Common Questions about Swift Package Manager Answered

In this post, I'd like to answer a few common questions developers have about Swift Package Manager (often abbreviated as SPM or SwiftPM). If you have any other questions, reach out to me on Twitter or send me an email.

Does Swift have a package manager?

Swift Package Manager (often abbreviated as SPM or SwiftPM) is the de facto package manager for Swift development. There are a few other popular dependency managers available, including CocoaPods and Carthage.

What is Swift Package Manager?

Swift Package Manager is a tool for automating the distribution of Swift code. It is tightly integrated into the Swift build system, which makes it easy to work with and integrate into your workflow. The Swift team introduced Swift Package Manager as a means to manage and distribute Swift libraries, frameworks, and other dependencies in a consistent, standardized manner.

Does Swift Package Manager support iOS, tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS?

Yes. The Swift Package Manager supports iOS, tvOS, macOS, watchOS, and visionOS.

How do I install Swift Package Manager?

Swift Package Manager is included with the Swift toolchain, so you don't need to install it separately. SPM is installed when you install Swift on your machine.

How do I use Swift Package Manager with Xcode?

Using Swift Package Manager with Xcode is straightforward. Xcode has built-in support for SPM, which makes adding and removing packages a breeze. Watch or read How to Add a Swift Package to a Project to learn how to manage Swift packages through Xcode.

Is Swift Package Manager open source?

Yes. The Swift programming language is open source, including the Swift toolchain that includes Swift Package Manager. The Swift team at Apple open sourced Swift and its toolchain in December 2015.

You can find the source code of Swift and Swift Package manager on GitHub. You can even contribute to the development of the language and its toolchain by reporting issues and suggesting improvements.

Can I use Swift Package Manager and CocoaPods?

Yes. It is possible to manage dependencies using a combination of Swift Package Manager and CocoaPods. This is especially useful if you are migrating from CocoaPods to Swift Package Manager or if a dependency your project relies on doesn't support SPM.