Swift Deployments: Are they Swift or Recklessly Rushed?

·Sep 14, 2024·

12 min read

Cover Image for Swift Deployments: Are they Swift or Recklessly Rushed?

Introduction

When it comes to the Swift programming language, the Swiftlang/Swift repository is like a code factory that never sleeps, churning out updates with the kind of precision that would make any developer jealous.

With contributions pouring in from a vibrant and engaged community, this repo is not just about delivering code; it’s about doing it with finesse, consistency, and speed. We're talking hundreds of deployments per month—seriously, over 500 in June and July alone—ensuring that the Swift language stays sharp and up-to-date.

Middleware’s Sleuthing: Cracking the SwiftLang Case with Ms. Marple's Sneaky Style

Middleware, channeling its inner Ms. Marple—a sneaky, sharp-eyed aunty who notices everything—decided to take a closer look at the SwiftLang/Swift repo. You know, the way she subtly uncovers secrets and murders at a garden party. We were curious: How does this community manage to keep churning out high-quality code without losing momentum?

We dug deep (but with a cup of tea in hand, of course) and discovered their secret recipe: frequent, bite-sized deployments, and a community that’s as committed as Ms. Marple to finding out whodunit—except here, it's all about finding and fixing bugs. The SwiftLang repo's structure, workflows, and active contributors all work together in harmony, ensuring that even complex changes don’t throw them off balance.

Our little investigation revealed some key practices worth taking notes on—practices that could inspire a fresh approach to boosting productivity. So, with our magnifying glass in one hand and Middleware OSS in the other, we were eager to see how these insights make development smoother for everyone.

But what really sets this repo apart is its relentless commitment to continuous improvement. Whether it's fixing bugs, adding features, or tightening security, the SwiftLang/Swift repo is always evolving, and always pushing forward. So, buckle up, because this case study dives into how they keep the magic happening behind the scenes.

Background on Dora Metrics

Before we dive into the juicy details, let's talk about Dora Metrics. These are the go-to KPIs for measuring software development and delivery performance. The big four are:

Deployment Frequency: How often you’re shipping code.
Lead Time for Changes: The time it takes for code to go from commit to production.
Change Failure Rate: The percentage of deployments that go kaboom.
Mean Time to Restore (MTTR): How fast you can fix things when they go kaboom.

These metrics are like the secret sauce for figuring out what’s working and where you need to step up your game.

Key Findings

Deployment Frequency: Swift’s Secret Weapon

If there’s one thing SwiftLang/Swift has nailed, it’s deployment frequency. We're talking an average of 330 deployments over a period—here’s the breakdown:

Back in June, the Swift ninjas were cranking out code like there was no tomorrow—556 deployments!

But by July, they took a small breather, delivering a solid 528.

Come August, it looks like even our Swift enthusiasts needed a bit of a recharge, clocking in at 375 deployments.

Maybe they were too busy mastering Swift’s latest quirks or just letting their keyboards cool down for a bit. Either way, we’re still moving fast... just with a few extra coffee breaks!

What’s behind this high-octane deployment engine?

Active Contribution: The repo is buzzing with activity from developers worldwide. Just take a look at PRs like #74178 and #74182—incremental improvements coming in hot!
Seamless Workflows: Everything in this repo is methodically organized, from directories to code formatting. That .clang-format file? It’s doing the heavy lifting to keep things consistent.
Community Engagement: Shoutout to folks like Steven Wu and Egor Zhdan for keeping the ball rolling with regular reviews and improvements. The more hands on deck, the faster the ship sails.

Merge Time: The Achilles’ Heel

But hey, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows. Merge times have been creeping up, and here’s how they’re looking:

Ah, merge times—the one part of the process that’s like the traffic jam on an otherwise smooth coding highway. Despite all the high-frequency deployments and active contributions, this is where things start to slow down a bit. And by "slow down," I mean those merge times have been creeping up like a suspenseful plot twist you didn't see coming.

Here’s the lowdown on what’s been happening:

June 2024: Things were cruising along nicely with an average merge time of just 1.24 days. Not bad, right?
July 2024: Even better—merge times dropped to 1.18 days. The repo was like a well-oiled machine.
August 2024: And then… bam! We’re back up to 1.46 days. What happened? Well, life happened—or in this case, coding complexities and thorough reviews.

