kmshdev Xcode MCP
Lifecycle Position
Phase 4 (Build). Build, inspect, preview, and test through Xcode's official MCP bridge.
Setup Protocol
- Call
XcodeListWindowsfirst to get valid workspace tab identifiers. - Select the active Xcode workspace or project tab before building.
- Use
DocumentationSearchwhen Apple API behavior or availability needs confirmation. - If the user has not opened the project in Xcode, say so plainly and fall
back to
xcodebuildorswiftCLI commands where appropriate.
File Operations
When the Xcode bridge is available, prefer these tools over raw shell access for project files:
| Action | Use This | Not This |
|---|---|---|
| Read files | XcodeRead |
cat |
| Write new files | XcodeWrite |
ad-hoc shell redirection |
| Update files | XcodeUpdate |
broad text edits in shell |
| Find files | XcodeGlob |
find |
| Search code | XcodeGrep |
grep |
| List directory | XcodeLS |
ls |
| Create directory | XcodeMakeDir |
mkdir |
| Delete files | XcodeRM |
destructive shell deletes |
| Move or rename | XcodeMV |
mv |
BuildFix Loop
1. BuildProject
2. If errors:
a. XcodeListNavigatorIssues (preferred)
b. GetBuildLog (fallback)
3. Fix the smallest issue via XcodeUpdate/XcodeWrite
4. XcodeRefreshCodeIssuesInFile on changed files
5. Repeat (max 5 iterations, then escalate)
After 5 consecutive build failures: stop and present the blocking errors to the user. Do not keep cycling.
TestFix Loop
1. GetTestList
2. RunSomeTests for the narrowest relevant slice
3. If those pass and broader confidence is needed, RunAllTests
4. If the run fails at the build level, read GetBuildLog before editing
5. Fix the issue and repeat the smallest relevant test slice
PreviewVerify
After any visual UI change:
RenderPreviewto capture the relevant view.- Inspect the rendered output for layout, content, and styling issues.
- Rebuild or rerender after each meaningful fix.
Diagnostics
XcodeListNavigatorIssues— structured issue listXcodeRefreshCodeIssuesInFile— fresh diagnostics after editing a fileDocumentationSearch— Apple docs and API referencesExecuteSnippet— minimal local experiments inside a file's build context
Guardrails
- This official Xcode bridge is IDE-centric. It does not provide simulator UI automation, log capture, or LLDB session control in this toolkit.
- It also does not scaffold new Xcode projects.
- Prefer the narrowest proof available: file diagnostics, preview render, targeted build, then targeted tests.
- If the bridge is unavailable, fall back to native Apple CLI tooling such as
xcodebuild,swift test, oropen, and say that clearly.