swift",
         name: "funky.swift",
@@ -157,8 +148,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         lastKnownFileType: "text.css",
         name: "funky.css",
@@ -173,8 +162,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         lastKnownFileType: "text.html",
         name: "funky.html",
@@ -189,8 +176,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         lastKnownFileType: "text.json",
         name: "funky.json",
@@ -205,8 +190,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         lastKnownFileType: "sourcecode.javascript",
         name: "funky.js",
@@ -221,8 +204,6 @@ describe("PBXFileReference", () => {
       });
 
       expect(ref.props).toEqual({
-        fileEncoding: 4,
-        includeInIndex: 0,
         isa: "PBXFileReference",
         name: "funky",
         path: "fun/funky",

src/json/__tests__/fixtures/project-with-entitlements.pbxproj

@@ -276,6 +276,7 @@
 			buildSettings = {
 				ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_APPICON_NAME = AppIcon;
 				CLANG_ENABLE_MODULES = YES;
+				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = testapp/example.entitlements;
 				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 1;
 				ENABLE_BITCODE = NO;
 				GCC_PREPROCESSOR_DEFINITIONS = (
@@ -290,7 +291,6 @@
 					"-ObjC",
 					"-lc++",
 				);
-				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = testapp/example.entitlements;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = org.name.testproject;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = testproject;
 				SWIFT_OPTIMIZATION_LEVEL = "-Onone";
@@ -305,6 +305,7 @@
 			buildSettings = {
 				ASSETCATALOG_COMPILER_APPICON_NAME = AppIcon;
 				CLANG_ENABLE_MODULES = YES;
+				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = testapp/example.entitlements;
 				CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION = 1;
 				INFOPLIST_FILE = testproject/Info.plist;
 				IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 10.0;
@@ -314,7 +315,6 @@
 					"-ObjC",
 					"-lc++",
 				);
-				CODE_SIGN_ENTITLEMENTS = testapp/example.entitlements;
 				PRODUCT_BUNDLE_IDENTIFIER = org.name.testproject;
 				PRODUCT_NAME = testproject;
 				SWIFT_VERSION = 5.0;

src/json/__tests__/fixtures/project.pbxproj

@@ -352,7 +352,6 @@
 				COPY_PHASE_STRIP = NO;
 				ENABLE_STRICT_OBJC_MSGSEND = YES;
 				ENABLE_TESTABILITY = YES;
-				TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY = "1,2";
 				GCC_C_LANGUAGE_STANDARD = gnu99;
 				GCC_DYNAMIC_NO_PIC = NO;
 				GCC_NO_COMMON_BLOCKS = YES;
@@ -378,6 +377,7 @@
 				MTL_ENABLE_DEBUG_INFO = YES;
 				ONLY_ACTIVE_ARCH = YES;
 				SDKROOT = iphoneos;
+				TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY = "1,2";
 			};
 			name = Debug;
 		};
@@ -421,7 +421,6 @@
 				GCC_WARN_UNINITIALIZED_AUTOS = YES_AGGRESSIVE;
 				GCC_WARN_UNUSED_FUNCTION = YES;
 				GCC_WARN_UNUSED_VARIABLE = YES;
-				TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY = 1;
 				IPHONEOS_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET = 10.0;
 				LD_RUNPATH_SEARCH_PATHS = "/usr/lib/swift $(inherited)";
 				LIBRARY_SEARCH_PATHS = (
@@ -431,6 +430,7 @@
 				);
 				MTL_ENABLE_DEBUG_INFO = NO;
 				SDKROOT = iphoneos;
+				TARGETED_DEVICE_FAMILY = 1;
 				VALIDATE_PRODUCT = YES;
 			};
 			name = Release;

src/json/writer.ts

@@ -176,7 +176,14 @@ export class Writer {
   }
 
   private writeObject(object: JSONObject, isBase?: boolean) {
-    Object.entries(object).forEach(([key, value]) => {
+    Object.entries(object)
+      .sort(([a], [b]) => {
+        // isa always comes first, then case-sensitive ASCII alphabetical
+        if (a === "isa") return -1;
+        if (b === "isa") return 1;
+        return a < b ? -1 : a > b ? 1 : 0;
+      })
+      .forEach(([key, value]) => {
       if (this.options.skipNullishValues && value == null) {
         return;
       } else if (value instanceof Buffer) {
@@ -281,7 +288,14 @@ export class Writer {
     ) => {
       line.push(this.formatId(key) + " = {");
 
-      Object.entries(value).forEach(([key, obj]) => {
+      Object.entries(value)
+        .sort(([a], [b]) => {
+          // isa always comes first, then case-sensitive ASCII alphabetical
+          if (a === "isa") return -1;
+          if (b === "isa") return 1;
+          return a < b ? -1 : a > b ? 1 : 0;
+        })
+        .forEach(([key, obj]) => {
         if (this.options.skipNullishValues && obj == null) {
           return;
         } else if (obj instanceof Buffer) {