Swift CLI Template

Swift CLI template based on Swift Package Manager, with a simple script to generate your CLI project.

Contents

• How to use
• FAQ
  • Why CLI?
  • Why Swift CLI?
  • Why SPM?
  • Why those dependencies?
  • Why Makefile?
  • Why fixed dependency / limited features / generator via shell script... ?
• TODO
• Used by

How to use

• Clone this repo.
• Open terminal and cd DOWNLOADED_REPO_PATH/SwiftCLITempalte.
• Run ./generate-cli-project.sh for help.
  • Example: run ./generate-cli-project.sh MyCLIProject my-cli
• cd MyCLIProject and write your CLI logic.
  • make to build and run your CLI project.
  • make test to run unit tests.

FAQ

Why CLI?

• Faster to write? ...not really faster than writing GUI in Delphi in 1998.
• Easier to use? ...not for young developers grew up with Xcode.
• Cross-platform? Yes, definitely easier to support multiple platforms than GUI.
• CI/CD? DevOps? ...yes, can be used anywhere. There may not be GUI, but there is always a shell environment.
• ...and it's actually faster to write and easier to use if you are used to it.

Why Swift CLI?

• Swift is a modem, type safe, protocol oriented language that promotes good architectural design and coding practice.
• First class citizen in macOS, decent support in Linux.
• Swift Argument Parser is a great library for CLI.
• In macOS, you can invoke Apple's A/V processing, Machine Learning frameworks, etc.
• ...as an iOS developer, you already unlocked "Lv1 swift" skill, so why not use it?

Why SPM?

Or why not Xcode? First of all, even in 2023, SPM still feels worse than Cocoapods. But it's good enough for CLI usage.

So the main point is, Xcode feels too "heavy" for most CLI usage. And Xcode project files look ugly. Tools like tuist can help, but those are more things to learn.

Having these being said, Xcode allows you to debug in GUI if needed. If that's the case, use something else instead.

Why those dependencies?

• Swift argument parser is a must-have for CLI as long as you need argument parsing, which is 99% the case.
• After using Quick and Nimble, you really can't go back to XCTest. Who doesn't love pretty codes?

Why Makefile?

• Feel free to run swift build and so on, it's the same thing. However make is faster to type and already became my muscle memory.
• You don't need to learn the whole make system to use it. Like vim, even knowing 5% of make will save you a lot of time in CLI world.

Why fixed dependency / limited features / generator via shell script... ?

This is why I make this project open source! Feel free to make your own changes.

TODO

Here are some to-do items from myself:

• Replace the generator script with a Swift CLI utility.
• Setup dependency via CLI argument.
• Setup Swift version via CLI argument.

Used by

• XStringCatalog