/System/Library/Frameworks

Summary

Frameworks are folders each containing a dynamic library and resources for that, library such as images and localization strings. All frameworks have the file extension .framework.

On the iOS there are 2 kinds of frameworks: public frameworks and private frameworks. Public frameworks are those ones endorsed by Apple and are allowed to be used in AppStore apps. Private frameworks are intended to be used only by original apps, and are more unstable against firmware changes, but many of the interesting features are in the private frameworks.

Public Frameworks

All public frameworks can be found inside /System/Library/Frameworks.

• List of iOS Public Frameworks from Apple.
• List of frameworks related to CoreAudio.

Framework	4.x	5.x	6.x	Prefix	Language	Description
Accelerate	Yes	Yes	Yes	cblas, vDSP	C	Vector and Matrix math, digital signal processing, large number handling, and image processing
Accounts	No	Yes	Yes	AC	Obj-C	Provides access to accounts in the Accounts database. Allows creation of accounts if none exsist. Only Twitter is avaliable in iOS 5.0 and later.
AddressBook	Yes	Yes	Yes	AB	Obj-C	Provides access to the Address Book database.
AdSupport	No	No	Yes	AS	Obj-C	Provides access to identifiers for serving adverts and a flag that indicates if limited tracking is on.
AssetsLibrary	Yes	Yes	Yes	AL	Obj-C	Used to access pictures and videos managed by the Photos application.
AudioToolbox	Yes	Yes	Yes	AU, Audio	--	Provides interfaces for recording, playback, stream parsing, and managing audio sessions. Part of CoreAudio
AudioUnit	Yes	Yes	Yes	AU, Audio	--	Interfaces for the loading of audio units and their use.
AVFoundation	Yes	Yes	Yes	AV	Obj-C	Used for playing and recording audio and video.
CFNetwork	Yes	Yes	Yes	CF	C	Intefaces for high-performance networking.
CoreAudio	Yes	Yes	Yes	Audio	C++	Declares constants and data-types used by other interfaces in CoreAudio.
CoreBluetooth	No	Yes	Yes	CB	Obj-C	Provides access to Bluetooth peripherals (hardware).
CoreData	Yes	Yes	Yes	NS	Obj-C	Interfaces for application data model manipulation.
CoreFoundation	Yes	Yes	Yes	CF	C	Basic data management and services
CoreGraphics	Yes	Yes	Yes	CG	C	APIs to interface with the Quartz engine, allows 2D rendering, etc.
CoreImage	No	Yes	Yes	CI	Obj-C	Interfaces for manipulating images and video.
CoreLocation	Yes	Yes	Yes	CL	Obj-C	Iterfaces for determining location.
CoreMedia	Yes	Yes	Yes	CM	C	Low-level routines for manipulating audio and video.
CoreMIDI	Yes	Yes	Yes	MIDI	Obj-C	Routines for handling MIDI data. Only avaliable on iOS 4.2 and later. Part of Core Audio.
CoreMotion	Yes	Yes	Yes	CM	Obj-C, C++	Iterfaces for accessing acceleromtere and gyrometric data.
CoreTelephony	Yes	Yes	Yes	CT	Obj-C	Allows access to Carrier information and information pertaining to a current call.
CoreText	Yes	Yes	Yes	CT	C++	Text layout and rendering engine.
CoreVideo	Yes	Yes	Yes	CV	--	Low-level routines for manipulating audio and video - Apple advises not to use this framework directly, and although public doesn't document much of it.
EventKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	EK	Obj-C	Interfaces for accessing Calendar event data. This is a replacement for the older Calendar.framework.
EventKitUI	Yes	Yes	Yes	EK	Obj-C	Classes for system graphical interfaces.
ExternalAccessory	Yes	Yes	Yes	EA	Obj-C	Interfaces for communication with attached external accessories via 30-pin dock or BlueTooth, Lightning is not yet mentioned by Apple in documentation.
Foundation	Yes	Yes	Yes	NS	Obj-C	Objetive-C wrappers to features found in CoreFoundation with extra features and functionality not covered by Objetive-C
GameKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	GK	Obj-C	Manages P2P connectivity. With iOS 4.1 and later, GameKit can be used with Game Center (an extension to the framework) to create social games.
GLKit	No	Yes	Yes	GLK	Obj-C	Utility classes for building OpenGL ES applications.
GSS.framework	No	Yes	Yes	gss	--	Security related services - Apple advises to look at the headers as they provide no documentation.
iAD	Yes	Yes	Yes	AD	Obj-c	Classes for displaying advertisements
ImageIO	Yes	Yes	Yes	CG	C++	Input and output for images. Part of CoreGraphics
IOKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	--	C++	Low-level framework for communicating with the kernal and hardware. Apple advises not to use this framework directly and will reject it from the AppStore.
MapKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	MK	Obj-C	Classes for embedding Map graphical interfaces. Pre iOS 5.1 Google Mobile Maps is used to provide map data, post iOS 5.1 Apple provides the map data.
MediaPlayer	Yes	Yes	Yes	MP	Obj-C	Provides facilities to play audio, and video. Also allows access to the iPod or 'Music' library.
MediaToolbox	No	No	Yes	MT	C++	Apple has no reference as of writing, headers appear to suggest audio processing.
MessageUI	Yes	Yes	Yes	MF	Obj-C	Interfaces for SMS and Mail compose view controller without leaving the application.
MobileCoreServices	Yes	Yes	Yes	UT	C	Defines UTIs supported by the system.
NewsstandKit	No	Yes	Yes	NK	Obj-C	Interfaces for downloading Newsstand application content.
OpenAL	Yes	Yes	Yes	AL	C++	Interface for the cross-platform audio library
OpenGLES	Yes	Yes	Yes	EAGL, GL	C	Interface for the OpenGL ES library.
PassKit	No	No	Yes	PK	Obj-C	Interfaces for creation of Passes for Passbook.app.
QuartzCore	Yes	Yes	Yes	CA	Obj-C	Contains the CoreAntimation interfaces
QuickLook	Yes	Yes	Yes	QL	Obj-C	Interfaces for previewing files of formats you don't handle.
Security	Yes	Yes	Yes	CSSM, Sec	Obj-C	Interfactes for managing keys, trust policies, and certificates.
Social	No	No	Yes	SL	Obj-C	Interfaces for interacting with social accounts. Currently they are Facebook, Twitter, and Sina Weibo.
StoreKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	SK	Obj-C	Interfaces for handling the transactions in in-app purchases.
SystemConfiguration	Yes	Yes	Yes	SC	C++	Iterfaces for determining network avaliablity.
Twitter	No	Yes	Yes	TW	Obj-C	Interfaces for sending tweets. In iOS 6.0 and later this should be replaced by Social.framework as it will eventually be depricated.
UIKit	Yes	Yes	Yes	UI	Obj-C	Classes for iOS UI elements and for the user interface layer of applciations.
VideoToolbox	No	No	Yes	--	--	Interfaces used by the device. Apple states not to include this framework directly.

Private Frameworks

All private frameworks can be found inside /System/Library/PrivateFrameworks. The descriptions may be incorrect, since most frameworks are not documented after all.

Framework	Description
FaceCoreLight	Face recognition.
Internal Preferences	Internal Settings.bundle relies on this framework.
FTServices	FaceTime / iMessage auth framework.
AXRuntime	Accessibility.
GPUSupport	Used extensively by the user-mode porion of the PowerVR drivers.
H4ISPServices	Interface to the camera driver on H4 (Apple A5)
Twitter	Apple's twitter implementation in iOS 5.
OpenCL	Apple's implementation of Khronos' OpenCL.
XPCObjects	An Objective-C wrapper of the XPC interprocess communication interface.
AppleSerialMultiplexer	An interface to the multiplexer daemon.

Files

• (none)

Parents

Root/System/Library