[WIP] Remove legacy objc_linker to support with rules_apple > 3.15.0

docs/BUILD.bazel

@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ _DOC_SRCS = [
     "import_middleman",
     "library",
     "plists",
-    "force_load_direct_deps",
     "precompiled_apple_resource_bundle",
     "providers",
     "substitute_build_settings",

rules/BUILD.bazel

@@ -46,17 +46,6 @@ bzl_library(
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
 )
 
-bzl_library(
-    name = "force_load_direct_deps",
-    srcs = ["force_load_direct_deps.bzl"],
-    visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
-    deps = [
-        ":providers",
-        ":transition_support",
-        "@bazel_skylib//lib:dicts",
-    ],
-)
-
 bzl_library(
     name = "xcconfig.doc",
     srcs = ["xcconfig.doc.bzl"],
@@ -139,7 +128,6 @@ bzl_library(
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = [
         ":features",
-        ":force_load_direct_deps",
         ":library",
         ":plists",
         ":providers",
@@ -159,7 +147,6 @@ bzl_library(
     srcs = ["app_clip.bzl"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = [
-        ":force_load_direct_deps",
         ":plists",
         "//rules/internal:framework_middleman",
         "@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios",
@@ -171,7 +158,6 @@ bzl_library(
     srcs = ["app.bzl"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = [
-        ":force_load_direct_deps",
         ":library",
         ":plists",
         "//rules/internal:framework_middleman",
@@ -184,7 +170,6 @@ bzl_library(
     srcs = ["extension.bzl"],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
     deps = [
-        ":force_load_direct_deps",
         ":plists",
         ":transition_support",
         "//rules/internal:framework_middleman",

rules/app.bzl

@@ -1,7 +1,6 @@
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios.bzl", rules_apple_ios_application = "ios_application")
 load("//rules:library.bzl", "apple_library")
 load("//rules:plists.bzl", "process_infoplists")
-load("//rules:force_load_direct_deps.bzl", "force_load_direct_deps")
 load("//rules/internal:framework_middleman.bzl", "dep_middleman", "framework_middleman")
 
 # We need to try and partition out arguments for obj_library / swift_library
@@ -93,17 +92,6 @@ def ios_application(
 
     application_kwargs["launch_storyboard"] = application_kwargs.pop("launch_storyboard", library.launch_screen_storyboard_name)
 
-    # Setup force loading here - need to process deps and libs
-    force_load_name = name + ".force_load_direct_deps"
-    force_load_direct_deps(
-        name = force_load_name,
-        deps = kwargs.get("deps", []) + library.lib_names,
-        tags = ["manual"],
-        testonly = testonly,
-        platform_type = "ios",
-        minimum_os_version = application_kwargs.get("minimum_os_version"),
-    )
-
     # Setup framework middlemen - need to process deps and libs
     fw_name = name + ".framework_middleman"
     framework_middleman(

rules/app_clip.bzl

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios.bzl", rules_apple_ios_app_clip = "ios_app_clip")
 load("//rules:plists.bzl", "process_infoplists")
-load("//rules:force_load_direct_deps.bzl", "force_load_direct_deps")
 load("//rules/internal:framework_middleman.bzl", "dep_middleman", "framework_middleman")
 
 def ios_app_clip(
@@ -43,15 +42,6 @@ def ios_app_clip(
     frameworks = kwargs.pop("frameworks", [])
     testonly = kwargs.pop("testonly", False)
 
-    # Setup force loading here - need to process deps and libs
-    force_load_name = name + ".force_load_direct_deps"
-    force_load_direct_deps(
-        name = force_load_name,
-        deps = deps,
-        tags = ["manual"],
-        testonly = testonly,
-    )
-
     # Setup framework middlemen - need to process deps and libs
     fw_name = name + ".framework_middleman"
     framework_middleman(

rules/extension.bzl

@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 load("@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple:ios.bzl", rules_apple_ios_extension = "ios_extension")
 load("//rules:plists.bzl", "process_infoplists")
-load("//rules:force_load_direct_deps.bzl", "force_load_direct_deps")
 load("//rules/internal:framework_middleman.bzl", "dep_middleman", "framework_middleman")
 
 def ios_extension(
@@ -45,15 +44,6 @@ def ios_extension(
     frameworks = kwargs.pop("frameworks", [])
     testonly = kwargs.pop("testonly", False)
 
-    # Setup force loading here - need to process deps and libs
-    force_load_name = name + ".force_load_direct_deps"
-    force_load_direct_deps(
-        name = force_load_name,
-        deps = deps,
-        tags = ["manual"],
-        testonly = testonly,
-    )
-
     # Setup framework middlemen - need to process deps and libs
     fw_name = name + ".framework_middleman"
     framework_middleman(

rules/force_load_direct_deps.bzl

@@ -34,143 +34,4 @@ def _cc_info_static_libraries(dep):
                 continue
             static_cc_libraries.append(library_to_link.static_library)
 
