feat: Add Homebrew distribution support for Swift compiler

[KhaledChehabeddine]

Feature Description

Add Homebrew Formula and tap support to enable easy installation and distribution of the Swift compiler via Homebrew, replacing the need for go install style distribution.

Motivation

Currently, Swift projects cannot leverage Go's go install distribution mechanism. Homebrew is the de facto standard for distributing developer tools on macOS, providing:

• Easy installation and updates via brew install
• Automatic dependency management
• Wide adoption in the Swift/macOS developer community
• Better version management and uninstall capabilities

Proposed Solution

1. Repository Structure

• Add Makefile with build, install, uninstall, and clean targets
• Create .github/workflows/release.yml for automated releases
• Set up semantic versioning with git tags

2. Homebrew Formula

• Create your-compiler.rb formula with proper Swift build configuration
• Use swift build --configuration release --disable-sandbox
• Include proper installation paths and test verification
• Handle Xcode version dependencies

3. Distribution Strategy

• Phase 1: Personal tap (homebrew-tap repository)
• Phase 2: Consider submission to official Homebrew core

4. Formula Structure

class YourCompiler < Formula
  desc "Swift compiler description"
  homepage "https://github.com/yourusername/your-swift-compiler"
  url "https://github.com/yourusername/your-swift-compiler/archive/v1.0.0.tar.gz"
  sha256 "..."
  license "MIT"
  head "https://github.com/yourusername/your-swift-compiler.git", branch: "main"

  depends_on xcode: ["14.0", :build]

  def install
    system "make", "install", "PREFIX=#{prefix}"
  end

  test do
    system "#{bin}/your-compiler", "--version"
  end
end

Implementation Tasks

• Create Makefile with Swift build automation
• Set up GitHub Actions for release automation
• Create Homebrew formula
• Create personal tap repository
• Test local installation workflow
• Document installation instructions
• Consider bottle (pre-compiled binary) support for faster installs

Alternatives Considered

• Direct binary releases: Less integrated with package managers
• Swift Package Manager: Limited to development dependencies
• Manual installation scripts: Poor user experience and maintenance burden

Additional Context

• Based on successful Swift tools like swift-format, swiftgen, swift-sh already distributed via Homebrew
• Following best practices from NSHipster and Swift community guidelines
• Enables broader adoption by reducing installation friction

References

• Swift Program Distribution with Homebrew - NSHipster
• Homebrew Formula Cookbook
• swift-format formula example