Swift SDK for Android: Materials

This repo contains all the downloadable materials and projects associated with the Swift SDK for Android module in:

Course

• This course is part of Program, which you can take as either on-demand or live bootcamp from Kodeco.

About This Module

Learn how to integrate Swift code into your Android applications using Swift SDK for Android! This 3-lesson module teaches you how to build a hybrid Task Manager app that leverages Swift for business logic while maintaining a native Kotlin UI with Jetpack Compose.

What You'll Build

By the end of this module, you'll have created a fully functional Task Manager app that demonstrates real-world Swift-Android integration patterns.

---

🚀 Getting Started (For Reviewers)

Prerequisites

Before building these projects, ensure you have:

• macOS 13.0+ (Ventura or later) or Ubuntu 20.04+ / Debian 12+
• Android Studio (Iguana 2023.2.1 or later)
• Android SDK with API Level 34
• Android NDK 27
• Java 17 (bundled with Android Studio)
• Git for cloning the repository

Step 1: Install Swiftly (Swift Toolchain Manager)

Swiftly is the official Swift toolchain manager that makes it easy to install and manage Swift versions.

On macOS:

curl -L https://swift-server.github.io/swiftly/swiftly-install.sh | bash

On Linux:

curl -L https://swift-server.github.io/swiftly/swiftly-install.sh | bash

After installation, restart your terminal or run:

source ~/.local/share/swiftly/env.sh

Verify installation:

swiftly --version

Step 2: Install Swift 6.3 Development Snapshot

Install the Swift 6.3 development snapshot (required for Swift SDK for Android):

swiftly install 6.3-snapshot
swiftly use 6.3-snapshot

Verify Swift installation:

swift --version
# Should show: Swift version 6.3-dev

Step 3: Install Swift SDK for Android

Install the Swift SDK for Android using swiftly:

swift sdk install https://download.swift.org/swift-6.3-branch/android-sdk/swift-6.3-DEVELOPMENT-SNAPSHOT-2026-01-16-a/swift-6.3-DEVELOPMENT-SNAPSHOT-2026-01-16-a_android.artifactbundle.tar.gz --checksum 080da5553cdd12d286f715d86527089e7c924093733f8f4e1195f2bd2137d45c

Note: Check swift.org/install for the latest snapshot URL and checksum if this is outdated.

Verify SDK installation:

swift sdk list
# Should show Android SDK targets

Step 4: Set Up Android Studio

1. Open Android Studio and install:

   • Android SDK Platform 34
   • Android NDK 27.2.12479018 (via SDK Manager → SDK Tools → NDK)
   • Android SDK Build-Tools 34.0.0

2. Configure NDK Path:

   • Open Preferences → Appearance & Behavior → System Settings → Android SDK
   • Go to SDK Tools tab
   • Check NDK (Side by side)
   • Note the NDK path (typically ~/Library/Android/sdk/ndk/27.2.12479018)

3. Set Environment Variables (add to ~/.zshrc or ~/.bash_profile):

export ANDROID_HOME=$HOME/Library/Android/sdk
export ANDROID_NDK_HOME=$ANDROID_HOME/ndk/27.2.12479018
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/platform-tools
export PATH=$PATH:$ANDROID_HOME/cmdline-tools/latest/bin

Then reload your shell:

source ~/.zshrc  # or source ~/.bash_profile

Step 5: Clone and Build the Projects

1. Clone the repository:

git clone https://github.com/kodecocodes/m3-swfa-materials.git
cd m3-swfa-materials

2. Navigate to a project (e.g., Lesson 1 Final):

cd 01-swift-java-interop/Final

3. Build Swift code:

./gradlew buildSwift

This task:

• Compiles Swift for 3 architectures (arm64-v8a, armeabi-v7a, x86_64)
• Generates libTaskManagerKit.so for each architecture
• Copies all libraries to app/src/main/jniLibs/
• Includes Swift runtime libraries (~28 files per architecture)

4. Build the Android app:

./gradlew assembleDebug

Or open the project in Android Studio and click Run ▶️

Troubleshooting

Issue: Swift SDK not found

• Solution: Run swift sdk list to verify SDKs are installed
• Ensure you're using Swift 6.3 snapshot: swiftly use 6.3-snapshot

Issue: NDK not found

• Solution: Set ANDROID_NDK_HOME environment variable
• Verify NDK is installed: ls $ANDROID_HOME/ndk/

Issue: buildSwift task fails

• Solution: Check Swift installation: swift --version
• Ensure all 3 Android SDKs are installed: swift sdk list

Issue: Build succeeds but app crashes on launch

• Solution: Verify correct libraries are in jniLibs/ folders
• Check that Swift runtime libraries were copied (should be ~29 files per architecture)

Testing on Device/Emulator

1. For Emulator: Use x86_64 image (API 28+)
2. For Physical Device: Use ARM64 device (most modern Android phones)
3. Grant Permissions: Camera permission required for Lessons 2 & 3

---

📦 Project Structure

m3-swfa-materials/
├── 01-swift-java-interop/
│   ├── Starter/          # Basic Android UI, no Swift integration
│   └── Final/            # Complete with Swift validation
├── 02-platform-integration/
│   ├── Starter/          # Copy of Lesson 1 Final (clean)
│   └── Final/            # + Camera + Swift image processing
├── 03-data-persistence/
│   ├── Starter/          # Copy of Lesson 2 Final (clean)
│   └── Final/            # + Persistence + CRUD operations
├── images/               # Screenshots and assets
├── scratch/              # Development documentation
└── README.md            # This file

Each project contains:

• TaskManagerKit/ - Swift package with business logic
• app/ - Android app with Kotlin/Compose UI
• build.gradle - Custom buildSwift task configuration
• README.md - Project-specific documentation

---

Final App Demo

After completing all three lessons, your Task Manager app will feature:

Lesson 1: Swift-Java Interoperability

• Swift-based validation for task titles (3-50 characters) and descriptions (10-200 characters)
• Bidirectional JNI communication between Kotlin and Swift
• Type-safe data marshaling across language boundaries

Lesson 2: Platform Integration

• Camera capture using CameraX
• Real-time image processing with Swift filters:
  • Grayscale conversion
  • Blur effects
  • Brightness adjustments
• Photo attachment to tasks

Lesson 3: Data Persistence & Testing

• JSON-based task persistence (tasks survive app restarts)
• Photo persistence
• Full CRUD operations (Create, Read, Update, Delete)
• Material Design 3 UI with priority badges

App Highlights:

• Hybrid Architecture: Swift handles business logic and validation, Kotlin handles UI
• Production Patterns: Repository pattern, singleton managers, proper error handling
• Modern UI: Material Design 3 with Jetpack Compose
• Real-World Integration: Demonstrates practical Swift SDK for Android usage

---

Each edition has its own branch, named versions/[VERSION]. The default branch for this repo is for the most recent edition.

Release History

Branch	Version	Release Date
versions/1.0	1.0	YYYY-MM-DD