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.

Installation

The simplest way to install swift-format is 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! 🚀