Apple has made the build system in its high-level programming language Swift — used by llbuild, the Swift Package Manager and Swift Playground — officially open source.
Apple formally contributed the code of Swift Build to GitHub on February 1. The repository contributed by Apple also includes support for Windows and Linux, alongside Apple’s platforms.
Build systems take the code the programmer writes and turn that work into standard components like libraries and command-line tools used to create working applications. Currently, Swift offers two different build managers, which the Swift team identified as a source of developer issues.
Apple now wants to make the new Swift Build component the only build system, which will work across all supported platforms. Swift Build is part of the Swift Package Manager — a key component of Xcode, Apple’s integrated development environment for macOS.
Towards a more open Swift language
In a related development, Swift has adopted the code of conduct defined by the Contributor Covenant, a code of conduct for contributors to free/open source software projects. The Swift team noted that the covenent “is used across many open source communities, and we think it articulates our values well.”
According to Apple’s notes on the package, outside contributions to Swift Build are “welcomed and encouraged.” The notes also mention that “to be a truly great community, Swift.org needs to welcome developers from all walks of life, with different backgrounds, and with a wide range of experience.”
“A diverse and friendly community will have more great ideas, more unique perspectives, and produce more great code,” according to the Swift development team. “We will work diligently to make the Swift community welcoming to everyone.”
Apple’s next Swift Student Challenge, intended to encourage young programmers to become fluent in Swift, opens on February 3. A total of 350 developers aged 13 or older will be picked as winners in various categories, with the top 50 being rewarded with a trip to Apple’s Cupertino corporate campus.
