ios-professional

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 Treat them as outdated and risky.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

1. Make the project build locally with explicit xcodebuild commands.
2. Stabilize signing, bundle IDs, entitlements, schemes, and destinations.
3. Add or refine linting, formatting, and test automation only after the core build is reliable.
4. Choose CI/CD: GitHub Actions, Xcode Cloud, or the repo's established platform.
5. Add fastlane when release steps need a shared, scriptable contract.
6. Validate archive, export, upload, and tester distribution end to end.

Use These Working Commands

• Discover available schemes first:
  • xcodebuild -list -project App.xcodeproj
  • xcodebuild -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.