Develop Swift iOS apps on Windows

Create a project

To use an existing project, open its folder in VS Code with File > Open Folder…, or drag the folder into VS Code. Otherwise, create one.

Use either of these

• VS Code extension

  Run KXBuild: New Project from the Command Palette and pick the "iOS App (SwiftUI)" or "iOS App (Swift, UIKit)" template.

• Command line
  > kxbuild project create -t app_swiftui -n MyApp -o D:\projects

  Copy

Run doctor

Doctor checks your build environment and fixes anything missing.

Use either of these

• VS Code extension

  In the title bar of the KXBuild view, open the ··· menu and run Doctor (fix environment).

• Command line
  > kxbuild doctor .\MyApp.xcodeproj

  Copy

Add a Swift package dependency

This is the equivalent of Add Package Dependencies in Xcode. As in Xcode, a remote package defaults to its latest version and allows updates up to the next major version, and adding one needs a network connection.

Use either of these

• VS Code extension

  Run KXBuild: Add Swift Package Dependency… from the Command Palette, or right-click a target in the KXBuild view and choose it there. Enter the package's Git URL or pick a local package folder, then choose the products you need.

• Command line

  Run the command for where the package lives.

  Remote package

  > kxbuild project add-package -P .\MyApp.xcodeproj --url https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire.git --product Alamofire

  Copy

  Local package

  > kxbuild project add-package -P .\MyApp.xcodeproj --path ..\MyKit

  Copy

  To set a version or target, see project add-package.

Write code

Open a .swift file and you get completion, go to definition and error checking, including for SwiftUI and system framework APIs. Build once before you import modules from other targets or Swift packages in the project. If completion misbehaves, see Code completion and indexing.

Debug

Connect your iPhone over USB, select it in the KXBuild view and press F5. KXBuild builds, installs and stops at your breakpoints. Breakpoints work in both Swift and Objective-C code.

Release

Build with the Release configuration to get build\MyApp.ipa in the project folder. To upload it to App Store Connect, see Release and App Store submission.

Use either of these

• VS Code extension

  Switch the configuration to Release in the Build configuration node of the KXBuild view, then run KXBuild: Build from the Command Palette.

• Command line

  Run the command for your project type.

  .xcodeproj project

  > kxbuild build .\MyApp.xcodeproj -c Release

  Copy

  .xcworkspace workspace

  > kxbuild build .\MyApp.xcworkspace -c Release

  Copy

Write code and compile-check

Open a .swift file and you get completion, go to definition and error checking, including for SwiftUI, UIKit and other iOS framework APIs. To compile-check, run this in the folder containing Package.swift.

Convert to an app project

Converting adds a MyApp subfolder to the package folder with the app project inside. The app still uses the package's code, so when you edit the package, you edit the app. Commit this subfolder to version control along with the package.

If the app uses a target from the same package that has no matching library product, the conversion adds a .library entry to products in Package.swift. After converting, review and commit that change to Package.swift.

Use either of these

• VS Code extension

  Run KXBuild: Convert Swift Package to App Project from the Command Palette (or click the package's row in the KXBuild view), then enter the app name and bundle ID. The new project becomes the startup project.

• Command line

  Run this in the folder containing Package.swift.

  > kxbuild project spm2app . -n MyApp -b com.example.myapp

  Copy

Debug and release

In the KXBuild view, switch the startup project to MyApp. From there, follow the debug and release steps for Xcode projects above. The .ipa is written to MyApp\build\MyApp.ipa. On the command line, build this project.