Binary targets and trendy Swift packages
Swift 5.6 launched numerous new options for the Swift Bundle Supervisor infrastructure. We have been already in a position to outline binary targets, and use xcframeworks as binary goal dependencies for our apps. They work nice if you’re concentrating on Apple platforms, however sadly the xcframework format is just not appropriate with Linux distributions, to not point out the Home windows working system.
That is the place artifact bundles might help. If you’re creating apps for a number of platforms now you can create an artifact bundle, place all of the appropriate variants into this new construction and SPM can select the best one based mostly in your structure. 💪
Earlier than we really dive in to our important subject, I’ll shortly present you create an xcframework and ship it as a binary goal by way of SPM.
XCFrameworks and SPM
Earlier than the introduction of the brand new format we needed to fiddle with FAT binaries to help a number of platforms. I’ve a deep dive article about frameworks and instruments that you should use to assemble a FAT binary, however I now not suggest it since XCFrameworks are right here to remain. 🔨
With the intention to construct an XCFramework, you must use Xcode and a course of could be very easy. You simply have to pick the Framework sort below the iOS tab once you create a brand new mission. Be at liberty to call it, add your Swift supply code and that is it.
You’ll be able to construct this mission utilizing the command line for a number of platforms by way of the next script.
# construct for iOS gadgets
xcodebuild archive
-scheme MySDK
-sdk iphoneos
-archivePath "construct/ios_devices.xcarchive"
BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION=YES
SKIP_INSTALL=NO
# construct for iOS simulators
xcodebuild archive
-scheme MySDK
-sdk iphonesimulator
-archivePath "construct/ios_simulators.xcarchive"
BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION=YES
SKIP_INSTALL=NO
# construct for macOS gadgets
xcodebuild archive
-sdk macosx MACOSX_DEPLOYMENT_TARGET=11.0
-arch x86_64 -arch arm64
BUILD_LIBRARY_FOR_DISTRIBUTION=YES
-scheme "MySDK"
-archivePath "construct/macos_devices.xcarchive" SKIP_INSTALL=NO
# mix the slices and create the xcframework file
xcodebuild -create-xcframework
-framework construct/ios_devices.xcarchive/Merchandise/Library/Frameworks/MySDK.framework
-framework construct/ios_simulators.xcarchive/Merchandise/Library/Frameworks/MySDK.framework
-framework construct/macos_devices.xcarchive/Merchandise/Library/Frameworks/MySDK.framework
-output MySDK.xcframework
You’ll be able to even construct variations for Catalyst and different working programs, if you perform a little search you may simply work out the required parameters and configuration. Lengthy story brief, it is very straightforward to create an xcframework output together with all form of platform slices for particular gadgets. 😊
Now if you wish to use this XCFramework, you may merely drag and drop it to your Xcode mission and it ought to work with out additional points (if it accommodates the mandatory slices). Alternatively you should use Swift package deal supervisor and create a binary goal an hook up your exterior framework bundle by way of SPM. That is how a quite simple configuration file appears to be like like.
import PackageDescription
let package deal = Bundle(
title: "MySDK",
merchandise: [
.library(name: "MySDK", targets: ["MySDK"]),
],
dependencies: [
],
targets: [
.binaryTarget(name: "MySDK", path: "./MySDK.xcframework")
]
)In your mission you should use the library product as a normal dependency, and the underlying binary goal will deal with importing the mandatory header information and linking the precise library. The one downside with this strategy is that it’s macOS (or to be much more exact Apple OS solely).
Say howdy to artifact bundles for Swift PM
All proper, so XCFrameworks cannot be used below Linux, however individuals like to put in writing command line scripts in Swift and use them for server facet tasks. In some circumstances these scripts (or plugins), wish to name exterior scripts that aren’t put in on the system by default. That is the place artifact bundles might help, as a result of it makes attainable to ship a number of variations of the identical executable binary file. 🤔
Artifact bundles are usually not a substitute for xcframeworks, however extra like an addition, or enchancment because the proposal title signifies this, for the Swift package deal supervisor plugin structure. They permit us to ship precompiled binary information for a number of platforms, this manner plugin authors do not must compile these instruments from supply and the plugin execution time may be closely decreased.
There’s a nice weblog put up about wrapping the SwiftLint executable in an artifact bundle, so I do not actually need to get into the main points this time, as a result of it is fairly easy. The proposal itself helps lots to grasp the essential setup, additionally the older binary dependencies proposal accommodates some associated information good job Swift crew. 👍
I would like to present an honorable point out to Karim Alweheshy, who’s actively working with the brand new Swift package deal supervisor plugin infrastructure, he has an incredible repository on GitHub that demos artifact bundles so please have a look when you’ve got time. 🙏
Anyway, I’ll present you wrap an executable into an artifact bundle. At present there isn’t any option to wrap libraries into artifact bundles, that is going to be added in a while.
# create a easy howdy world executable mission
mkdir MyApp
cd $_
swift package deal init --type=executable
# construct the mission utilizing launch config
swift construct -c launch
# copy the binary
cp $(swift construct --show-bin-path -c launch)/MyApp ./myapp
# init a brand new instance mission
mkdir MyPluginExample
cd $_
swift package deal init
mkdir myapp.artifactbundle
cd $_
mkdir myapp-1.0.0-macos
cd $_
mkdir bin
Now the file construction is prepared, we should always create a brand new information.json file below the artifactbundle listing with the next contents. This may describe your bundle with the out there binary variants, you may check out the proposals for the out there triplets variations.
{
"schemaVersion": "1.0",
"artifacts": {
"myapp": {
"model": "1.0.0",
"sort": "executable",
"variants": [
{
"path": "myapp-1.0.0-macos/bin/myapp",
"supportedTriples": ["x86_64-apple-macosx", "arm64-apple-macosx"]
}
]
}
}
}
Copy the myapp binary below the myapp-1.0.0-macos/bin/myapp location, and eventually we’ll make a quite simple command plugin to take advangate of this newly added instrument.
import PackagePlugin
import Basis
@important
struct MyDistCommandPlugin: CommandPlugin {
func performCommand(context: PluginContext, arguments: [String]) throws {
let myAppTool = attempt context.instrument(named: "myapp")
let myAppToolURL = URL(fileURLWithPath: myAppTool.path.string)
let course of = attempt Course of.run(myAppToolURL, arguments: [])
course of.waitUntilExit()
}
}Watch out with the paths and file names, I used lowercase letters for every part on this instance, I like to recommend to comply with this sample once you create your artifact bundle binaries.
swift package deal plugin --list
# ‘howdy’ (plugin ‘HelloCommand’ in package deal ‘MyPluginExample’)
swift package deal howdy
# Good day, world!
That is it, now we have a working artifact bundle with a customized made executable out there for macOS. We are able to use this artifact bundle as a dependency for a plugin and run the instrument through the use of the plugin APIs. I would actually love to have the ability to cross compile Swift libraries and executable information in a while, this might make the event / deployment workflow a bit easier. Anyway, artifact bundles are a pleasant little addition, I actually like the way in which you may ship binaries for a number of platforms and I hope that we’re going to have the ability to share libraries as effectively in a similar way. 😊
