WWDC gave us many causes to each migrate libraries to SwiftPM and to develop new ones to help our work. The mixing between Xcode improvement and SwiftPM dependencies retains rising stronger and extra essential.
Apple’s Enhancing a Bundle Dependency as a Native Bundle assumes you’ll drag in your package deal to an Xcode venture as a neighborhood package deal overrides one which’s imported via a standard package deal dependency.
In Growing a Swift Bundle in Tandem with an App, Apple writes, “To develop a Swift package deal in tandem with an app, you’ll be able to leverage the conduct whereby a neighborhood package deal overrides a package deal dependency with the identical identify…when you launch a brand new model of your Swift package deal or wish to cease utilizing the native package deal, take away it from the venture to make use of the package deal dependency once more.”
I don’t use this method. It’s not unhealthy or flawed, it simply doesn’t match my type.
However, opening the Bundle.swift file on to develop has drawbacks in that it doesn’t absolutely provide Xcode’s suite of IDE help options but.
So I’ve been engaged on a private resolution that finest works for me. I would like my package deal improvement and its assessments to dwell individually from any particular shopper app outdoors a testbed. I want to make sure that my code will swift construct and swift check correctly however I additionally wish to use Xcode’s built-in compilation and unit testing with my completely satisfied inexperienced checks.
I set out to determine how finest, at the least for me, to develop Swift packages underneath the xcodeproj umbrella.
I first explored swift package deal generate-xcodeproj. This builds an Xcode library venture full with assessments and a package deal goal. You should utilize the --type flag to set the package deal to executable, system-module, or manifest as a substitute of the default (library) throughout swift package deal init:
Generate% swift package deal init Creating library package deal: Generate Creating Bundle.swift Creating README.md Creating .gitignore Creating Sources/ Creating Sources/Generate/Generate.swift Creating Checks/ Creating Checks/LinuxMain.swift Creating Checks/GenerateTests/ Creating Checks/GenerateTests/GenerateTests.swift Creating Checks/GenerateTests/XCTestManifests.swift Generate% swift package deal generate-xcodeproj generated: ./Generate.xcodeproj
Though SwiftPM creates a .gitignore file for you as you see, it doesn’t initialize a git repository. Additionally, I at all times find yourself deleting the .gitignore as I exploit a personalized international ignore file. That is what the ensuing venture appears to be like like:
As you see, the generated Xcode venture has all the pieces however a testbed for you. I actually like having an on-hand testbed, whether or not a easy SwiftUI app or a command line utility to play with concepts. I seemed into utilizing a playground however let’s face it: too gradual, too glitchy, too unreliable.
It’s a ache so as to add a testbed to this set-up, so I got here up with a distinct technique to construct my base package deal atmosphere. It’s hacky however I a lot desire the end result. As a substitute of producing the venture, I begin with a testbed venture after which create my package deal. This method naturally packs a pattern with the package deal however none of that pattern leaks into the package deal itself:
I find yourself with three targets: the pattern app, a library constructed from my Sources, and my assessments. The library folder you see right here comprises solely an Information.plist and a bridging header. It in any other case builds from no matter Sources I’ve added.
I a lot desire this set-up to the generate-xcodeproj method, though it takes barely longer to set-up. The rationale for that is that SwiftPM and Xcode use completely different philosophies for the way a venture folder is structured. SwiftPM has its Sources and Checks. Xcode makes use of a supply folder named after the venture.
So I take away that folder, add a Sources group to the venture, and make sure that my construct phases sees and compiles these recordsdata. The Checks want comparable tweaks, plus I’ve so as to add a symbolic hyperlink from Xcode’s assessments identify (e.g. “ProjectNameChecks”) to my SwiftPM Checks folder on the high stage of my venture to get it to all grasp collectively. As soon as I’ve executed so my inexperienced checks are prepared and ready simply as if I had opened the Bundle.swift file instantly. However this time, I’ve all the appropriate instruments at hand.
Since I’m speaking about set-up, let me add that my duties additionally embrace establishing the README, including a license and creating the preliminary change log. These are SwiftPM setup duties that swift package deal init doesn’t cowl the best way I like. I trash .gitignore however since I’ve Xcode set-up to routinely initialize model management, I don’t need to git init by hand.
I believe it is a short-term workaround as I count on the mixing of SwiftPM and Xcode to proceed rising over the subsequent couple of years. Since WWDC, I’ve been significantly enthusiastic about growing, deploying, and integrating SwiftPM packages. I believed I’d share this in case it’d assist others. Let me know.
