swift_bazel , the successor for rules_spm, is ready for testing

[cgrindel]

I am very happy to announce the initial, alpha release of swift_bazel, a solution for leveraging external Swift packages in a Bazel workspace. The swift_bazel project contains a Gazelle plugin and Bazel repository rules that can be used to download, build, and consume Swift packages.

This project is meant to supersede rules_spm, addressing all of its limitations and providing a foundation for integrating additional features that will aid Swift developers working in Bazel workspaces.

One of the most important features in swift_bazel is that the external Swift packages are built in Bazel using rules_swift and cc_library. This means that building for iOS and other platforms should just work.

With this initial release, I believe that there is feature parity with rules_spm. The relevant examples from rules_spm have been reimplemented using swift_bazel. However, the code is pretty nascent. I could use some help testing and getting feedback on the following capabilities:

• Building applications for other platforms (e.g. iOS).
• Generating Bazel build files for projects with different layouts.
• Feedback on the ergonomics of daily use.
• Feedback on the setup in a Bazel workspace.

If you are interested in learning more and kicking the tires, please check out:

• The quickstart,
• Some tips and tricks,
• The high-level design, and
• The FAQ