title: Does iOS 8 support dynamic linking?
body: <p>Up until iOS7, Apple did not support dynamic linking due to security concerns. Code reuse between developers usually relied on static libraries, which were built as part of the executable of the app.</p>
  
  <p>Introducing extensions in iOS8 seems to change this a bit, because extensions are separate executables. Sharing code between an extension and its containing app is done via a framework. Apple is saying this in their release notes:</p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Frameworks for iOS. iOS developers can now create <strong>dynamic</strong> frameworks.
    Frameworks are a collection of code and resources to encapsulate
    functionality that is valuable across multiple projects. Frameworks
    work perfectly with extensions, sharing logic that can be used by both
    the main application, and the bundled extensions.</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>Emphasis is mine.</p>
  
  <p>Source: <a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Xcode/Conceptual/WhatsNewXcode-Archive/Articles/xcode_6_0.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014509-SW14" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/Xcode/Conceptual/WhatsNewXcode-Archive/Articles/xcode_6_0.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014509-SW14</a></p>
  
  <p>Further, in the extension dev guide, they explain that you can share code between an extension and the containing app via a "embedded framework".</p>
  
  <p>Source: <a href="https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Conceptual/ExtensibilityPG/ExtensionScenarios.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014214-CH21-SW1" rel="nofollow noreferrer">https://developer.apple.com/library/content/documentation/General/Conceptual/ExtensibilityPG/ExtensionScenarios.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014214-CH21-SW1</a></p>
  
  <p>My question is - what is an embedded framework, how does it differ from a dynamic framework, and will we really see proper dynamic linking in iOS8? All the documentation I've read seems ambiguous about this.</p>