Autonomous UI Workflow

Project Context

• Xcode schemes: !xcodebuild -list -json 2>/dev/null | jq -r '.project.schemes[]' 2>/dev/null || echo "no schemes found"
• Recent build errors: !xcodebuild -list 2>&1 | grep -i error | head -5 || echo "none"

Autonomous UI Development Workflow

Lifecycle Position

Phases 2-4 (Design → Implement → Build). The inner UI development loop. After build is green, proceed to Phase 5 — load swiftui-view-refactor and code-analyzer for review.

The Loop

Spec → Research → Design → Implement → Build → Review Gate → Preview → Validate → Iterate

Phase 1: Spec

Gather requirements from user input (description, screenshot, Figma URL, or existing view reference). Identify:

• What the component does
• Where it fits in the view hierarchy
• Required interactions (tap, drag, keyboard)
• Data dependencies (AppState properties, bindings)

Phase 2: Research

Load documentation skills based on what the UI needs:

Also load project skills: swiftui-components, macos-app-design, apple-liquid-glass-design

Phase 3: Design

Before writing code:

1. Read existing similar views in the project's Views directory for patterns
2. Decide view hierarchy and component breakdown
3. Plan state: @State for local, shared state via project's pattern; if data must survive app restart, load swift-actor-persistence
4. Plan design system usage: check CLAUDE.md for project-specific design rules
5. Document the design before implementing

Phase 4: Implement

Follow project conventions (check CLAUDE.md and existing code):

• Use Xcode MCP tools as primary file interface when available: XcodeUpdate for edits, XcodeRead for reading, XcodeWrite for new files. See xcode-mcp for the full tool mapping.
• Use the project's state management pattern
• #Preview block at bottom
• Extract views > 100 lines
• Follow project-specific coding standards

Phase 5: Build

Via Xcode MCP: follow the BuildFix Loop from the xcode-mcp skill.

If build fails → XcodeListNavigatorIssues → fix via XcodeUpdate → rebuild (max 5 iterations). Do NOT claim success without build evidence.

CLI fallback (headless sessions only):

xcodebuild -project *.xcodeproj -scheme <SchemeName> -destination 'platform=macOS' build

Phase 5b: Review Gate (Before Testing)

After build passes, BEFORE running any tests:

1. Load code-analyzer skill
2. Review all changed files for:
   • ARC lifetime hazards (local containers passed as references that outlive their scope)
   • Actor isolation correctness (@MainActor, Sendable conformance)
   • SwiftData patterns (ModelContainer must be retained by the owner of ModelContext)
   • Consistency with project patterns (check CLAUDE.md)
3. If issues found → fix → rebuild (BuildFix Loop) → re-review
4. If clean → proceed to Preview/Test

This gate is mandatory. It catches architectural bugs before they reach the test runner and cause MCP tool hangs.

Phase 6: Preview

Use Xcode MCP RenderPreview to capture the view. Read the PNG to verify:

• Content is visible (not blank — watch for lagoonReveal)
• Layout matches intent
• Colors and typography are correct

Phase 7: Validate

Check against project rules (see CLAUDE.md for project-specific guidelines):

• Follows project design system conventions
• Meets accessibility requirements
• Consistent with existing views
• No force unwrapping without justification
• GeometryReader guarded with > 0 AND .isFinite

Phase 8: Iterate

If validation fails → fix → rebuild → re-preview. One view at a time.