| name | ios-professional |
| description | Plan, build, sign, test, automate, distribute, and troubleshoot professional iOS applications. Use when Codex needs to work on Swift or Objective-C iPhone or iPad apps, Xcode projects or workspaces, app extensions, signing and provisioning, Swift Package plugins, Xcode Source Editor Extensions, CI/CD with GitHub Actions, fastlane, or Xcode Cloud, TestFlight distribution, App Store submission, or release engineering workflows for Apple platforms. |
IOS Professional
Overview
Use this skill to operate like a senior iOS engineer and release manager. Prioritize Apple-supported workflows, reproducible builds, safe signing practices, and delivery automation that the team can maintain over time.
Inspect Before Recommending
- Inspect the repository structure before choosing tools or automation.
- Identify whether the project uses
.xcodeproj, .xcworkspace, Swift Package Manager, CocoaPods, Tuist, or a mixed setup.
- Find the real shipping targets, schemes, configurations, bundle identifiers, entitlements, extensions, and environment-specific build settings.
- Confirm the intended outcome: local build, simulator testing, device install, internal QA, TestFlight, App Store, or CI stabilization.
Choose The Right Integration Type
- If the user asks for an "Xcode plugin," map it to a supported option:
- Xcode Source Editor Extension for editor-side commands.
- Swift Package plugin for build or command automation.
- External CLI tool for linting, formatting, testing, log formatting, or CI.
- Avoid legacy Xcode plugins that inject into Xcode internals. Treat them as outdated and risky.
- Read tooling.md when selecting plugins, editor extensions, lint and format tools, or project automation.
Default Delivery Workflow
- Make the project build locally with explicit
xcodebuild commands.
- Stabilize signing, bundle IDs, entitlements, schemes, and destinations.
- Add or refine linting, formatting, and test automation only after the core build is reliable.
- Choose CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Xcode Cloud, or the repo's established platform.
- Add fastlane when release steps need a shared, scriptable contract.
- Validate archive, export, upload, and tester distribution end to end.
Use These Working Commands
- Discover available schemes first:
xcodebuild -list -project App.xcodeprojxcodebuild -list -workspace App.xcworkspace
- Run tests against an explicit simulator:
xcodebuild test -workspace App.xcworkspace -scheme App -destination 'platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 16'
- Archive for distribution:
xcodebuild archive -workspace App.xcworkspace -scheme App -configuration Release -destination 'generic/platform=iOS' -archivePath build/App.xcarchive
- Export an archive:
xcodebuild -exportArchive -archivePath build/App.xcarchive -exportOptionsPlist ExportOptions.plist -exportPath build/export
- Preserve failing exit codes through pipes:
set -o pipefail && xcodebuild [flags] | xcbeautify
Apply Engineering Guardrails
- Keep certificates, provisioning profiles, API keys, and
.p8 files out of the repo unless the team already uses an encrypted dedicated signing store.
- Prefer App Store Connect API keys over interactive Apple ID auth for automation.
- Keep signing consistent across the app and all extension targets.
- Prefer Swift Package Manager for new dependencies unless the repo is already standardized on another system.
- Treat TestFlight as the default path before App Store release unless the user explicitly asks otherwise.
Choose The Supporting Stack
- Read tooling.md for supported extension points and recommended tools.
- Read fastlane.md for lane structure, signing strategy, and App Store Connect auth patterns.
- Read ci-cd.md for GitHub Actions and Xcode Cloud guidance.
- Read release-checklist.md before calling a release ready.
Final Output Expectations
- Report the exact commands, lanes, workflows, or Xcode settings that now work.
- State any remaining Apple-account or manual review steps.
- Call out unresolved risks clearly: signing gaps, missing API keys, unsupported plugin ideas, or manual metadata requirements.
