Swift Project Setup

Instructions

Step 1: Gather Requirements

Ask the user (if not already provided):

• Project name and bundle identifier
• Target platforms (iOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS)
• Minimum iOS version
• UI framework: SwiftUI, UIKit, or both
• Testing mode: enterprise or indie (see references/ in swift-testing skill)
• Persistence: None / SwiftData (iOS 17+) / CoreData
• Any SPM dependencies to add upfront

Step 2: Define Folder Structure

Ask if not already provided: SwiftUI, UIKit, or Mixed (SwiftUI + UIKit)?

Then load the matching reference:

• SwiftUI → references/structure-swiftui.md
• UIKit → references/structure-uikit.md
• Mixed → references/structure-mixed.md

Apply the template exactly. Then consult references/file-naming.md for group naming rules and the "What Never Goes Where" table before placing any file.

Step 3: Generate Architecture Skeleton

Create core protocol files:

// Core/Protocols/ViewModelProtocol.swift
import Foundation

@MainActor
protocol ViewModelProtocol: AnyObject {
    func onAppear() async
}

// Core/Protocols/RepositoryProtocol.swift
import Foundation

protocol RepositoryProtocol {
    associatedtype Model
    func fetch() async throws -> [Model]
}

Generate a placeholder feature (e.g., Home):

// Features/Home/HomeView.swift
import SwiftUI

struct HomeView: View {
    @State private var viewModel = HomeViewModel()

    var body: some View {
        Text("Hello, \(viewModel.title)")
            .task { await viewModel.onAppear() }
    }
}

#Preview {
    HomeView()
}

// Features/Home/HomeViewModel.swift
import Foundation
import Observation

@MainActor
@Observable
final class HomeViewModel {
    private(set) var title: String = ""

    func onAppear() async {
        title = "World"
    }
}

Step 4: CLAUDE.md Setup

Copy CLAUDE.md from swift-unit-test-instructions into the project root. Fill in the Project Configuration block:

• Project Name
• Testing Mode (enterprise or indie)
• UI Framework
• Min iOS Version

Step 5: Skills Setup

Create .claude/skills/ in the project root. Copy the following skills from swift-unit-test-instructions/skills/:

• swift-testing/ (mandatory)
• swift-architecture-audit/ (recommended)
• swiftui-component/ (if using SwiftUI)
• swift-networking/ (if networking needed)
• swift-persistence/ (if persistence selected)
• swift-code-review/ (recommended)

Also copy .claude/commands/ and .claude/agents/ from swift-unit-test-instructions/ into the project's .claude/ folder.

STOP. Present the plan to the user and wait for confirmation before generating any files.

Plan: [ProjectName]
Structure: [SwiftUI | UIKit | Mixed]
Persistence: [None | SwiftData | CoreData]
Testing: [enterprise | indie]

Files to create:
  - [list key files]

Confirm to proceed?

Step 6: Initial Testing Files

Create placeholder tests to validate the setup compiles:

// ProjectNameTests/HomeViewModelTests.swift
import Testing
@testable import ProjectName

@MainActor
struct HomeViewModelTests {

    @Test func test_when_onAppear_should_setTitle() async {
        // Arrange
        let sut = HomeViewModel()

        // Act
        await sut.onAppear()

        // Assert
        #expect(sut.title == "World")
    }
}

Examples

Example 1: New SwiftUI app

User says: "Create a new SwiftUI project called TaskMate for iOS 17+"

Actions:

1. Confirm: bundle ID, testing mode, any dependencies
2. Generate folder structure with explanation
3. Create TaskMateApp.swift, HomeView.swift, HomeViewModel.swift
4. Create CLAUDE.md with filled-in config
5. Output next steps checklist

Example 2: UIKit project

User says: "Start a new UIKit project called BankingApp, enterprise testing"

Actions:

1. Generate UIKit-oriented structure (SceneDelegate, AppDelegate, Coordinators)
2. Create HomeViewController + HomeViewModel
3. Set testing mode to enterprise in CLAUDE.md

References

• references/structure-swiftui.md — SwiftUI folder structure + test targets
• references/structure-uikit.md — UIKit folder structure + test targets
• references/structure-mixed.md — Mixed SwiftUI + UIKit structure + Bridge/ rules
• references/file-naming.md — file naming good/bad, group naming, "What Never Goes Where"
• references/gitignore-xcode.md — .gitignore for Xcode/Swift projects
• references/spm-skeleton.md — Package.swift skeleton for extracting modules

Troubleshooting

Xcode targets not created: The skill generates source files and folder structure, but Xcode targets (Unit Test Target, UI Test Target) must be added manually in Xcode → File → New → Target.

Preview not working: Ensure @Observable is imported from Observation (iOS 17+). For older targets, use ObservableObject + @Published.