Frameworks

Frameworks are bundles that contain a linkable library (usually a dylib) and the associated resources and headers for development.

There are “public” and “private” frameworks. The former are usually well documented and prepared for use by general developers, while the latter are (supposed to be) restricted for internal use only. Public frameworks can be found in /System/Library/Frameworks, and private ones in /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks. Other than this artificial division, there are no differences between public and private frameworks.

Since iOS 3.1, all default (public and private) libraries have been combined into a big cache file in /System/Library/Caches/com.apple.dyld/dyld_shared_cache_armv6 (or _armv7) to improve performance. See dyld_shared_cache. The original libraries are no longer useful for non-on-device-developers, so they are eliminated from the system. The framework folders still contain other resources, such as localization strings.

Frameworks have an extension of .framework. Headers, if any, are stored in a subdirectory called Headers.

References

• Apple's definition of frameworks.

List of frameworks

See /System/Library/Frameworks on TheiPhoneWiki for another list.

The following list reflects the state of public frameworks as of iOS 4.0 (8A293):

• AVFoundation.framework (com.apple.avfoundation)
• Accelerate.framework (com.apple.Accelerate)
• AddressBook.framework (com.apple.AddressBook)
• AddressBookUI.framework (com.apple.AddressBookUI)
• AssetsLibrary.framework (com.yourcompany.AssetsLibrary)
• AudioToolbox.framework (com.apple.audio.toolbox.AudioToolbox)
• AudioUnit.framework (com.apple.audio.units.AudioUnit)
• CFNetwork.framework (com.apple.CFNetwork)
• CoreAudio.framework (com.apple.audio.CoreAudio)
• CoreData.framework (com.apple.CoreData)
• CoreFoundation.framework (com.apple.CoreFoundation)
• CoreGraphics.framework
• CoreLocation.framework (com.apple.corelocation)
• CoreMedia.framework (com.apple.CoreMedia)
• CoreMotion.framework (com.apple.coremotion)
• CorePDF.framework (com.apple.CorePDF)
• CoreTelephony.framework (com.apple.coretelephony)
• CoreText.framework (com.apple.CoreText)
• CoreVideo.framework (com.apple.CoreVideo)
• EventKit.framework (com.apple.eventkit)
• EventKitUI.framework (com.apple.eventkitui)
• ExternalAccessory.framework (com.apple.ExternalAccessory)
• Foundation.framework (com.apple.Foundation)
• GameKit.framework (com.apple.GameKit)
• IOKit.framework
• ImageIO.framework (com.apple.ImageIO.framework)
• MapKit.framework (com.apple.MapKit)
• MediaPlayer.framework (com.apple.MediaPlayer)
• MessageUI.framework (com.apple.messageui)
• MobileCoreServices.framework (com.apple.MobileCoreServices)
• OpenAL.framework (com.apple.audio.OpenAL)
• OpenGLES.framework (com.apple.opengles)
• QuartzCore.framework (com.apple.QuartzCore)
• QuickLook.framework (com.apple.QuickLook)
• Security.framework (com.apple.Security)
• StoreKit.framework (com.apple.StoreKit)
• System.framework
• SystemConfiguration.framework (com.apple.SystemConfiguration)
• UIKit.framework (com.apple.UIKit)
• iAd.framework (com.apple.iAd)

