---
title: Configuring Emacs for Swift Development
framework: swift-org
role: article
path: swift-org/documentation/articles/zero-to-swift-emacs.html
---

# Configuring Emacs for Swift Development

Emacs is a highly customizable text editor that has its origins in a
macro package for the Digital Equipment Corporation TECO editor.
A number of Emacs-like editors and derivatives have existed over the
years, but this guide will focus on [GNU
Emacs](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/).

This guide will walk you through setting up a new install of Emacs for
Swift development; it does not assume any particular operating system,
but where relevant may give system-specific hints to help you get
started. It also is not intended to teach you to use Emacs; if you
want to learn Emacs, try this resource: [Emacs
Tour](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/tour/).

We assume for the purposes of this guide that you have already
installed Swift; if not, please [follow the installation instructions
for your platform on the Swift website](/docs/swift-org/install/)
before continuing.

## Installing Emacs

There are generic [installation instructions on the GNU Emacs website](https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html). Specific instructions are given below for some common platforms.

### macOS

The [Emacs for Mac OS X](https://emacsformacosx.com/) website provides universal binaries in a standard Mac disk image. Downloading the image from that site, opening it and dragging it to your `Applications` folder is the easiest way to install a native Emacs for macOS development.

### Microsoft Windows

You can download GNU Emacs for Windows from [a nearby GNU mirror](http://ftpmirror.gnu.org/emacs/windows) or the [main GNU FTP server](http://ftp.gnu.org/gnu/emacs/windows/). The simplest thing is likely to run the `emacs- -installer.exe` executable, which will install Emacs and set up some shortcuts for you.

### Debian-based Linux (including Ubuntu)

From a prompt, enter

``` $ sudo apt-get install emacs ```

or if you are doing this on a server system or in a container where you have no plans to use the GUI,

``` $ sudo apt-get install emacs-nox ```

### RedHat-based Linux (RHEL, Centos, Fedora)

From a prompt, enter

``` $ sudo dnf install emacs ```

(On older builds you may need to use `yum` rather than `dnf`, but the latter is the newer, better option if it’s available.)

## Configuring Emacs

Emacs veterans probably remember downloading and installing Lisp packages manually, but these days it’s best to use a package manager. We’ll also configure [MELPA](https://melpa.org/), which is a popular package repository for Emacs. To do this, open Emacs, enter `C-x C-f ~/.emacs` and hit enter. Then add the following to your `.emacs` file:

``` ;;; Add MELPA as a package source (require 'package) (setq package-enable-at-startup nil) (add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/")) (package-initialize) ```

We’ll also set-up [`use-package`](https://github.com/jwiegley/use-package), since that simplifies package installation if you want to be able to just copy your `~/.emacs` to a new machine and have things just work. To do that, add

``` ;;; Bootstrap `use-package' (unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)   (package-refresh-contents)   (package-install 'use-package))

(eval-when-compile   (require 'use-package)) ```

In a moment we’ll want to be able to locate `sourcekit-lsp`; this depends on where Swift is installed, so let’s add a Lisp function to do that:

``` ;;; Locate sourcekit-lsp (defun find-sourcekit-lsp ()   (or (executable-find "sourcekit-lsp")       (and (eq system-type 'darwin)            (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "xcrun -f sourcekit-lsp")))       "/usr/local/swift/usr/bin/sourcekit-lsp")) ```

Next, we’ll install some useful packages:

``` ;;; Packages we want installed for Swift development

;; .editorconfig file support (use-package editorconfig     :ensure t     :config (editorconfig-mode +1))

;; Swift editing support (use-package swift-mode     :ensure t     :mode "\\.swift\\'"     :interpreter "swift")

;; Rainbow delimiters makes nested delimiters easier to understand (use-package rainbow-delimiters     :ensure t     :hook ((prog-mode . rainbow-delimiters-mode)))

;; Company mode (completion) (use-package company     :ensure t     :config     (global-company-mode +1))

;; Used to interface with swift-lsp. (use-package lsp-mode     :ensure t     :commands lsp     :hook ((swift-mode . lsp)))

;; lsp-mode's UI modules (use-package lsp-ui     :ensure t)

;; sourcekit-lsp support (use-package lsp-sourcekit     :ensure t     :after lsp-mode     :custom     (lsp-sourcekit-executable (find-sourcekit-lsp) "Find sourcekit-lsp")) ```

We’ll also add a couple of packages to make things look prettier and more modern; you could install a theme or change the fonts as well if you wish - the possibilities for customizing Emacs are nearly endless:

``` ;; Powerline (use-package powerline   :ensure t   :config   (powerline-default-theme))

;; Spaceline (use-package spaceline   :ensure t   :after powerline   :config   (spaceline-emacs-theme)) ```

Finally, let’s turn off the splash screen, since we don’t want to see that whenever we start Emacs, and we’ll also disable the toolbar:

``` ;;; Don't display the start screen (setq inhibit-startup-screen t)

;;; Disable the toolbar (tool-bar-mode -1) ```

Enter `C-x C-s` to save your new `.emacs` file, then restart Emacs.

## Conclusion

We were able to get Emacs set-up to edit Swift code, with syntax highlighting and integration with SourceKit-LSP as well as support for modern best practices like the use of `.editorconfig` files to allow projects to easily set their own preferences for tab widths and formatting.

## Files

Here’s a complete `.emacs` file containing the full configuration:

``` ;;; Add MELPA as a package source (require 'package) (setq package-enable-at-startup nil) (add-to-list 'package-archives '("melpa" . "https://melpa.org/packages/")) (package-initialize)

;;; Bootstrap `use-package' (unless (package-installed-p 'use-package)   (package-refresh-contents)   (package-install 'use-package))

(eval-when-compile   (require 'use-package))

;;; Locate sourcekit-lsp (defun find-sourcekit-lsp ()   (or (executable-find "sourcekit-lsp")       (and (eq system-type 'darwin)            (string-trim (shell-command-to-string "xcrun -f sourcekit-lsp")))       "/usr/local/swift/usr/bin/sourcekit-lsp"))

;;; Packages we want installed for Swift development

;; .editorconfig file support (use-package editorconfig     :ensure t     :config (editorconfig-mode +1))

;; Swift editing support (use-package swift-mode     :ensure t     :mode "\\.swift\\'"     :interpreter "swift")

;; Rainbow delimiters makes nested delimiters easier to understand (use-package rainbow-delimiters     :ensure t     :hook ((prog-mode . rainbow-delimiters-mode)))

;; Company mode (completion) (use-package company     :ensure t     :config     (global-company-mode +1))

;; Used to interface with swift-lsp. (use-package lsp-mode     :ensure t     :commands lsp     :hook ((swift-mode . lsp)))

;; lsp-mode's UI modules (use-package lsp-ui     :ensure t)

;; sourcekit-lsp support (use-package lsp-sourcekit     :ensure t     :after lsp-mode     :custom     (lsp-sourcekit-executable (find-sourcekit-lsp) "Find sourcekit-lsp"))

;; Powerline (use-package powerline   :ensure t   :config   (powerline-default-theme))

;; Spaceline (use-package spaceline   :ensure t   :after powerline   :config   (spaceline-emacs-theme))

;;; Don't display the start screen (setq inhibit-startup-screen t)

;;; Disable the toolbar (tool-bar-mode -1) ```