The Swift Developer MCP Server exposes a suite of Swift development tools that let an AI assistant interact with Swift projects, manage builds, run tests, debug code, and inspect package information. Tools include swift_build and swift_test for compiling and testing with configurable targets and verbosity, run_target to execute specific Swift targets, and swiftly_* commands to manage multiple Swift toolchains. For debugging, you can start sessions, set breakpoints with conditions, step through code, continue execution, and inspect variables. Package management tools like get_package_info and print_dependency_public_api help you understand your project’s dependencies and exposed APIs. The server also provides resources to view project structure, build status, and active debug sessions, and offers a guided debugging prompt swift_debug_session plus a build analysis tool swift_build_analysis to diagnose and propose fixes for build errors.

Prerequisites:

• Swift 5.9+ installed (or use Swiftly for version management)
• macOS 13+ or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+)
• Make for build targets

Quick setup:

1. Clone the repository: git clone https://github.com/edgeengineer/swift-developer-mcp-server.git cd swift-developer-mcp-server

2. Build the server (release mode) and get the executable path via the Makefile: make path

3. Run the server locally (example): swift run SwiftDeveloperMCPServer

   Then send initialization and tool-call messages to stdin as per MCP protocol

4. Optional targets:

   • make build # Build the server in release mode
   • make clean # Clean build artifacts
   • make install # Install to /usr/local/bin
   • make help # Show all available targets

Hosting/Deployment:

• Use the produced executable path in your MCP client configuration (Cursor, Windsurf, Claude, etc.).
• If deploying as a service, point a process manager at the compiled binary and ensure necessary permissions.

Tips and common issues:

• If you see a "Command not found" error, run make path to rebuild and obtain the correct executable path, then update your MCP client configuration to point at it.
• For "Permission denied" errors, ensure the executable has execute permissions (e.g., chmod +x .build/release/SwiftDeveloperMCPServer) or rely on make path to set permissions automatically.
• Manage Swift versions with swiftly if you have multiple Swift toolchains installed; use swiftly_use to switch versions per project.
• If you hit build failures, verify Xcode Command Line Tools are up to date (macOS): xcode-select --install, and review make path output for the exact error context.
• The README mentions clipboard-based path sharing for quick client setup; use your OS clipboard after running make path to populate the command in AI clients.