iOS Build & Environment Router

You MUST use this skill for ANY build, environment, or Xcode-related issue before debugging application code.

When to Use

Use this router when you encounter:

• Build failures (BUILD FAILED, compilation errors, linker errors)
• Test crashes or hangs
• Simulator issues (won’t boot, device errors)
• Xcode misbehavior (stale builds, zombie processes)
• Dependency conflicts (CocoaPods, SPM)
• Build performance issues (slow compilation)
• Environment issues before debugging code

Routing Logic

This router invokes specialized skills based on the specific issue:

1. Environment-First Issues → xcode-debugging

Triggers:

• BUILD FAILED without obvious code cause
• Tests crash in clean project
• Simulator hangs or won’t boot
• “No such module” after SPM changes
• Zombie xcodebuild processes
• Stale builds (old code still running)
• Clean build differs from incremental build

Why xcode-debugging first: 90% of mysterious issues are environment, not code. Check this BEFORE debugging code.

Invoke: /skill axiom-xcode-debugging

2. Slow Builds → build-performance

Triggers:

• Compilation takes too long
• Type checking bottlenecks
• Want to optimize build time
• Build Timeline shows slow phases

Invoke: /skill axiom-build-performance

3. SPM Dependency Conflicts → spm-conflict-resolver (Agent)

Triggers:

• SPM resolution failures
• “No such module” after adding package
• Duplicate symbol linker errors
• Version conflicts between packages
• Swift 6 package compatibility issues
• Package.swift / Package.resolved conflicts

Why spm-conflict-resolver: Specialized agent that analyzes Package.swift and Package.resolved to diagnose and resolve Swift Package Manager conflicts.

Invoke: Launch spm-conflict-resolver agent

4. Security & Privacy Audit → security-privacy-scanner (Agent)

Triggers:

• App Store submission prep
• Privacy Manifest requirements (iOS 17+)
• Hardcoded credentials in code
• Sensitive data storage concerns
• ATS violations
• Required Reason API declarations

Why security-privacy-scanner: Specialized agent that scans for security vulnerabilities and privacy compliance issues.

Invoke: Launch security-privacy-scanner agent or /axiom:audit security

5. iOS 17→18 Modernization → modernization-helper (Agent)

Triggers:

• Migrate ObservableObject to @Observable
• Update @StateObject to @State
• Adopt modern SwiftUI patterns
• Deprecated API cleanup
• iOS 17+ migration

Why modernization-helper: Specialized agent that scans for legacy patterns and provides migration paths with code examples.

Invoke: Launch modernization-helper agent or /axiom:audit modernization

6. General Dependency Issues → build-debugging

Triggers:

• CocoaPods resolution failures
• “Multiple commands produce” errors
• Framework version mismatches
• Non-SPM dependency graph conflicts

Invoke: /skill axiom-build-debugging

7. TestFlight Crash Triage → testflight-triage

Triggers:

• Beta tester reported a crash
• Crash reports in Xcode Organizer
• Crash logs aren’t symbolicated
• TestFlight feedback with screenshots
• App was killed but no crash report

Why testflight-triage: Systematic workflow for investigating TestFlight crashes and reviewing beta feedback. Covers symbolication, crash interpretation, common patterns, and Claude-assisted analysis.

Invoke: /skill axiom-testflight-triage

8. App Store Connect Navigation → app-store-connect-ref

Triggers:

• How to find crashes in App Store Connect
• ASC metrics dashboard navigation
• Understanding crash-free users percentage
• Comparing crash rates between versions
• Exporting crash data from ASC
• App Store Connect API for crash data

Why app-store-connect-ref: Reference for navigating ASC crash analysis, metrics dashboards, and data export workflows.

Invoke: /skill axiom-app-store-connect-ref

9. Crash Log Analysis → crash-analyzer (Agent)

Triggers:

• User has .ips or .crash file to analyze
• User pasted crash report text
• Need to parse crash log programmatically
• Identify crash pattern from exception type
• Check symbolication status

Why crash-analyzer: Autonomous agent that parses crash reports, identifies patterns (null pointer, Swift runtime, watchdog, jetsam), and generates actionable analysis.