-    return static_cc_libraries
-
-# TODO: We should deprecate this rule for Bazel 7+ as `--incompatible_objc_alwayslink_by_default` effectively
-#       does the same thing.
-def _force_load_direct_deps_impl(ctx):
-    """This rule will traverse the direct deps of the target and force load the static libraries of the objc deps.
-    """
-
-    if not ctx.attr.should_force_load:
-        return [
-            apple_common.new_objc_provider(),
-            CcInfo(),
-        ]
-
-    force_load_libraries = []
-    force_load_cc_libraries = []
-    avoid_deps = []
-    avoid_libraries = {}
-    avoid_cc_libraries = {}
-    cc_toolchain = find_cpp_toolchain(ctx)
-    cc_features = cc_common.configure_features(
-        ctx = ctx,
-        cc_toolchain = cc_toolchain,
-        language = "objc",
-    )
-
-    # Set the deps that should be avoided and not linked.
-    for dep in ctx.attr.deps:
-        if AvoidDepsInfo in dep:
-            avoid_deps.extend(dep[AvoidDepsInfo].libraries)
-
-    # Collect the libraries that should be avoided.
-    for dep in avoid_deps:
-        for lib in _objc_provider_static_libraries(dep):
-            avoid_libraries[lib] = True
-        for lib in _cc_info_static_libraries(dep):
-            avoid_cc_libraries[lib] = True
-
-    # Collect the libraries that should be force loaded.
-    for dep in ctx.attr.deps:
-        for lib in _objc_provider_static_libraries(dep):
-            if not lib in avoid_libraries:
-                force_load_libraries.append(lib)
-        for lib in _cc_info_static_libraries(dep):
-            if not lib in avoid_cc_libraries:
-                force_load_cc_libraries.append(lib)
-
-    return [
-        apple_common.new_objc_provider(
-            force_load_library = depset(force_load_libraries),
-            link_inputs = depset(force_load_libraries),
-        ),
-        CcInfo(
-            linking_context = cc_common.create_linking_context(
-                linker_inputs = depset([
-                    cc_common.create_linker_input(
-                        owner = ctx.label,
-                        libraries = depset([
-                            cc_common.create_library_to_link(
-                                actions = ctx.actions,
-                                cc_toolchain = cc_toolchain,
-                                feature_configuration = cc_features,
-                                static_library = library,
-                                alwayslink = True,
-                            )
-                            for library in force_load_cc_libraries
-                        ]),
-                    ),
-                ]),
-            ),
-        ),
-    ]
-
-force_load_direct_deps = rule(
-    implementation = _force_load_direct_deps_impl,
-    toolchains = use_cpp_toolchain(),
-    fragments = ["apple", "cpp", "objc"],
-    attrs = {
-        "deps": attr.label_list(
-            cfg = transition_support.apple_platform_split_transition,
-            mandatory = True,
-            doc =
-                "Deps",
-        ),
-        "should_force_load": attr.bool(
-            default = True,
-            doc = "Allows parametrically enabling the functionality in this rule.",
-        ),
-        "platform_type": attr.string(
-            mandatory = False,
-            doc =
-                """Internal - currently rules_ios uses the dict `platforms`
-""",
-        ),
-        "minimum_os_version": attr.string(
-            mandatory = False,
-            doc =
-                """Internal - currently rules_ios the dict `platforms`
-""",
-        ),
-        "_allowlist_function_transition": attr.label(
-            default = "@bazel_tools//tools/allowlists/function_transition_allowlist",
-            doc = "Needed to allow this rule to have an incoming edge configuration transition.",
-        ),
-        "_cc_toolchain": attr.label(
-            providers = [cc_common.CcToolchainInfo],
-            default = Label("@bazel_tools//tools/cpp:current_cc_toolchain"),
-            doc = """\
-The C++ toolchain from which linking flags and other tools needed by the Swift
-toolchain (such as `clang`) will be retrieved.
-""",
-        ),
-    },
-    doc = """
-A rule to link with `-force_load` for direct`deps`
-
-ld has different behavior when loading members of a static library VS objects
-as far as visibility. Under `-dynamic`
-- linked _swift object files_ can have public visibility
-- symbols from _swift static libraries_ are omitted unless used, and not
-visible otherwise
-
-By using `-force_load`, we can load static libraries in the attributes of an
-application's direct depenencies. These args need go at the _front_ of the
-linker invocation otherwise these arguments don't work with lds logic.
-
-Why not put it into `rules_apple`? Ideally it could be, and perhaps consider a
-PR to there .The underlying java rule, `AppleBinary.linkMultiArchBinary`
-places `extraLinkopts` at the end of the linker invocation. At the time of
-writing these args need to go into the current rule context where
-`AppleBinary.linkMultiArchBinary` is called.
-
-One use case of this is that iOS developers want to load above mentioned
-symbols from applications. Another alternate could be to create an aspect,
-that actually generates a different application and linker invocation instead
-of force loading symbols. This could be more complicated from an integration
-perspective so it isn't used.
-
-    """,
-)
+    return static_cc_libraries

rules/framework.bzl

@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ load(
     "@build_bazel_rules_apple//apple/internal/aspects:resource_aspect.bzl",
     "apple_resource_aspect",
 )
-load("//rules:force_load_direct_deps.bzl", "force_load_direct_deps")
 
 _APPLE_FRAMEWORK_PACKAGING_KWARGS = [
     "visibility",
@@ -125,21 +124,6 @@ def apple_framework(
         "//conditions:default": "",
     })
 
-    # Setup force loading here - only for direct deps / direct libs and when `link_dynamic` is set.
-    should_force_load = framework_packaging_kwargs.get("link_dynamic", False)
-    if should_force_load:
-        force_load_name = name + ".force_load_direct_deps"
-        force_load_direct_deps(
-            name = force_load_name,
-            deps = kwargs.get("deps", []) + library.lib_names,
-            should_force_load = should_force_load,
-            testonly = testonly,
-            tags = ["manual"],
-            minimum_os_version = minimum_os_version,
-            platform_type = platform_type,
-        )
-        framework_deps.append(force_load_name)
-
     framework_deps += library.lib_names
     apple_framework_packaging(
         name = name,
@@ -894,7 +878,6 @@ def _bundle_dynamic_framework(ctx, is_extension_safe, avoid_deps):
             cc_features = cc_features,
             cc_info = link_result.cc_info,
             cc_toolchain = cc_toolchain,
-            objc_provider = link_result.objc,
             rule_label = label,
         ),
     )