Within the earlier put up I checked out a number of the historical past of how we packaged up our library code to be used by our fellow builders. We checked out a number of the advantages of static libraries versus dynamic frameworks which additionally include headers wanted by the integrator.
Now let’s dive into the steps that have been mandatory for me to allow SPM assist on the primary few libraries DTCoreText, DTFoundation and Kvitto. It took me a number of days to iron out all of the kinks and I’d like to share with you what I discovered within the course of.
We’re used to utilizing Xcode to explain what goes right into a construct: Which information to compile, what exterior libraries to hyperlink to, what assets are wanted and likewise normal construct settings just like the vary and sorts of supported platforms. Extra exactly, these settings are contained within the challenge.pbxproj file inside your xcodeproj bundle.
With SwiftPM there isn’t any such challenge file. Slightly every little thing is outlined in human-readable kind within the Package deal.swift file.
For some primary terminology: we outline sure merchandise (i.e. static library, dynamic framework, app bundle and so forth, useful resource bundle, unit take a look at bundle), that relate to quite a few targets (a bucket for a bunch of supply code information and assets). Here’s a distinction from Xcode the place goal and product is used synonymously.
Package deal Definition
Step one, and most vital one, is so as to add a package deal definition file to the foundation folder of the repository. It must be on this place as a result of Swift Packages are referenced by the repository URL and SwiftPM will solely take a look at the highest folder for Package deal.swift.
Right here’s the definition for Kvitto, for reference. This has all parts you would possibly encounter, together with a dependency on one other package deal, a few assets on high of the definition of 1 product and a number of goal.
// swift-tools-version:5.3
import PackageDescription
let package deal = Package deal(
identify: "Kvitto",
platforms: [
.iOS(.v9), //.v8 - .v13
.macOS(.v10_10), //.v10_10 - .v10_15
.tvOS(.v9), //.v9 - .v13
],
merchandise: [
.library(
name: "Kvitto",
targets: ["Kvitto"]),
],
dependencies: [
.package(url: "https://github.com/Cocoanetics/DTFoundation.git",
from: "1.7.15"),
],
targets: [
.target(
name: "Kvitto",
dependencies: [
.product(name: "DTFoundation",
package: "DTFoundation"),
],
path: "Core",
exclude: ["Info.plist"]),
.testTarget(
identify: "KvittoTests",
dependencies: ["Kvitto"],
path: "Check",
exclude: ["Info.plist"],
assets: [.copy("Resources/receipt"),
.copy("Resources/sandboxReceipt")]),
]
)The primary line would possibly solely appear like a remark to you, however it’s important for the swift instruments to find out what syntax parts are supported. Model 5.3 is required if in case you have assets in any goal. Should you set that to one thing decrease you get syntax errors concerning the useful resource definitions. Should you set that to five.3 however don’t specify useful resource definitions (for non-standard assets) you’re going to get warnings about unknown information that you must both exclude or outline as assets.
I discovered myself conflicted about that, as I had talked about within the earlier article. All code would work on Swift 5.0 and up and solely the take a look at goal has assets. I may get extra inexperienced checkmarks on Swift Package deal Index if I eliminated the .testTarget definition.
On the opposite aspect the swift instruments allow you to run thusly outlined unit exams from the command line and functioning unit exams additionally ought to depend as an indication of fine library high quality. Lastly, all people ought to be utilizing Swift 5.3 anyway as that’s the baseline customary for the reason that launch of Xcode 12.
That’s why I selected to depart it at that.
The essential setup of the package deal definition is easy. You have got the package deal identify, then some minimal platform variations. Observe that these minimal OS variations don’t imply that that would limit the the package deal to particular platforms.
The merchandise part defines what sort of library comes out of the construct course of. The default setting (invisible) is to supply a static library, by specifying kind: .dynamic you get a dynamic framework as an alternative. The targets array specifies which targets will get merged into the ultimate product.
I believed for a second that that is perhaps good to have the assets be added to the framework as an alternative of a separate useful resource bundle, like we’re used to. However alas the dealing with of assets stays the identical they usually get bundled right into a Product_Target.bundle. So subsequently I’d relatively have the static library – which is able to get merged into the app binary – relatively than having yet one more separate framework bundle contained in the app bundle.
As I defined within the earlier article, dynamic frameworks ought to be averted if the supply code for libraries is public. So we’re proud of the static library default.
The dependencies part lists the exterior reference to different packages. You specify the repository URL and the minimal variations. The proven approach with from and a model would settle for all 1.x.x variations from and together with 1.7.15. There are additionally different methods to specify an actual quantity or sure ranges.
Final come the targets. We have now an everyday goal for the package deal and a take a look at goal for all of the unit exams. Should you don’t specify a path then SwiftPM expects the supply code within the Sources folder beneath the goal’s folder and assets in a Sources folder. I’ve a unique construction, so I specified a customized path.
