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GRDB is an open-source project that welcomes contributions from the community. There are several ways you can help improve the library.

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Ways to Contribute

Code

Submit pull requests with improvements and bug fixes

Support

Help others in issues and discussions

Sponsor

Support development financially

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Contribute to the Codebase

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Setup Your Development Environment

1

Install Required Tools

For running tests:For contributing code:
2

Clone the Repository

Clone the development branch:
git clone -b development https://github.com/groue/GRDB.swift.git
cd GRDB.swift
3

Build Custom SQLite (Optional)

Run at the repository root:
make SQLiteCustom
This avoids warnings in Xcode, though it’s not strictly necessary if you don’t plan to work on custom SQLite builds.
4

Open the Workspace

Open GRDB.xcworkspace in Xcode:
  • GRDB.xcodeproj: Main framework and tests
  • GRDBCustom.xcodeproj: Custom SQLite builds
  • GRDBProfiling.xcodeproj: Profiling with Instruments
  • Demo app projects

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Running Tests

You can run tests from Xcode or the command line. Before submitting a pull request, run smoke tests: 
make smokeTest
The smoke tests perform minimal testing of system SQLite, SQLCipher, custom SQLite builds, and SPM integration. Before a release, the full test suite must pass: 
make test

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Code Style Guidelines

1

Follow Swift API Design Guidelines

Familiarize yourself with the Swift API Design Guidelines.
2

Use Spaces, Not Tabs

All indentation should use spaces.
3

Preserve Whitespace-Only Lines

Don’t trim whitespace-only lines.
4

Wrap Documentation Comments

Hard-wrap documentation comments at column 76.Set in Xcode: Preferences > Text Editing > Display > Page guide at column: 76
5

No SwiftLint Warnings

Ensure there are no SwiftLint warnings after building.

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Documentation Requirements

GRDB is documentation-driven: nothing ships without proper documentation.
  • DocC Reference: API documentation using DocC comments
  • Guides: README.md and files in the Documentation folder
To verify your DocC reference documentation:
  1. Close the workspace
  2. Open Package.swift in Xcode
  3. Use Product > Build Documentation
  • Someone who is not you can understand the feature’s purpose
  • Usage is clearly explained
  • Caveats and corner cases are documented
  • If documentation is hard to write, the API may need fixing

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Submitting Your Contribution

1

Make Your Changes

Write code, add tests, and update documentation.
2

Test Thoroughly

Run make smokeTest to verify your changes.
3

Open a Pull Request

Target the development branch with your pull request.
If you’re granted push access to the repository, check ReleaseProcess.md for publishing a new version.

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Answer Issues and Discussions

Helping others is a great way to contribute: This helps you:
  • Get familiar with the library
  • Help shape its direction
  • Build community expertise

GitHub Issues

Report bugs and request features

GitHub Discussions

Ask questions and share knowledge

Swift Forums

Discuss GRDB with the Swift community

Follow @groue

Get release announcements and tips

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Financial Support

GRDB is free and openly developed by contributors on their free time. It’s not controlled by any company.

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Support Channels

Support is free as long as it happens publicly and is available to everyone (including search engines). This excludes:
  • Private social network channels
  • Closed environments like Slack

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Commercial Support

For specific development or support needs, contact:

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Sponsorship

You can sponsor GRDB development:

Sponsor @groue on GitHub

Support ongoing development and maintenance

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Project Governance

GRDB is not controlled by any company. Development happens according to contributors’ will, needs, and availability. All major decisions are made transparently in issues and discussions.

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Recognition

Contributors are recognized in:
  • Release notes and CHANGELOG.md
  • GitHub contributor graphs
  • Pull request acknowledgments
Thank you for helping make GRDB better! 🙏

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