So, what's going on? Well, it turns out that as the Swift community takes on more ambitious features and changes, the merge process starts to slow down. You know how adding that extra ingredient can make a recipe perfect but also takes more time? Same thing here. With intricate updates requiring deeper reviews and more attention to detail, the merge time creeps up.

It’s the classic trade-off: you want quality, you’ve got to be patient. So while those merge times may be a bit of a bottleneck, they’re also a sign that the Swift repo isn’t just churning out code for the sake of it—they’re making sure every line counts.

What’s Slowing Things Down?

Thorough Reviews: The Flip Side of Quality Is Time

Quality is king. But achieving that level of quality? Well, it takes time, effort, and a lot of eyes on the code. That’s where thorough reviews come into play—ensuring that every line of code is polished, bug-free, and ready to go. But as anyone in the biz knows, the more thorough the review, the longer it takes. And PRs like #74250 and #74208 are prime examples of how this balance between quality and time plays out.

PR #74250 : The Layered Approach to Reviews

This pull request was anything but straightforward. It involved multiple facets of the codebase, touching on everything from performance improvements to security enhancements. To make sure nothing slipped through the cracks, the review process was multi-layered—like peeling an onion, but in a good way.

First Pass: Initial Checks: The first round of reviews focused on the basics—code formatting, adherence to Swift's guidelines, and initial sanity checks. This step alone helped catch minor issues that could have snowballed later.
Second Pass: Deep Dive: The second round of reviews was all about diving deep into the logic. Reviewers scrutinized the code for edge cases, potential bugs, and performance bottlenecks. This is where things got serious, and every little detail was put under the microscope.
Final Pass: Security and Optimization: The last review phase was dedicated to security checks and optimization. This involved ensuring that the changes didn’t introduce vulnerabilities or slow down the system. It’s the final layer of polish before the PR gets the green light.

All of these stages added up, ensuring top-notch quality but also extending the timeline. The code was bulletproof by the end of it, but the clock was definitely ticking.

PR #74208: A Symphony of Reviewers

PR #74208 had its own set of challenges. This one involved changes that impacted several components of the Swift ecosystem. Because of its broad reach, it attracted a symphony of reviewers, each bringing their own expertise to the table.

Collaborative Review: With so many components affected, this PR required input from multiple experts—each specializing in different areas like compiler performance, language semantics, and runtime behavior. Coordinating all these reviews was like conducting an orchestra—everyone had to be in sync.
Cross-Component Testing: The reviewers didn’t just focus on their own areas; they also had to ensure that the changes worked harmoniously across the board. This meant testing interactions between different components, catching issues that might not be obvious at first glance.
Iterative Feedback: As with any complex change, feedback wasn’t a one-time thing. Reviewers provided multiple rounds of feedback, with the developer making adjustments along the way. This iterative process helped refine the code, but it also meant more back-and-forth and, you guessed it, more time.

The Trade-Off: Quality vs. Speed

In both PRs, the reviews were thorough, catching potential issues and ensuring that the code met the highest standards. But thoroughness comes with a cost—time. These reviews took longer than usual, pushing back merge times and delaying deployments. However, the trade-off was worth it: rock-solid code that maintained the integrity of the Swift language.

In the end, PRs like #74250 and #74208 remind us that while speed is important, quality is non-negotiable. The extra time spent on reviews may stretch the timeline, but it’s an investment in the long-term stability and performance of the code. And in the world of software, that’s a trade-off worth making.

Complex Changes: Tough Nuts to Crack

When it comes to coding, not all pull requests are created equal. Some are like a walk in the park—quick fixes, minor tweaks, and boom, you’re done. But then there are those PRs that make you break out in a sweat, the ones that require serious brainpower and a lot of patience. PR #74198 is a perfect example of the latter.

Stretching the Timeline

All of these factors combined meant that PR #74198 wasn’t going to be a quick turnaround. The reviewers had to go through it with a fine-tooth comb, checking for any potential issues or conflicts that could arise from such a significant change. This is one of those situations where thoroughness is more important than speed, and while that’s great for code quality, it does stretch the timeline.

In the end, PR #74198 became a lesson in patience and precision. It’s the kind of complex change that slows things down, but in the long run, it’s worth it for the stability and improvement it brings to the Swift language.

