explaingit

migueldeicaza/agenticswift

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

21SwiftAudience · developerComplexity · 3/5LicenseSetup · moderate

TLDR

A Swift package that lets you write only a function's description in plain English and have an AI tool generate the function body automatically at build time.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((AgenticSwift))
    What it does
      @ai macro
      Generates code at build
      Swaps AI backends
    Tech stack
      Swift
      Codex CLI
      swift-syntax
    Use cases
      Skip boilerplate functions
      Prototype quickly
      Test without API calls
    Audience
      Developers

Code map

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filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Write a function's intended behavior as a plain-English comment and let the @ai macro generate its body.

USE CASE 2

Prototype Swift functions quickly without hand-writing implementation code.

USE CASE 3

Run the test suite offline using the stand-in generator, without needing Codex or an API key.

What is it built with?

SwiftCodex CLIswift-syntax

How does it compare?

migueldeicaza/agenticswifthreinssondev/anypipinsidegui/liquidglassflag
Stars212121
LanguageSwiftSwiftSwift
Setup difficultymoderateeasyeasy
Complexity3/51/52/5
Audiencedevelopergeneraldeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · moderate Time to first run · 30min

Requires Swift 6.4+ and the Codex CLI installed, currently points to a local swift-syntax dependency.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

AgenticSwift is a package for the Swift programming language that lets you skip writing the body of a function by describing what you want in plain English. You attach a special label called @ai to a function, write a sentence describing the intended behavior, and the package contacts an AI tool during compilation to generate the actual code for you. The key moment this happens is at "macro expansion time," which just means: when your project is being built, before the final program is produced. The package sends your description and the function's name and types to a command-line AI tool called Codex, which returns Swift statements. Those statements are inserted into your code as if you had written them yourself. A short example from the README shows a function declared with no body, just a label and a description: "Return the minimum and maximum elements in the array. If the array is empty, return nil." The macro handles the rest at build time. The package is structured into a few parts: the public API you import into your own project, the internal machinery that talks to Codex, a small command-line tool for inspecting the package shape, example programs, and a test suite. The tests work without calling any AI service because they use a stand-in generator, so running the test suite does not require internet access or an API key. For people who want to swap out Codex for a different AI backend, the package exposes a protocol called AIBodyGenerating that any custom generator can conform to. This means the @ai macro is not permanently tied to Codex, and could in principle be wired up to other tools. To use it, you need Swift 6.4 or newer and the Codex command-line tool installed on your computer. The README notes that the package currently points to a local copy of a dependency called swift-syntax, so it is not yet ready to be published as a standalone library without adjusting that setting. The project is released under the MIT license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Show me how to attach the @ai macro to a Swift function and describe its behavior in plain English.
Prompt 2
Explain how AgenticSwift talks to the Codex command-line tool at macro expansion time.
Prompt 3
Help me implement a custom AIBodyGenerating backend instead of using Codex.
Prompt 4
Walk me through setting up Swift 6.4 and the Codex CLI to try this package.

Frequently asked questions

What is agenticswift?

A Swift package that lets you write only a function's description in plain English and have an AI tool generate the function body automatically at build time.

What language is agenticswift written in?

Mainly Swift. The stack also includes Swift, Codex CLI, swift-syntax.

What license does agenticswift use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is agenticswift to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated moderate, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is agenticswift for?

Mainly developer.

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