swiftc

Compile a Swift source file

$ swiftc [file.swift]

$ swiftc -o [program] [file.swift]

$ swiftc [main.swift] [utils.swift] -o [program]

$ swiftc -g [file.swift] -o [program]

$ swiftc -O [file.swift] -o [program]

$ swiftc -v [file.swift]

$ swiftc -c [file.swift] -o [file.o]

swiftc [options] [files]

swiftc is the Swift compiler that translates Swift source code into executable binaries, libraries, object files, and modules. It is the command-line interface for building Swift programs outside of Xcode.
The compiler driver coordinates multiple compilation phases: parsing, type checking, optimization, and code generation. For single-file programs, swiftc produces an executable directly. Multiple source files are compiled and linked together.
swiftc is a symbolic link to the swift executable, which determines its behavior based on how it is invoked. The Swift Package Manager typically handles compilation for complex projects.

-o file

Specify output file name

Compile without linking (produce object file)

Generate debugging symbols

Compile with optimizations

Compile with optimizations, removing runtime safety checks

Compile without optimizations (default for debug)

Show verbose output including executed commands

Generate a dynamic library

Generate a Swift module

Add import search path

Add library search path

Link with specified library

Display help information

swiftc requires the Swift toolchain to be installed. On macOS, it is included with Xcode; on Linux, it must be installed separately. Module compatibility depends on Swift version; mixing versions may cause issues.

Swift was announced by Apple at WWDC 2014 and open-sourced in December 2015. The compiler was initially written in C++, with ongoing efforts to rewrite components in Swift itself. Swift 6 added major concurrency and safety improvements.

swift(1), clang(1), xcodebuild(1), lldb(1)