application modules

Modules are a fundamental concept in Swift and other programming languages, serving as units of code distribution that describe the interface of a library or framework. In Swift, a module is comprised of a collection of source files that are always built together. Modules can depend on other modules, forming an acyclic module graph for the entire project. This allows for better organization and reuse of code across different parts of a project.

The session "Demystify explicitly built modules" at WWDC 2024 explains the new way that Swift and Clang modules are built in Xcode, called explicitly built modules. This approach puts the build system in control of module builds, making the process more efficient by reducing the number of module variants and allowing modules built for a given source file to be shared across targets. This session also covers how to optimize your build by maximizing the reuse of already built modules.

For more details on explicitly built modules, you can refer to the session Demystify explicitly built modules (00:00:34).

Additionally, the session "A Swift Tour: Explore Swift’s features and design" discusses how modules and packages are used in Swift to organize code. A collection of modules can be distributed as a package, and the Swift Package Manager is the tool for managing these packages. This session provides insights into how modules can be used to structure code effectively.

For more information on code organization in Swift, you can refer to the session A Swift Tour: Explore Swift’s features and design (09:47).