Carthage (package manager)
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| Carthage (package manager) | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Carthage |
| Developer | Github |
| Released | 2014 |
| Programming language | Swift |
| Operating system | macOS |
| Platform | x86_64, ARM64 |
| Genre | Package manager |
| License | MIT License |
Carthage (package manager) Carthage is a decentralized dependency manager for Swift and Objective‑C projects primarily on macOS and iOS. It emphasizes minimalism and non‑intrusive integration, producing binary frameworks that developers can integrate manually into projects such as those targeting Xcode, CocoaPods, or Swift Package Manager workflows. The tool was created to coexist with established systems used in environments like Apple Inc. development ecosystems and to interoperate with source control systems such as GitHub and Git.
Overview
Carthage provides a lightweight alternative to monolithic systems by resolving dependencies declared in Cartfile manifests and building them into frameworks consumable by Xcode projects, Cocoa libraries, or UIKit and SwiftUI applications. Its design favors explicit control for maintainers working in organizations such as Mozilla Foundation or Microsoft mobile teams that require reproducible binaries and straightforward integration with continuous integration services like Jenkins, GitHub Actions, or Travis CI. Carthage relies on the Git ecosystem and interoperates with package sources hosted on GitLab, Bitbucket, and GitHub Enterprise.
History
Carthage was announced in 2014 amidst debates between proponents of systems like CocoaPods and advocates for less invasive approaches inspired by Homebrew and other package managers. Early contributions came from engineers familiar with Objective‑C and the emerging Swift language, aiming to reduce the coupling introduced by single‑file dependency managers. Over time, maintenance moved between community contributors and organizations with stakes in iOS tooling; discussions have referenced practices from projects like Alamofire and ReactiveCocoa in shaping compatibility and build behavior.
Features
Carthage's principal features include: - Declarative manifests in Cartfile and Cartfile.resolved for pinning versions consistent with workflows used by Semantic Versioning adopters and maintainers of libraries like AFNetworking. - Building of binary frameworks suitable for Xcode linking, allowing teams working on products for App Store distribution to minimize source entanglement. - Integration through drag‑and‑drop or build phases compatible with projects using Cocoa Touch and AppKit. - Optional support for prebuilt binary frameworks via artifacts similar to mechanisms used in BinaryBuilder ecosystems. - Command‑line tooling aligning with the patterns of Homebrew and Bundler for deterministic builds.
Workflow
A typical workflow begins with developers adding dependency declarations to a Cartfile and running Carthage to fetch and build repositories from hosts like GitHub or GitLab. The tool resolves versions, records them in Cartfile.resolved, and outputs frameworks into a Carthage/Build directory for manual integration into Xcode projects or for use in Continuous Integration pipelines. Teams frequently script Carthage steps in Fastlane lanes or Makefile targets and coordinate with release engineering using systems like Jenkins or GitLab CI/CD.
Comparison with other Swift package managers
Compared with CocoaPods, Carthage avoids automatic project file modification and centralized dependency injection, analogous to the contrast between Bundler and npm in certain ecosystems. Relative to Swift Package Manager, Carthage emphasizes framework artifacts and manual integration rather than tight integration into Xcode's build system; this makes it preferable for projects that require exact build control similar to patterns used by Boost consumers. Organizations evaluating options often weigh Carthage against Rome caching solutions or hybrid approaches combining CocoaPods and Carthage.
Adoption and ecosystem
Carthage has been adopted by numerous open‑source projects and companies building on iOS and macOS, including libraries such as Alamofire, Kingfisher, and integration patterns found in repositories hosted on GitHub and mirrored to Bitbucket. Tooling around Carthage includes wrapper projects, cache servers inspired by Artifactory and Sonatype Nexus, and community utilities that parallel ecosystems around npm and Maven. Third‑party tools such as Rome and CI templates for GitHub Actions, Travis CI, and CircleCI have expanded Carthage's usability in enterprise pipelines used by teams at Spotify, LinkedIn, and Uber.
Security and licensing issues
Carthage itself is distributed under the MIT License, a permissive license similar to many dependencies used in open source mobile stacks. Security considerations center on supply‑chain risks common to package managers: tampered git tags, compromised repositories on GitHub, and malicious commits affecting transitive dependencies. Mitigations employed by teams include pinned versions in Cartfile.resolved, verification of signatures using GPG/OpenPGP workflows, and deployment of internal mirrors akin to practices at Google and Facebook to isolate builds from public feeds.
Development and future roadmap
Carthage development has historically been community driven with contributions coordinated via GitHub issues and pull requests, influenced by evolving features in Xcode and shifts in Swift language releases. Priorities discussed in issue trackers include improved Swift Package Manager interoperability, native support for Apple Silicon ARM64 builds, and enhanced caching similar to solutions like Bazel or Buck. Future roadmaps envisage closer alignment with Xcode toolchains, CI automation improvements, and collaboration with ecosystem projects such as Swift.org and prominent library maintainers.
Category:Software