Path.swift 
A file-system pathing library focused on developer experience and robust end results.
import Path
// convenient static members
let home = Path.home
// pleasant joining syntax
let docs = Path.home/"Documents"
// paths are *always* absolute thus avoiding common bugs
let path = Path(userInput) ?? Path.cwd/userInput
// elegant, chainable syntax
try Path.home.join("foo").mkdir().join("bar").touch().chmod(0o555)
// sensible considerations
try Path.home.join("bar").mkdir()
try Path.home.join("bar").mkdir() // doesn’t throw ∵ we already have the desired result
// easy file-management
let bar = try Path.root.join("foo").copy(to: Path.root/"bar")
print(bar) // => /bar
print(bar.isFile) // => true
// careful API considerations so as to avoid common bugs
let foo = try Path.root.join("foo").copy(into: Path.root.join("bar").mkdir())
print(foo) // => /bar/foo
print(foo.isFile) // => true
// we support dynamic members (_use_sparingly_):
let prefs = Path.home.Library.Preferences // => /Users/mxcl/Library/Preferences
// a practical example: installing a helper executable
try Bundle.resources.helper.copy(into: Path.root.usr.local.bin).chmod(0o500)
We emphasize safety and correctness, just like Swift, and also (again like Swift), we provide a thoughtful and comprehensive (yet concise) API.
Support mxcl
Hi, I’m Max Howell and I have written a lot of open source software, and probably you already use some of it (Homebrew anyone?). I work full-time on open source and it’s hard; currently I earn less than minimum wage. Please help me continue my work, I appreciate it x
Other donation/tipping options
Handbook
Our online API documentation covers 100% of our public API and is automatically updated for new releases.
Codable
We support Codable as you would expect:
try JSONEncoder().encode([Path.home, Path.home/"foo"])
[
"/Users/mxcl",
"/Users/mxcl/foo",
]
However, often you want to encode relative paths:
let encoder = JSONEncoder()
encoder.userInfo[.relativePath] = Path.home
encoder.encode([Path.home, Path.home/"foo"])
[
"",
"foo",
]
Note make sure you decode with this key set also, otherwise we fatal
(unless the paths are absolute obv.)
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
decoder.userInfo[.relativePath] = Path.home
decoder.decode(from: data)
Dynamic members
We support @dynamicMemberLookup:
let ls = Path.root.usr.bin.ls // => /usr/bin/ls
This is less commonly useful than you would think, hence our documentation
does not use it. Usually you are joining variables or other String arguments
or trying to describe files (and files usually have extensions). However when
you need it, it’s lovely.
Initializing from user-input
The Path initializer returns nil unless fed an absolute path; thus to
initialize from user-input that may contain a relative path use this form:
let path = Path(userInput) ?? Path.cwd/userInput
This is explicit, not hiding anything that code-review may miss and preventing
common bugs like accidentally creating Path objects from strings you did not
expect to be relative.
Our initializer is nameless to be consistent with the equivalent operation for
converting strings to Int, Float etc. in the standard library.
Extensions
We have some extensions to Apple APIs:
let bashProfile = try String(contentsOf: Path.home/".bash_profile")
let history = try Data(contentsOf: Path.home/".history")
bashProfile += "\n\nfoo"
try bashProfile.write(to: Path.home/".bash_profile")
try Bundle.main.resources.join("foo").copy(to: .home)
Directory listings
We provide ls(), called because it behaves like the Terminal ls function,
the name thus implies its behavior, ie. that it is not recursive.
for entry in Path.home.ls() {
print(entry.path)
print(entry.kind) // .directory or .file
}
for entry in Path.home.ls() where entry.kind == .file {
//…
}
for entry in Path.home.ls() where entry.path.mtime > yesterday {
//…
}
let dirs = Path.home.ls().directories
let files = Path.home.ls().files
let swiftFiles = Path.home.ls().files(withExtension: "swift")
Path.swift is robust
Some parts of FileManager are not exactly idiomatic. For example
isExecutableFile returns true even if there is no file there, it is instead
telling you that if you made a file there it could be executable. Thus we
check the POSIX permissions of the file first, before returning the result of
isExecutableFile. Path.swift has done the leg-work for you so you can get on
with your work without worries.
Path.swift is properly cross-platform
FileManager on Linux is full of holes. We have found the holes and worked
round them where necessary.
Rules & Caveats
Paths are just string representations, there might not be a real file there.
Path.home/"b" // => /Users/mxcl/b
// joining multiple strings works as you’d expect
Path.home/"b"/"c" // => /Users/mxcl/b/c
// joining multiple parts at a time is fine
Path.home/"b/c" // => /Users/mxcl/b/c
// joining with absolute paths omits prefixed slash
Path.home/"/b" // => /Users/mxcl/b
// of course, feel free to join variables:
let b = "b"
let c = "c"
Path.home/b/c // => /Users/mxcl/b/c
// tilde is not special here
Path.root/"~b" // => /~b
Path.root/"~/b" // => /~/b
// but is here
Path("~/foo")! // => /Users/mxcl/foo
// this does not work though
Path("~foo") // => nil
Path.swift has the general policy that if the desired end result preexists, then it’s a noop:
- If you try to delete a file, but the file doesn't exist, we do nothing.
- If you try to make a directory and it already exists, we do nothing.
However notably if you try to copy or move a file with specifying overwrite
and the file already exists at the destination and is identical, we don’t check
for that as the check was deemed too expensive to be worthwhile.
Installation
SwiftPM:
package.append(.package(url: "https://github.com/mxcl/Path.swift.git", from: "0.5.0"))
CocoaPods:
pod 'Path.swift', '~> 0.5'
Carthage:
Waiting on: @Carthage#1945.
Please note
We are pre 1.0, thus we can change the API as we like, and we will (to the pursuit of getting it right)! We will tag 1.0 as soon as possible.
Get push notifications for new releases
https://codebasesaga.com/canopy/