Name First available Prefixes Description Accelerate.framework 4.0 cblas, vDSP Contains accelerated math and DSP functions. See “Accelerate Framework.” Accounts.framework 5.0 AC Contains interfaces for managing access to a user’s system accounts. See “Accounts Framework.” AddressBook.framework 2.0 AB Contains functions for accessing the user’s contacts database directly. See “Address Book Framework.” AddressBookUI.framework 2.0 AB Contains classes for displaying the system-defined people picker and editor interfaces. See “Address Book UI Framework.” AdSupport.framework 6.0 AS Contains a class for gathering analytics. See “Ad Support Framework.” AssetsLibrary.framework 4.0 AL Contains classes for accessing the user’s photos and videos. See “Assets Library Framework.” AudioToolbox.framework 2.0 AU, Audio Contains the interfaces for handling audio stream data and for playing and recording audio. See “Core Audio.” AudioUnit.framework 2.0 AU, Audio Contains the interfaces for loading and using audio units. See “Core Audio.” AVFoundation.framework 2.2 AV Contains Objective-C interfaces for playing and recording audio and video. See “AV Foundation Framework.” CFNetwork.framework 2.0 CF Contains interfaces for accessing the network via Wi-Fi and cellular radios. See “CFNetwork Framework.” CoreAudio.framework 2.0 Audio Provides the data types used throughout Core Audio. See “Core Audio.” CoreBluetooth.framework 5.0 CB Provides access to low-power Bluetooth hardware. See “Core Bluetooth Framework.” CoreData.framework 3.0 NS Contains interfaces for managing your application’s data model. See “Core Data Framework.” CoreFoundation.framework 2.0 CF Provides fundamental software services, including abstractions for common data types, string utilities, collection utilities, resource management, and preferences. See “Core Foundation Framework.” CoreGraphics.framework 2.0 CG Contains the interfaces for Quartz 2D. See “Core Graphics Framework.” CoreImage.framework 5.0 CI Contains interfaces for manipulating video and still images. See “Core Image Framework.” CoreLocation.framework 2.0 CL Contains the interfaces for determining a user’s location. See “Core Location Framework.” CoreMedia.framework 4.0 CM Contains low-level routines for manipulating audio and video. See “Core Media Framework.” CoreMIDI.framework 4.2 MIDI Contains low-level routines for handling MIDI data. See “Core Audio.” CoreMotion.framework 4.0 CM Contains interfaces for accessing accelerometer and gyro data. See “Core Motion Framework.” CoreTelephony.framework 4.0 CT Contains routines for accessing telephony-related information. See “Core Telephony Framework.” CoreText.framework 3.2 CT Contains a text layout and rendering engine. See “Core Text Framework.” CoreVideo.framework 4.0 CV Contains low-level routines for manipulating audio and video. Do not use this framework directly. EventKit.framework 4.0 EK Contains interfaces for accessing a user’s calendar event data. See “Event Kit Framework.” EventKitUI.framework 4.0 EK Contains classes for displaying the standard system calendar interfaces. See “Event Kit UI Framework.” ExternalAccessory.framework 3.0 EA Contains interfaces for communicating with attached hardware accessories. See “External Accessory Framework.” Foundation.framework 2.0 NS Contains interfaces for managing strings, collections, and other low-level data types. See “Foundation Framework.” GameController.framework 7.0 GC Contains interfaces for communicating with game-related hardware. See “Game Controller Framework.” GameKit.framework 3.0 GK Contains interfaces for managing peer-to-peer connectivity. See “Game Kit Framework.” GLKit.framework 5.0 GLK Contains Objective-C utility classes for building complex OpenGL ES applications. See “GLKit Framework.” GSS.framework 5.0 gss Provides a standard set of security-related services. iAd.framework 4.0 AD Contains classes for displaying advertisements in your application. See “iAd Framework.” ImageIO.framework 4.0 CG Contains classes for reading and writing image data. See “Image I/O Framework.” IOKit.framework 2.0 N/A Contains interfaces used by the device. Do not use this framework directly. JavaScriptCore 7.0 JS Contains Objective-C wrappers for evaluating JavaScript code and parsing JSON. See “JavaScript Core Framework.” MapKit.framework 3.0 MK Contains classes for embedding a map interface into your application and for reverse-geocoding coordinates. See “Map Kit Framework.” MediaAccessibility.framework 7.0 MA Manages the presentation of closed-caption content in media files. See “Media Accessibility Framework.” MediaPlayer.framework 2.0 MP Contains interfaces for playing full-screen video. See “Media Player Framework.” MediaToolbox.framework 6.0 MT Contains interfaces for playing audio content. MessageUI.framework 3.0 MF Contains interfaces for composing and queuing email messages. See “Message UI Framework.” MobileCoreServices.framework 3.0 UT Defines the uniform type identifiers (UTIs) supported by the system. See “Mobile Core Services Framework.” MultipeerConnectivity.framework 7.0 MC Provides interfaces for implementing peer-to-peer networking between devices. See “Multipeer Connectivity Framework.” NewsstandKit.framework 5.0 NK Provides interfaces for downloading magazine and newspaper content in the background. See “Newsstand Kit Framework.” OpenAL.framework 2.0 AL Contains the interfaces for OpenAL, a cross-platform positional audio library. See “OpenAL Framework.” OpenGLES.framework 2.0 EAGL, GL Contains the interfaces for OpenGL ES, which is an embedded version of the OpenGL cross-platform 2D and 3D graphics rendering library. See “OpenGL ES Framework.” PassKit.framework 6.0 PK Contains interfaces for creating digital passes to replace things like tickets, boarding passes, member cards, and more. See “Pass Kit Framework.” QuartzCore.framework 2.0 CA Contains the Core Animation interfaces. See “Quartz Core Framework.” QuickLook.framework 4.0 QL Contains interfaces for previewing files. See “Quick Look Framework.” SafariServices.framework 7.0 SS Supports the creation of reading list items in Safari. See “Safari Services Framework.” Security.framework 2.0 CSSM, Sec Contains interfaces for managing certificates, public and private keys, and trust policies. See “Security Framework.” Social.framework 6.0 SL Contains interfaces for interacting with social media accounts. See “Social Framework.” SpriteKit.framework 7.0 SK Facilitates the creation of sprite-based animations and rendering. See “Sprite Kit Framework.” StoreKit.framework 3.0 SK Contains interfaces for handling the financial transactions associated with in-app purchases. See “Store Kit Framework.” SystemConfiguration.framework 2.0 SC Contains interfaces for determining the network configuration of a device. See “System Configuration Framework.” Twitter.framework 5.0 TW Contains interfaces for sending tweets via the Twitter service. See “Twitter Framework.” UIKit.framework 2.0 UI Contains classes and methods for the iOS application user interface layer. See “UIKit Framework.” VideoToolbox.framework 6.0 N/A Contains interfaces used by the device. Do not include this framework directly.