FR: allow package in nested folder, defined in .spi.yml

[mesqueeb]

The problem

When working on any package, my usual set up is mono-repository with:

1. the swift package (eg. /MyPackage)
2. an example Xcode project for development purposes (eg. /MySampleApp)

When these sit next to each other in each their own folder, it will not satisfy SPI's requirement:

The packages must all contain a valid Package.swift file in the root folder.

When I move the Package.swift to sit at the repository root however, I have to jump through annoying hoops to make that package importable into the example project that also sits in that same mono-repo, because of this warning in Xcode:

The selected package cannot be a direct ancestor of the project.

Proposed solution

The solution is simply to have 2 sibling folders in the monorepo /MySampleApp and /MyPackage and then if we can just let SPI know via .spi.yml it would solve a lot of my problems.

Eg.

version: 1
builder:
  configs:
    - package_path: ./MyPackage
    - documentation_targets: [MyPackage]

[daveverwer]

I may be mistaken here, but I thought SwiftPM itself needed the manifest file to be located in the root directory. I presume it does, but does a package configured as you say work with SwiftPM? Do you have an example package configured this way so I can test it without needing to make one?

[mesqueeb]

@daveverwer I'm not 100% sure what you mean, exactly. My proposed solution is for a new variable package_path that we can define in .spi.yml to allow the Package.swift file to sit in a nested folder. I'm OK with .spi.yml staying in the root of course.

Of course my proposed solution doesn't work with SwiftPM, it's a feature request. 😅

An example of my use case however, you can find here: https://github.com/mesqueeb/MicroMaxOnAppleSilicon

if you just open the root MicroMaxOnAppleSilicon.xcworkspace in Xcode you will see I have one Xcode project but my Swift Package itself has its Package.swift on the repo root, so it's extremely tricky how I had to set up the sample project to be able to "import" the swift package that is sitting at the monorepo root...

Here I try to explain the setup via this screenshot:

All of this will be immensely simplified IF spi allows the Package.swift file to sit in a nested folder instead of the repository root folder! 😂

[daveverwer]

This is what I was asking for. Thank you. What I was asking was whether the approach you're using here is compatible with SwiftPM, meaning can I use this package from another project? If not, even if it works inside your app, it won't be useful in the index.

I'll check and get back to you.

[daveverwer]

I just took a quick look at your package and I see that it currently has the Package.swift manifest in the root, presumably moved there to satisfy our requirement for it to be in the root. My apologies, I thought you were referring to a package you could not get into the index because of this requirement.

So, instead. I moved the Package.swift manifest in my test package and was unable to import it in either an Xcode project or a Package project. The error is fairly clear:

I didn’t think that rule was a SPI-specific rule and as far as I can tell I was correct. SwiftPM does not support packages that do not have their manifest in the root of the project.

[daveverwer]

Tracking a potential improvement to SwiftPM documentation to clarify this here: swiftlang/swift-org-website#756

[mesqueeb]

@daveverwer I deleted my last reply because I found a much better work around for my issue.

1. Set up 2 folders, one for the Swift Package and one for the Xcode project
2. Save a new copy of the Swift Package Package.swift file on the repository root, and just tweak the target path properties to point to the nested folder.

• Now the Xcode project can easily import the Swift Package because it uses the one inside the nested folder
• And exposing the Swift Package to SPI/SPM will still work correctly because we also have a Package.swift located at the repository root