I’ve to exclude the Information.plist for each targets as a result of that is utilized by two targets outlined contained in the Xcode challenge. And for the take a look at goal I specify two assets to be copied with the trail relative to the goal customized path. These copy directions are mandatory as a result of the contained assets don’t have a kind that Xcode is aware of the best way to deal with. For issues like strings information or XIBs you don’t should specify something.
Evaluate the dependencies key of each targets. On the one hand you see that I’m referencing the exterior dependency of the principle goal. Then again the take a look at goal requires the principle goal to work. That’s additionally a distinction to Xcode the place the examined code resides inside a number utility, the place’s right here it’s compiled into the unit take a look at bundle.
Goal Concerns
You is perhaps questioning why there’s a distinction between merchandise and targets in SPM. One purpose for that you’ve already seen: there isn’t any purpose for the take a look at goal to be represented in a product. Easy packages will usually solely have one product that may solely consist of 1 goal.
Though I already discovered two extra causes, to separate code out into extra particular person targets after which additionally merchandise.
You would possibly assume that Swift Package deal Supervisor would solely all you to have code written in Swift. However you’ll be unsuitable, Any language goes, additionally Goal-C and different C dialects. However SPM doesn’t permit you to combine C-based languages with Swift in a single goal.
In a single challenge I had some Goal-C code for a perform with lots of ifs. I rewrote that in Swift solely to search out that compiling this could take greater than a minute, in contrast to a couple seconds in Goal-C. So I selected to depart the perform because it was. The answer was to place it right into a separate Goal-C goal and refer that to an inside dependency from the principle Swift goal.
The opposite good purpose for a separate goal and product was to have some widespread information mannequin code that may be utilized by inside targets and likewise by way of import in an app consuming my library. In locations the place the consumer would solely want the shared definitions he would import the precise module for that. Elsewhere he would import different targets which in flip may additionally make use of these definitions internally.
Every product turns into its personal module.
Resourcefulness
I discussed above you could let SPM do its personal factor with regards to customary useful resource varieties, like localised strings, XIBs, storyboards and asset catalogs. Should you use string localisation although, it’s a must to specify the challenge’s default language.
Different varieties it’s a must to both particularly exclude or specify what ought to be completed for it. You may both specify a .copy for every particular person useful resource or additionally for your entire Sources folder. Since I’ve solely two take a look at information and that’s not going to vary, it wasn’t an excessive amount of work so as to add these individually.
SPM expects assets in the identical folder {that a} goal’s supply information reside in (or a sub-folder thereof). The explanation for that’s once more that there isn’t any Xcode challenge file the place you would specify membership of sure information to particular targets. You specify what belongs the place by how it’s specified by the file system together of the package deal definition.
Say you’ve gotten a single place the place you’ve gotten localised strings information downloaded from a translation web site like POEditor however you need them to be included in several targets. A way to realize that’s to create soft-links contained in the goal’s useful resource folders to the information. I wrote this shell script to create the lproj folders for all languages after which create the hyperlinks.
#!/bin/sh
echo "Eradicating present strings"
rm -rf ../TFMViews/Sources/*.lproj
rm -rf ../TFMExtension/Sources/*.lproj
PWD=`pwd`
for entry in *.lproj
do
echo "Linking $entry..."
mkdir ../TFMViews/Sources/$entry
ln -s ../../../Strings/$entry/TFMViews.stringsdict
../TFMViews/Sources/$entry
ln -s ../../../Strings/$entry/TFMViews.strings
../TFMViews/Sources/$entry
mkdir ../TFMExtension/Sources/$entry
ln -s ../../../Strings/$entry/TFMExtension.stringsdict
../TFMExtension/Sources/$entry
ln -s ../../../Strings/$entry/TFMExtension.strings
../TFMExtension/Sources/$entry
completedThe identical strategy of soft-links will also be employed for Goal-C based mostly packages the place you’ll be able to hyperlink to all related public headers in an embody folder.
Platform-specific Code
For the reason that package deal has no facility for limiting particular supply code to particular platforms or OS variations, you’ll face the scenario that sure code gained’t compile for different platforms. A workaround for this limitation is the usage of conditional compilation directives.
For instance, every little thing that references UIKit can’t be compiled for macOS or watchOS, so I’ve a couple of locations in DTCoreText or DTFoundation (each written in Goal-C) the place your entire implementation is enclosed in:
#import <TargetConditionals.h>
#if TARGET_OS_IPHONE && !TARGET_OS_WATCH
...
#endifI additionally discovered that typically I needed to additionally import the TargetConditionals header for the defines to work. Particularly sure Goal-C class extensions in DTCoreText wouldn’t be seen within the public interface if I didn’t import this header. I’ve no rationalization as to why, however including the import for the header fastened it.
