http://w3facility.info/question/how-do-i-force-xcode-to-rebuild-the-info-plist-file-in-my-project-every-time-i-build-the-project/#answer-18578076

AboutTab.m

// FYI I also auto set the version and build on the About tab with the following code

NSDictionary *infoDictionary = [[NSBundle mainBundle] infoDictionary];
NSString *appDisplayName = infoDictionary[@"CFBundleDisplayName"];
NSString *majorVersion = infoDictionary[@"CFBundleShortVersionString"];
NSString *minorVersion = infoDictionary[@"CFBundleVersion"];

self.appDescription.text = [NSString stringWithFormat:@"Dirty Dog Software\n%@\nVersion: %@(%@)",
                       appDisplayName, majorVersion, minorVersion];

Answer.md

I too have automated setting my version numbers. I created a Run Script Build Phase. The key is to update the target build directory copy of the Info.plist not build directory one. You also need to have your run script after the copy bundle phase. It ok to edit the bundle file directly because is before code signing. You don’t want to generate the file thats reinventing the wheel.

script.sh

# ---------------------------- IMPORTANT ----------------------------
# You must set GITHash to something like 'Set by build script' in the file
# file '<Project Name>-Info.plist' in the 'Supporting Files' group
# -------------------------------------------------------------------
#
# Get the version number from the tag in git and the number of commits as the build number
#
appVersion=$(git describe --long | cut -f 1 -d "-") 
appBuild=$(git describe --long | cut -f 2 -d "-") 
gitHash=$(git describe --long | cut -f 3 -d "-")
echo "From GIT Version = $appVersion Build = $appBuild"

#
# Set the version info in plist file
#
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Set :CFBundleShortVersionString $appVersion" "${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${INFOPLIST_PATH}"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Set :CFBundleVersion $appBuild" "${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${INFOPLIST_PATH}"
/usr/libexec/PlistBuddy -c "Set :GITHash $gitHash" "${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${INFOPLIST_PATH}"
echo "Updated ${TARGET_BUILD_DIR}/${INFOPLIST_PATH}"