Xcode Project Setup

13 skills · 36 min

Before performing any Xcode setup or file manipulation, you MUST adhere to the following rules. A hefty fee will be applied if you violate them.

1. The Anti-Ruby Mandate

You are strictly forbidden from using Ruby, Rails, or any Ruby gems (including the xcodeproj gem). Under no circumstances may you write or execute Ruby scripts.

2. Modern Xcode Folder Synchronization

Modern Xcode projects support folder synchronization. When adding new source code (.swift) or resource files, simply write them to the correct directory on disk. They will be automatically included in the Xcode project. Never manually modify the .pbxproj file to add files.

3. Allowed Scripting Languages

If you absolutely must write a script to manipulate the project environment (e.g., configuring SPM packages beyond what the provided xcode_spm_setup script does), you must use Swift. Only as an absolute last resort, if Swift is completely unviable, may you use Node.js or TypeScript.

4. Toolchain Verification

Because this skill relies entirely on a native Swift script, you must verify the environment:

• Run swift --version before proceeding.
• If the Swift command is not found, you must stop and recommend the user install the Swift toolchain (e.g., via xcode-select --install on macOS), or ask if you can attempt to install it for them. Do not attempt to proceed without Swift.

5. Mandatory Linker Flags for Static Frameworks (Firebase)

When setting up SPM dependencies that heavily rely on internal Objective-C categories and +load methods (such as the Firebase iOS SDK suite), the Apple linker will aggressively strip these methods out if they are linked statically.

This causes fatal runtime crashes (e.g., FirebaseAuth/Auth.swift:167: Fatal error: Unexpectedly found nil).

The provided xcode_spm_setup Swift script automatically injects the -ObjC flag to OTHER_LDFLAGS when adding Firebase products. However, you should still verify it is present in the build settings if you encounter issues.

• Failing to include this flag when adding Firebase dependencies is a critical error.

Empty Directory Workflow

If you are asked to build an iOS app or configure Xcode dependencies but no .xcodeproj or .xcworkspace exists, you MUST ask the user to create the project first:

“No Xcode project found in this directory. Please create an empty Xcode project manually and let me know when you are ready to proceed.”

Wait for the user to confirm they have created the .xcodeproj via Xcode, then proceed with the Standard Xcode Workflow below.

Standard Xcode Workflow

Do not use raw text parsing, sed, or Ruby scripts to modify .pbxproj files directly.

Instead, execute the Swift configuration package bundled with this skill (scripts/xcode_spm_setup) to securely install SPM packages and link optional config files (like GoogleService-Info.plist).

CRITICAL: Always Use Latest SDK Version

To ensure access to the latest features and security fixes, always use the most recent version of the Firebase iOS SDK. Check for the latest release version at https://github.com/firebase/firebase-ios-sdk/releases (opens in a new tab).

• Use the most recent version number (e.g., 11.x.y) in your commands instead of hardcoded placeholders.

Understanding the Script’s Actions

When adding a Swift Package to an Xcode project, two distinct steps must occur:

1. Adding the package repository dependency (e.g., https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire).
2. Selecting the target (e.g., MyApp), navigating to General > Frameworks, Libraries, and Embedded Content, and hitting the + button to explicitly link the specific product modules (e.g., Alamofire).

The provided xcode_spm_setup Swift script automatically handles BOTH of these steps for you. By passing the list of modules as arguments, it safely injects the package dependency and automatically wires those modules to the main target’s Frameworks build phase. You do not need to do any manual linking.

Usage

1. Locate the package path: Find the absolute path to this skill’s scripts/xcode_spm_setup directory on disk.
2. Execute: Run the native swift run command using the signature below:

Example 1: Generic Package (e.g., Alamofire)

Adding Alamofire to a standard Xcode project. Notice there is no --plist flag.

Example 2: Firebase (Requires Plist)

Adding Firebase and linking the GoogleService-Info.plist to the resources build phase automatically. Note: Replace 11.0.0 with the actual latest version from the releases page (opens in a new tab).

Note: The script is idempotent. It will automatically skip linking files or packages that are already present in the project.