Using swift-format to Lint and Format Swift Code

Ensuring a consistent code style in Swift projects is easy with swift-format. Here’s how to install and use it efficiently.

Install Homebrew (if not already installed)

Check out my How to Install Homebrew on macOS post for detailed instructions on how to install Homebrew.

Installation

Install swift-format via Homebrew:

brew install swift-format

Usage

To lint and format all Swift files in your project, run:

swift-format -r -i .

Command Breakdown

• swift-format: Executes the tool.
• -r (recursive): Formats all Swift files in the current directory and subdirectories.
• -i (in-place): Modifies files directly instead of printing formatted output.
• . (current directory): Specifies the target directory. You can replace this with a specific file path if needed.

Custom Configuration

For finer control, create a .swift-format config file in your project root:

swift-format -m dump-configuration > .swift-format

Edit this JSON file to customize rules like line length, indentation, and formatting preferences.

Best Practices

• Run swift-format regularly to maintain code consistency.
• Integrate it into your CI pipeline to enforce style guidelines automatically.

Using swift-format keeps your Swift code clean and uniform, making collaboration and maintenance easier! 🚀