Integrate Capacitor into Your Swift Package

Many iOS developers use Capacitor through CocoaPods or by adding it to an Xcode project via Swift Package Manager (SPM). However, a common oversight is not properly integrating Capacitor as a dependency within the SPM configuration.

Integrating Capacitor in Your Swift Package

Let’s look at the standard Swift Package configuration:

// swift-tools-version: 6.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
  name: "MyLibrary",
  products: [
    .library(
      name: "MyLibrary",
      targets: ["MyLibrary"]
    )
  ],
  dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-swift-pm", from: "7.4.0")
  ],
  targets: [
    .target(
      name: "MyLibrary",
      dependencies: [
        .product(name: "Capacitor", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
      ]
    )
  ]
)

This configuration looks correct, but there’s a catch - you need to also include the Cordova dependency alongside Capacitor. Otherwise, you may encounter the following errors:

Error 1: SDK/Compiler Version Mismatch

Failed to build module 'Capacitor'; this SDK is not supported by the compiler 
(the SDK is built with 'Apple Swift version 6.0.3 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.0.3.1.10 clang-1600.0.30.1)', 
while this compiler is 'Apple Swift version 6.2 effective-5.10 (swiftlang-6.2.0.19.9 clang-1700.3.19.1)'). 
Please select a toolchain which matches the SDK.

Error 2: Clang Dependency Scanner Failure

Clang dependency scanner failure: While building module 'Capacitor' imported from Capacitor-a3da01da.input:1:
In file included from <module-includes>:1:
In file included from /Users/<username>/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/<project>/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/Capacitor.framework/Headers/Capacitor.h:13:
/Users/<username>/Library/Developer/Xcode/DerivedData/<project>/Build/Products/Debug-iphonesimulator/Capacitor.framework/Headers/CAPInstanceDescriptor.h:5:9: 
fatal error: module 'Cordova' not found
Capacitor-a3da01da.input:1:1: fatal error: could not build module 'Capacitor'

Error 3: Module Dependency Not Found

Unable to find module dependency: 'Capacitor'
@_exported import Capacitor
^

To prevent these errors, you need to add the Cordova dependency along with Capacitor:

// swift-tools-version: 6.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
  name: "MyLibrary",
  products: [
    .library(
      name: "MyLibrary",
      targets: ["MyLibrary"]
    )
  ],
  dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-swift-pm", from: "7.4.0")
  ],
  targets: [
    .target(
      name: "MyLibrary",
      dependencies: [
        .product(name: "Capacitor", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"),
        .product(name: "Cordova", package: "capacitor-swift-pm"), // Add this dependency
      ]
    )
  ]
)

Now you can easily build your targets that use Capacitor within your Swift Package.

Practical Takeaways

• Always include both Capacitor and Cordova dependencies when using Capacitor in a Swift Package
• Verify your Swift and Xcode versions match the Capacitor SDK requirements to avoid compiler mismatches
• Use the latest versions of Capacitor and Cordova to ensure compatibility and bug fixes

By following these guidelines, you can seamlessly integrate Capacitor into your Swift Package and avoid common dependency-related errors.

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Full list of Capacitor integration resources: https://github.com/ionic-team/capacitor-swift-pm