How to use Swift Package Manager to add and manage third-party dependencies in an Xcode project?

Swift Package Manager is a tool built into the Apple ecosystem for managing the distribution of library source code. It is deeply integrated into the Xcode development environment, which eliminates the need for developers to use third-party managers like CocoaPods or Carthage. To add a new dependency to a project, simply open Xcode, go to the File menu, and select the package addition option.

In the opened search window, you need to enter the URL address of the required library's repository on GitHub or another hosting service. Xcode will automatically connect to the remote repository and analyze available versions. At the next stage, the system will prompt you to select a versioning rule for integration. The developer can fix a specific version, specify a compatibility range, or choose a development branch, which allows flexible control over the updating of the third-party modules' codebase.

After completing the download process, the package will appear in the project structure within the navigator panel. You can manually distribute its modules to the necessary application targets through the target settings in the Frameworks and Libraries tab. Swift Package Manager automatically resolves dependencies between various packages and compiles them in parallel with the main project, optimizing the overall build speed.

To update existing dependencies, simply invoke the package update command through the project's context menu or Xcode settings. The tool will independently check for the availability of new versions matching the specified compatibility rules and update the local cache. This makes the process of maintaining third-party code in iOS projects as transparent and safe as possible.