# Xcode, Playgrounds and the Swift Package Manager — Swift

Source: https://www.skillbyai.com/en/swift/f-setup

> Set up Swift tools and create a package from the command line.

## Tools for writing Swift

On a Mac, **Xcode** is the full IDE for Apple-platform apps: editor, compiler, debugger, Interface Builder, simulators, Instruments for profiling and tools for signing and publishing. **Swift Playgrounds** (on Mac and iPad) and Xcode playgrounds let you experiment with code and see results immediately, which is great for learning. On Linux and Windows, install a toolchain from swift.org and use **VS Code** with the official Swift extension (built on **SourceKit-LSP**). The **Swift Package Manager (SwiftPM)** is built into the toolchain: `swift package init` creates a package with a `Package.swift` manifest, `swift build` compiles, `swift run` runs an executable target, and `swift test` runs tests. Dependencies are declared as Git URLs with version requirements in `Package.swift`, and Xcode understands packages too. Even if you mostly build apps in Xcode, putting reusable code into local Swift packages keeps modules small and testable.

## Creating and running a Swift package

Package.swift declares targets and dependencies.

```bash
mkdir price-tools && cd price-tools
swift package init --type executable
swift build
swift run
swift test

# Package.swift (excerpt)
# // swift-tools-version: 6.0
# import PackageDescription
# let package = Package(
#     name: "price-tools",
#     dependencies: [
#         .package(url: "https://github.com/apple/swift-argument-parser", from: "1.5.0"),
#     ],
#     targets: [
#         .executableTarget(name: "price-tools",
#             dependencies: [.product(name: "ArgumentParser", package: "swift-argument-parser")]),
#         .testTarget(name: "price-toolsTests", dependencies: ["price-tools"]),
#     ]
# )
```

## A workshop and a parts catalogue

Xcode is the fully equipped workshop. SwiftPM is the parts catalogue and assembly line: it fetches the parts (dependencies) you list and builds the product the same way everywhere.

**Quiz:** Which command runs the tests of a Swift package?

- [ ] swift run
- [ ] swift package init
- [ ] xcodebuild install
- [x] swift test

*Answer:* swift test. swift test builds and runs the package's test targets.