Nature of Work: Diverse and Dynamic

In recent months, the Swift repo has been all over the place—in a good way. They’ve tackled:

Features: Major Updates Like UTF16 Transcoding in PR #74229

Alright, let’s talk about features—those shiny new toys that keep developers coming back for more. One major update that deserves a spotlight is the UTF16 transcoding introduced in PR #74229. Imagine your code as a linguist, effortlessly translating between languages—well, this update does just that, allowing Swift to handle more character sets with ease. It’s like giving your code a superpower, and trust me, your apps will thank you. Who knew text encoding could be this cool?

Documentation: Keeping the User Guides Fresh with PR #74257

Ah, documentation—the unsung hero of every project. While it’s easy to get caught up in the code, keeping the user guides fresh is just as crucial. Enter PR #74257, where the documentation got a much-needed facelift. Think of it as updating your wardrobe but for code—no more outdated instructions or cryptic notes that only the original author could decipher. With this update, Swift’s user guides are looking sleek and ready to help developers navigate with ease. Who says documentation can’t be stylish?

Fixes: Squashing Bugs Like It’s a Full-Time Job, as Seen in PR #74241

And then there’s bug fixing—a job that never truly ends. In PR #74241, the Swift team rolled up their sleeves and got to work, squashing bugs left and right. It’s not glamorous, but it’s essential. After all, nobody likes a buggy app, and these fixes ensure that Swift remains smooth, reliable, and ready for anything. It’s like cleaning up after a party—you may not want to do it, but you know it has to be done, and the results are oh-so-satisfying.

And let’s not forget teamwork. With about 8 key contributors collaborating regularly, the repo is basically a hive of productivity.

Impact on Project and Community

Frequent deployments keep the Swift language agile and up-to-date, while the transparent and inclusive development process makes the community feel like they’re part of something bigger. That’s how you keep the momentum going in an open-source project.

Takeaways

Frequent, Small Deployments: If Swift can do it, so can you. Break down big features into smaller chunks to keep the ball rolling.
Thorough Reviews: Yes, they take time, but they’re worth it. Balance speed and quality with multi-stage reviews and additional eyes on the code.
Community Power: More hands make light work. Keep your contributor base diverse and active for continuous improvement.

Dora Score: 8/10

After diving into Swift with our Dora Metrics toolkit, here’s the scoop: Swift scores a solid 8/10. Frequent deployments keep the language sharp, and the community is always geared up for the next big thing. But, like any high performer, Swift has its quirks—those pesky merge times that sometimes slow the momentum.

The takeaway? Even the Swift team has room to tweak for that extra bit of perfection. Our analysis, stacked up against Google’s annual Dora report, shows where Swift shines and where it could use a boost. If you’re curious how your project measures up or want to turbocharge your workflow, Middleware’s OSS is the perfect sidekick. It’s loaded with strategies to help you chase that flawless score. Ready to level up?

**Conclusion: Why Swift’s Approach Isn’t Just Good—It’s Unfairly Good?**

The SwiftLang/Swift repository is a testament to how well a community-driven project can thrive with the right balance of speed, quality, and collaboration. Swift’s team isn’t just cranking out code; they’re setting a gold standard for what it means to maintain a dynamic, forward-moving codebase. The frequent, bite-sized deployments keep them agile, while their methodical approach to thorough reviews ensures that quality is never compromised.

Yes, the longer merge times might slow things down a bit, but that’s the price you pay for a meticulously maintained codebase. In fact, these deliberate pauses might just be the magic wand that keeps the Swift repo from unraveling under the weight of its own progress.

So, what’s the verdict? Swift’s approach isn’t just good—it’s unfairly good. They’ve managed to strike a balance that most projects only dream of, and their success is a blueprint for others to follow.

If you're itching to spark some debates with fellow engineering leaders, dive into The Middle Out Community!

Bonus Trivia: Did You Know?

Did you know that Swift was originally developed in secret? Apple first started working on Swift in 2010, and it wasn’t until 2014 that the language was officially announced at the WWDC (Worldwide Developers Conference).

The project was so confidential that only a small team within Apple knew about it. Even though Swift was built to replace Objective-C, Apple made sure the transition was smooth by allowing interoperability between the two languages. This stealthy development and careful rollout made Swift one of the fastest-adopted programming languages in history, and it continues to be a favorite among developers today!