WWDC gave us many causes to each migrate libraries to SwiftPM and to develop new ones to help our work. The combination between Xcode growth and SwiftPM dependencies retains rising stronger and extra essential.
Apple’s Modifying a Bundle Dependency as a Native Bundle assumes you’ll drag in your package deal to an Xcode undertaking as a neighborhood package deal overrides one which’s imported via a traditional package deal dependency.
In Creating a Swift Bundle in Tandem with an App, Apple writes, “To develop a Swift package deal in tandem with an app, you may leverage the conduct whereby a neighborhood package deal overrides a package deal dependency with the identical identify…in the event you launch a brand new model of your Swift package deal or need to cease utilizing the native package deal, take away it from the undertaking to make use of the package deal dependency once more.”
I don’t use this strategy. It’s not unhealthy or unsuitable, it simply doesn’t match my model.
Alternatively, opening the Bundle.swift file on to develop has drawbacks in that it doesn’t totally provide Xcode’s suite of IDE help options but.
So I’ve been engaged on a private resolution that greatest works for me. I need my package deal growth and its assessments to reside individually from any particular consumer app exterior a testbed. I want to make sure that my code will swift construct and swift check correctly however I additionally need to use Xcode’s built-in compilation and unit testing with my completely happy inexperienced checks.
I set out to determine how greatest, at the least for me, to develop Swift packages below the xcodeproj umbrella.
I first explored swift package deal generate-xcodeproj. This builds an Xcode library undertaking 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 an alternative 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 Assessments/ Creating Assessments/LinuxMain.swift Creating Assessments/GenerateTests/ Creating Assessments/GenerateTests/GenerateTests.swift Creating Assessments/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 take advantage of a personalized world ignore file. That is what the ensuing undertaking seems to be like:
As you see, the generated Xcode undertaking has every part 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 sluggish, 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 method to construct my base package deal setting. It’s hacky however I a lot favor the end result. As a substitute of producing the undertaking, I begin with a testbed undertaking after which create my package deal. This strategy 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 accommodates solely an Data.plist and a bridging header. It in any other case builds from no matter Sources I’ve added.
I a lot favor this set-up to the generate-xcodeproj strategy, though it takes barely longer to set-up. The explanation for that is that SwiftPM and Xcode use totally different philosophies for the way a undertaking folder is structured. SwiftPM has its Sources and Assessments. Xcode makes use of a supply folder named after the undertaking.
So I take away that folder, add a Sources group to the undertaking, and be sure that my construct phases sees and compiles these information. The Assessments want comparable tweaks, plus I’ve so as to add a symbolic hyperlink from Xcode’s assessments identify (e.g. “ProjectNameAssessments”) to my SwiftPM Assessments folder on the prime degree of my undertaking to get it to all cling 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 best instruments at hand.
Since I’m speaking about set-up, let me add that my duties additionally embody 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 robotically 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 combination of SwiftPM and Xcode to proceed rising over the following couple of years. Since WWDC, I’ve been significantly enthusiastic about creating, deploying, and integrating SwiftPM packages. I believed I’d share this in case it would assist others. Let me know.