Hello evolution (and build-dev),
I’d like to pitch a QOL proposal to improve the development of command-line
Swift Packages by introducing a `swift run` command. I’d value any feedback
before moving forward.
https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md
Regards,
David.
Swift run Command
Proposal: SE-XXXX
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md>
Authors: David Hart <http://github.com/hartbit/>
Review Manager: TBD
Status: TBD
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md#introduction>Introduction
The proposal introduces a new swift run command to build and run an executable
defined in the current package.
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md#motivation>Motivation
It is common to want to build and run an executable during development. For
now, one must first build it and then execute it from the build folder:
$ swift build
$ .build/debug/myexecutable
In Swift 4, the Swift Package Manager will build to a different path,
containing a platform sub-folder (.build/macosx-x86_64/debug for mac and
.build/linux-x86_64/debug for linux), making it more cumbersome to run the
executable from the command line.
To improve the development workflow, the proposal suggest introducing a new
first-level swift run command that will build if necessary and then run an
executable defined in the Package.swift manifest, replacing the above steps
into just one.
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md#proposed-solution>Proposed
solution
The swift run command would be defined as:
$ swift run --help
OVERVIEW: Build and run executable
USAGE: swift run [options] [executable] [-- arguments]
OPTIONS:
--build-path Specify build/cache directory [default: ./.build]
--chdir, -C Change working directory before any other operation
--in-dir, -I Change working directory before running the executable
--color Specify color mode (auto|always|never) [default: auto]
--configuration, -c Build with configuration (debug|release) [default:
debug]
--enable-prefetching Enable prefetching in resolver
--skip-build Skip building the executable product
--verbose, -v Increase verbosity of informational output
-Xcc Pass flag through to all C compiler invocations
-Xlinker Pass flag through to all linker invocations
-Xswiftc Pass flag through to all Swift compiler invocations
--help Display available options
If needed, the command will build the product before running it. As a result,
it can be passed any options swift buildaccepts. As for swift test, it also
accepts an extra --skip-build option to skip the build phase. A new
--in-diroption is also introduced to run the executable from another directory.
After the options, the command optionally takes the name of an executable
product defined in the Package.swiftmanifest and introduced in SE-0146
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/0146-package-manager-product-definitions.md>.
If called without an executable and the manifest defines one and only one
executable product, it will default to running that one. In any other case, the
command fails.
The executable can be called with arguments by prefixing them with a -- to
separate them from the executable name.
<https://github.com/hartbit/swift-evolution/blob/swift-run-command/proposals/XXXX-swift-run-command.md#alternatives-considered>Alternatives
considered
One alternative to the Swift 4 change of build folder would be for the Swift
Package Manager to create and update a symlink at .build/debug and
.build/release that point to the latest build folder for that configuration.
Although that should probably be done to retain backward-compatibility with
tools that depended on the build location, it does not completely invalid the
usefulness of the run command.
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