Swift Package Manager Plugins: What’s New?
1 ) Weak Linking and Plugin Architecture Challenges
Developers are exploring how to implement plugin architectures using the Swift Package Manager (SPM), where plugins are dynamically loaded shared libraries (.dylibs/.so).
A common requirement is for the host application to be a single file executable that statically links dependencies, while plugins reference these dependencies dynamically without direct linkage.
Achieving this weak linking setup, familiar from Clang’s ` undefined dynamic_lookup` flag, is complex in SPM due to its design.
Discussions highlight workarounds like using `unsafeFlags` and maintaining compatibility across platforms (macOS and Linux).
The community is still seeking ideal solutions for separating static linking in the host while enabling plugins to dynamically use those symbols.
2 ) Using Swift Packages in Capacitor Plugins
There is growing interest in integrating SPM only third party packages into Capacitor plugins, particularly with the transition from Capacitor 5 to Capacitor 6.
Capacitor 6 introduces better support for SPM, but challenges remain in properly adding and resolving SPM packages within plugin and app projects.
Some users report issues where plugins fail to function on iOS despite following documentation, indicating that SPM integration in Capacitor is still maturing.
Workarounds involve manually editing `Package.swift` to add dependencies and awaiting more stable releases of Capacitor 6.
3 ) Conditionally Adding Command Plugin Dependencies
Swift Package Manager introduced command plugins to define build tools within package manifests, but there is an ongoing issue with unnecessary dependencies being included for clients who don't need them.
Developers suggest conditionalizing these dependencies so that tools like code formatters are included only when relevant, e.g., when running build commands.
Current workarounds use environment variables to conditionally add dependencies, but many desire native SPM support for this feature.
Discussions and pull requests in the SPM project are addressing better dependency management for plugin only dependencies to avoid bloating client packages.
4 ) General Evolution of Swift Package Manager
Swift Package Manager was created to fill the gap for cross platform Swift development, especially for Linux, offering dependency management and a build system outside of Xcode.
Apple's approach leverages existing technologies like llbuild, focusing on Swift specific needs rather than generic build systems.
Despite years of development, SPM adoption for iOS app projects has been slower than anticipated, partly due to legacy tools like CocoaPods and complexities around integration.
Recent improvements include extensible build tools and plugin support aimed at enabling more dynamic build processes, such as code generation and resource embedding during builds.
Summary:
The Swift Package Manager ecosystem is rapidly evolving with notable improvements in plugin support, conditional dependency management, and integration with other platforms and tools like Capacitor. However, challenges remain in implementing advanced linking models, achieving seamless integration in diverse environments, and managing plugin related dependencies cleanly. Community discussions and ongoing enhancements indicate a promising future for SPM as a more powerful and flexible package and build system for Swift developers.
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