macOS Development
You MUST use this skill for ANY macOS-specific development including windows, menus, sandboxing, distribution, AppKit bridging, and macOS SwiftUI differences.
Quick Reference
| Symptom / Task |
Reference |
| Window management (WindowGroup, Window, MenuBarExtra, DocumentGroup) |
See skills/windows.md |
| Menu bar, commands, keyboard shortcuts |
See skills/menus-and-commands.md |
| Table, Inspector, NavigationSplitView, focus |
See skills/swiftui-differences.md |
| App Sandbox, file access, security-scoped bookmarks |
See skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md |
| Developer ID, notarization, Sparkle auto-updates |
See skills/direct-distribution.md |
| NSViewRepresentable, NSHostingController, AppKit bridging, @Observable in AppKit, NSHostingMenu, SwiftUI scenes from AppKit |
See skills/appkit-interop.md |
Modernizing AppKit: mouseDown replacement, control events, status-item sessions, state restoration, concentric corners, touch (OS27) |
See skills/appkit-modernization.md |
| Screen recording, sharing, or capture (ScreenCaptureKit) |
See skills/screencapturekit.md |
| SCStream / SCContentFilter / screenshots / file recording API |
See skills/screencapturekit-ref.md |
| Bring an iOS app to Mac: Catalyst adoption, Designed for iPad, Mac availability opt-out |
See skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md |
| Apple Pay on Mac / Catalyst |
See axiom-payments/skills/apple-pay.md (Catalyst section) |
Cross-Suite Routes
These topics overlap with macOS development but live in separate suites:
SwiftUI (shared iOS/macOS)
- View state, data flow, @Observable → See axiom-swiftui
- Navigation (NavigationStack basics) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/nav.md)
- Layout (ViewThatFits, AnyLayout) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/layout.md)
- Animations → See axiom-swiftui (skills/animation-ref.md)
Data & persistence
- SwiftData, Core Data, GRDB → See axiom-data
- CloudKit sync → See axiom-data
Concurrency
- Swift 6 concurrency, actors, Sendable → See axiom-concurrency
Other
- Accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type) → See axiom-accessibility
- Networking (URLSession, Network.framework) → See axiom-networking
- Security (Keychain, passkeys, encryption) → See axiom-security
Conflict Resolution
axiom-macos vs axiom-swiftui: When working on a macOS SwiftUI app:
- Use axiom-macos for macOS-only concerns: windows, menus, commands, sandboxing, distribution, Table, Inspector, AppKit bridging
- Use axiom-swiftui for cross-platform SwiftUI: navigation, layout, state management, animations
- Both may apply: A macOS app using NavigationSplitView with Table needs axiom-macos for Table specifics and axiom-swiftui for NavigationSplitView basics
axiom-macos vs axiom-security: For sandbox and code signing:
- Use axiom-macos for macOS App Sandbox, security-scoped bookmarks, file access entitlements, Developer ID signing
- Use axiom-security for Keychain storage, encryption, passkeys, certificate management
Decision Tree
digraph macos {
start [label="macOS development task" shape=ellipse];
what [label="What area?" shape=diamond];
start -> what;
what -> "skills/windows.md" [label="windows/scenes"];
what -> "skills/menus-and-commands.md" [label="menus/commands/shortcuts"];
what -> "skills/swiftui-differences.md" [label="Table/Inspector/focus/macOS SwiftUI"];
what -> "skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md" [label="sandbox/file access"];
what -> "skills/direct-distribution.md" [label="distribution/notarization/updates"];
what -> "skills/appkit-interop.md" [label="AppKit bridging"];
what -> "skills/appkit-modernization.md" [label="modernize AppKit\n(input/restoration/27 look)"];
what -> "skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md" [label="iOS app to Mac\n(Catalyst / Designed for iPad)"];
what -> "skills/screencapturekit.md" [label="screen capture/\nrecording/sharing"];
what -> "axiom-swiftui" [label="cross-platform SwiftUI"];
what -> "axiom-security" [label="Keychain/encryption"];
}
iOS screen capture? ScreenCaptureKit is macOS-only. For iOS screen recording, use ReplayKit — see axiom-media.
