Swift Academy · Lesson

Layout, products & build/test/run

Learn SwiftPM layout (Sources/ and Tests/), products (executables vs libraries), and how to build, test, and run with CLI.

Lesson 2 of 38 steps

Layout, products & build/test/run is a free Swift Academy lesson on CoddyKit. This is lesson 2 of 3. Any 3 lessons of this learning path are free to read in full — after that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus hands-on practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. It is part of the Swift Academy learning path, and your progress syncs across the web and the CoddyKit app. The Swift Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

Overview

This lesson shows SwiftPM layout, how products map to targets, and the CLI for build/test/run.

Folder layout

SwiftPM expects Sources/ and Tests/. Each target has its own folder.

let tree = """
MyPkg/
├─ Package.swift
├─ Sources/
│  ├─ MyLib/            // library target sources
│  │  └─ MyLib.swift
│  └─ MyApp/            // executable target sources (main.swift)
│     └─ main.swift
└─ Tests/
   ├─ MyLibTests/
   │  └─ MyLibTests.swift
   └─ MyAppTests/
      └─ MyAppTests.swift
"""
print(tree)

Products & targets

products expose targets: libraries for reuse, executables for apps/CLIs. Tests live under testTarget.

let manifest = """
// Package.swift (illustrative)
import PackageDescription
let package = Package(
  name: "MyPkg",
  products: [
    .library(name: "MyLib", targets: ["MyLib"]),
    .executable(name: "MyApp", targets: ["MyApp"])
  ],
  targets: [
    .target(name: "MyLib"),
    .executableTarget(name: "MyApp", dependencies: ["MyLib"]),
    .testTarget(name: "MyLibTests", dependencies: ["MyLib"])
  ]
)
"""
print(manifest)

Library vs executable

A library exposes APIs; an executable has a main.swift entry point and can depend on the library.

// Library code (Sources/MyLib/MyLib.swift)
public struct Greeter {
    public init() {}
    public func hello(_ name: String) -> String { "Hello, \\(name)" }
}

// Executable entry (Sources/MyApp/main.swift)
let g = Greeter()
print(g.hello("World"))

CLI basics

Use the CLI: swift build, swift run <Exe>, and swift test. Add -c release for optimized builds.

let cmds = """
# Build (debug by default)
swift build

# Run an executable product
swift run MyApp

# Execute tests (XCTest)
swift test

# Release build (optimized)
swift build -c release
"""
print(cmds)

Artifacts & tips

Outputs are in .build/. Keep targets focused and place tests under Tests/<Target>Tests.

let notes = """
Artifacts live under .build/:
  • debug/ and release/ contain compiled products
  • x86_64-apple-macosx / arm64-apple-* vary by platform/arch
Tips:
  • Keep one target per responsibility
  • Name products simply; match target folders
  • Put tests in Tests/<TargetName>Tests
"""
print(notes)

Run tests

Quick check: Which command runs tests?

Recap

Recap: Use the standard Sources/ & Tests/ layout, map targets to products, and work with swift build, swift run, and swift test.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Is the “Layout, products & build/test/run” lesson free?

Yes — any 3 lessons of the Swift Academy learning path, including “Layout, products & build/test/run”, are free to read in full here on the web. After that, CoddyKit PRO unlocks every lesson, plus interactive practice with a built-in code editor and a 24/7 AI tutor. The Swift Academy course includes 3 lessons in total.

What will I learn in “Layout, products & build/test/run”?

Learn SwiftPM layout (Sources/ and Tests/), products (executables vs libraries), and how to build, test, and run with CLI. You practise Swift Academy with hands-on code you run directly in the browser, and a 24/7 AI tutor answers your questions as you work through the lesson.

Do I need any experience to start Swift Academy?

No prior experience is required. Swift Academy on CoddyKit is structured for beginners through advanced learners, so you can start here or from the beginning and move at your own pace. This is lesson 2 of 3.

How long does the “Layout, products & build/test/run” lesson take?

Most CoddyKit lessons take about 5–10 minutes. Each one is bite-sized and interactive, so you make steady progress and pick up exactly where you left off across the web and the app.

Can I write and run code in this Swift Academy lesson?

Yes. Every Swift Academy lesson includes a built-in code editor, so you write and run real code right in your browser and get instant AI feedback — no local setup required.

All lessons in this course

  1. Swift Package Manager basics
  2. Layout, products & build/test/run
  3. Importing modules & semantic versioning basics
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