Contained in the Xcode Challenge
The modifications for conditional compilation apart, there’s nothing you’ll want to change in your Xcode challenge – until you need to. The principal setup for the package deal occurs in Package deal.swift. You may construct the package deal with issuing swift construct.
I discovered it handy so as to add a reference to the package deal contained in the Xcode challenge as a result of this lets you debug your code within the context of being compiled for a package deal. Should you drag any folder (containing a package deal definition) into the challenge navigator pane, Xcode will add an area package deal reference for you, with an emblem of a cute little field.
In Xcode 12 there’s a bug that in the event you do this for the challenge folder itself, it appears to work, however when you shut the challenge and reopen it once more, the reference turns into defunct. The best way to repair it’s to vary the reference to “Relative to Challenge” and open the folder selector by way of the folder button and re-select the challenge root folder.
This additionally creates a scheme for constructing the package deal and the package deal’s merchandise turn out to be obtainable to hyperlink/embed to your app. Package deal merchandise have an icon of a greek temple. If they’re static libraries then they’ll get merged into the app binary, dynamic frameworks will likely be added to the app’s Frameworks folder.
Xcode additionally creates a scheme for the package deal, putting it in .swiftpm/xcode/xcshareddata/xcschemes/. I moved it into the shared schemes folder of the xcodeproj and renamed it to Kvitto-Package deal.xcscheme.
I had the watchOS platform builds on Swift Package deal Index fail as a result of xcodebuild insists on constructing all targets, together with the take a look at goal. This fails as a result of unit exams require XCTest which doesn’t excite for watchOS.
By offering an aptly named shared scheme it would solely construct the principle goal and I achieved inexperienced checkmarks for watchOS on SPI.
Library Unit Checks
To run the unit exams contained within the take a look at goal, all you’ll want to do is to run swift take a look at on the command line, from the repository root folder.
Some magic was required to get that to work as a result of take a look at information required by the unit exams aren’t bundled within the .xctest bundle. For normal packages a useful resource bundle accessor is being routinely generated, which you should use with Bundle.module.
The accessor works by figuring out the trail of the executable and developing a bundle identify from names of package deal and goal. Within the case of unit exams the executable is xcrun contained within the Xcode.app bundle the place it has no likelihood of discovering the Kvitto_KittoTests.bundle.
My ugly, however useful, workaround for that is as follows:
func urlForTestResource(identify: String, ofType ext: String?) -> URL?
{
let bundle = Bundle(for: kind(of: self))
#if SWIFT_PACKAGE
// there's a bug the place Bundle.module factors to the trail of xcrun contained in the Xcode.app bundle, as an alternative of the take a look at bundle
// that aborts unit exams with message:
// Deadly error: couldn't load useful resource bundle: /Functions/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/usr/bin/Kvitto_KvittoTests.bundle: file KvittoTests/resource_bundle_accessor.swift, line 7
// workaround: attempt to discover the useful resource bundle on the construct path
let buildPathURL = bundle.bundleURL.deletingLastPathComponent()
guard let resourceBundle = Bundle(url: buildPathURL.appendingPathComponent("Kvitto_KvittoTests.bundle")),
let path = resourceBundle.path(forResource: identify, ofType: ext) else
{
return nil
}
return URL(fileURLWithPath: path)
#else
guard let path = bundle.path(forResource: identify, ofType: ext) else
{
return nil
}
return URL(fileURLWithPath: path)
#endif
}This depends on the truth that the useful resource bundle will likely be created parallel to the xctest bundle, in the identical construct folder. The #if SWIFT_PACKAGE conditional compilation will solely be added if this code is constructed as a part of a swift package deal. With this workaround, the earlier mechanisms of operating the unit take a look at scheme by way of Xcode continues to work.
The wonderful thing about Swift being open supply, is that we are able to additionally examine the code for the useful resource accessor on GitHub. It seems that the talked about bug has already been addressed there. The repair was made too late to make it into Swift 5.3 in Xcode 12 however has been confirmed to be current in Xcode 12.2.
Conclusion
I discover that the evolution of Swift Package deal Supervisor as progressed sufficiently to start out including assist for it to my libraries. It’s attainable and advisable to take action along with different methods of integration, like Xcode subproject, Cocoapods or Carthage.
Probably the most annoying limitation remaining is that you simply can not restrict targets to sure platforms or specify a spread of supported OS variations per goal. However these can simply be labored round with conditional compilation directives.
The standard standards partially enforced by the Swift Package deal Index coupled with the discoverability of parts additionally make it enticing for library distributors to contemplate supporting Swift Package deal Supervisor. Having the dependency administration taken care of by Xcode is the best function of all.
Additionally revealed on Medium.
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