Resources
WWDC: 2021-10062, 2022-10061, 2022-10075, 2023-10148, 2024-10149, 2026-272, 2026-289
Docs: /security/app-sandbox, /swiftui/windowgroup, /swiftui/table
Skills: axiom-swiftui, axiom-security, axiom-concurrency, axiom-uikit
1---2name: axiom-macos3description: Use when building ANY macOS app — windows, menus, sandboxing, distribution, AppKit bridging or modernization (control events, state restoration, concentric corners), or macOS-specific SwiftUI patterns.4license: MIT5---6
7# macOS Development
8
9**You MUST use this skill for ANY macOS-specific development including windows, menus, sandboxing, distribution, AppKit bridging, and macOS SwiftUI differences.**
10
11## Quick Reference
12
13| Symptom / Task | Reference |
14|----------------|-----------|
15| Window management (WindowGroup, Window, MenuBarExtra, DocumentGroup) | See `skills/windows.md` |
16| Menu bar, commands, keyboard shortcuts | See `skills/menus-and-commands.md` |
17| Table, Inspector, NavigationSplitView, focus | See `skills/swiftui-differences.md` |
18| App Sandbox, file access, security-scoped bookmarks | See `skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md` |
19| Developer ID, notarization, Sparkle auto-updates | See `skills/direct-distribution.md` |
20| NSViewRepresentable, NSHostingController, AppKit bridging, @Observable in AppKit, NSHostingMenu, SwiftUI scenes from AppKit | See `skills/appkit-interop.md` |
21| Modernizing AppKit: mouseDown replacement, control events, status-item sessions, state restoration, concentric corners, touch (`OS27`) | See `skills/appkit-modernization.md` |
22| Screen recording, sharing, or capture (ScreenCaptureKit) | See `skills/screencapturekit.md` |
23| SCStream / SCContentFilter / screenshots / file recording API | See `skills/screencapturekit-ref.md` |
24| Bring an iOS app to Mac: Catalyst adoption, Designed for iPad, Mac availability opt-out | See `skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md` |
25| Apple Pay on Mac / Catalyst | See `axiom-payments/skills/apple-pay.md` (Catalyst section) |
26
27## Cross-Suite Routes
28
29These topics overlap with macOS development but live in separate suites:
30
31#### SwiftUI (shared iOS/macOS)
32- View state, data flow, @Observable → See axiom-swiftui
33- Navigation (NavigationStack basics) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/nav.md)
34- Layout (ViewThatFits, AnyLayout) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/layout.md)
35- Animations → See axiom-swiftui (skills/animation-ref.md)
36
37#### Data & persistence
38- SwiftData, Core Data, GRDB → See axiom-data
39- CloudKit sync → See axiom-data
40
41#### Concurrency
42- Swift 6 concurrency, actors, Sendable → See axiom-concurrency
43
44#### Other
45- Accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type) → See axiom-accessibility
46- Networking (URLSession, Network.framework) → See axiom-networking
47- Security (Keychain, passkeys, encryption) → See axiom-security
48
49## Conflict Resolution
50
51**axiom-macos vs axiom-swiftui**: When working on a macOS SwiftUI app:
521. **Use axiom-macos** for macOS-only concerns: windows, menus, commands, sandboxing, distribution, Table, Inspector, AppKit bridging
532. **Use axiom-swiftui** for cross-platform SwiftUI: navigation, layout, state management, animations
543. **Both may apply**: A macOS app using NavigationSplitView with Table needs axiom-macos for Table specifics and axiom-swiftui for NavigationSplitView basics
55
56**axiom-macos vs axiom-security**: For sandbox and code signing:
571. **Use axiom-macos** for macOS App Sandbox, security-scoped bookmarks, file access entitlements, Developer ID signing
582. **Use axiom-security** for Keychain storage, encryption, passkeys, certificate management
59
60## Decision Tree
61
62```dot
63digraph macos {
64 start [label="macOS development task" shape=ellipse];
65 what [label="What area?" shape=diamond];
66
67 start -> what;
68 what -> "skills/windows.md" [label="windows/scenes"];
69 what -> "skills/menus-and-commands.md" [label="menus/commands/shortcuts"];
70 what -> "skills/swiftui-differences.md" [label="Table/Inspector/focus/macOS SwiftUI"];
71 what -> "skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md" [label="sandbox/file access"];
72 what -> "skills/direct-distribution.md" [label="distribution/notarization/updates"];
73 what -> "skills/appkit-interop.md" [label="AppKit bridging"];
74 what -> "skills/appkit-modernization.md" [label="modernize AppKit\n(input/restoration/27 look)"];
75 what -> "skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md" [label="iOS app to Mac\n(Catalyst / Designed for iPad)"];
76 what -> "skills/screencapturekit.md" [label="screen capture/\nrecording/sharing"];
77 what -> "axiom-swiftui" [label="cross-platform SwiftUI"];
78 what -> "axiom-security" [label="Keychain/encryption"];
79}
80```
81
82> **iOS screen capture?** ScreenCaptureKit is macOS-only. For iOS screen recording, use ReplayKit — see axiom-media.
83
84## Resources
85
86**WWDC**: 2021-10062, 2022-10061, 2022-10075, 2023-10148, 2024-10149, 2026-272, 2026-289
87
88**Docs**: /security/app-sandbox, /swiftui/windowgroup, /swiftui/table
89
90**Skills**: axiom-swiftui, axiom-security, axiom-concurrency, axiom-uikit
charleswiltgen