Invoke: Launch crash-analyzer agent or /axiom:analyze-crash

10. MetricKit API Reference → metrickit-ref

Triggers:

• MetricKit setup and subscription
• MXMetricPayload parsing (CPU, memory, launches, hitches)
• MXDiagnosticPayload parsing (crashes, hangs, disk writes)
• MXCallStackTree decoding and symbolication
• Field crash/hang collection
• Background exit metrics

Why metrickit-ref: Complete MetricKit API reference with setup patterns, payload parsing, and integration with crash reporting systems.

Invoke: /skill axiom-metrickit-ref

11. Hang Diagnostics → hang-diagnostics

Triggers:

• App hangs or freezes
• Main thread blocked for >1 second
• UI unresponsive to touches
• Xcode Organizer shows hang diagnostics
• MXHangDiagnostic from MetricKit
• Watchdog terminations (app killed during launch/background transition)

Why hang-diagnostics: Systematic diagnosis of hangs with decision tree for busy vs blocked main thread, tool selection (Time Profiler, System Trace), and 8 common hang patterns with fixes.

Invoke: /skill axiom-hang-diagnostics

Decision Tree

User reports build/environment issue
  ├─ Is it mysterious/intermittent/clean build fails?
  │  └─ YES → xcode-debugging (environment-first)
  │
  ├─ Is it SPM dependency conflict?
  │  └─ YES → spm-conflict-resolver (Agent)
  │
  ├─ Is it CocoaPods/other dependency conflict? (legacy)
  │  └─ YES → build-debugging (note: CocoaPods is legacy; prefer SPM)
  │
  ├─ Is it slow build time?
  │  └─ YES → build-performance
  │
  ├─ Is it security/privacy/App Store prep?
  │  └─ YES → security-privacy-scanner (Agent)
  │
  ├─ Is it modernization/deprecated APIs/iOS 17+ migration?
  │  └─ YES → modernization-helper (Agent)
  │
  ├─ Is it TestFlight crash/feedback triage?
  │  └─ YES → testflight-triage
  │
  ├─ Is it navigating App Store Connect for crashes/metrics?
  │  └─ YES → app-store-connect-ref
  │
  ├─ Do they have a crash log (.ips/.crash) to analyze?
  │  └─ YES → crash-analyzer (Agent)
  │
  ├─ Is it MetricKit setup or payload parsing?
  │  └─ YES → metrickit-ref
  │
  └─ Is it app hang/freeze/watchdog termination?
     └─ YES → hang-diagnostics

Anti-Rationalization

Do NOT skip this router for:

• “Simple” build errors (may have environment cause)
• “Quick fixes” (environment issues return if not addressed)

Environment issues are the #1 time sink in iOS development. Check environment before debugging code.

When NOT to Use (Conflict Resolution)

Do NOT use ios-build for these — use the correct router instead:

ios-build is for environment mysteries, not code errors:

• ✅ “No such module” when code is correct
• ✅ Simulator won’t boot
• ✅ Clean build fails, incremental works
• ✅ Zombie xcodebuild processes
• ❌ Swift concurrency warnings/errors
• ❌ Database migration failures
• ❌ Type checking errors in valid code

Example Invocations

User: “My build failed with a linker error” → Invoke: /skill axiom-xcode-debugging (environment-first diagnostic)

User: “Builds are taking 10 minutes” → Invoke: /skill axiom-build-performance

User: “SPM won’t resolve dependencies” → Invoke: spm-conflict-resolver agent

User: “Two packages require different versions of the same dependency” → Invoke: spm-conflict-resolver agent

User: “Duplicate symbol linker error” → Invoke: spm-conflict-resolver agent

User: “I need to prepare for App Store security review” → Invoke: security-privacy-scanner agent

User: “Do I need a Privacy Manifest?” → Invoke: security-privacy-scanner agent

User: “Are there hardcoded credentials in my code?” → Invoke: security-privacy-scanner agent

User: “How do I migrate from ObservableObject to @Observable?” → Invoke: modernization-helper agent

User: “Update my code to use modern SwiftUI patterns” → Invoke: modernization-helper agent

User: “Should I still use @StateObject?” → Invoke: modernization-helper agent

User: “A beta tester said my app crashed” → Invoke: /skill axiom-testflight-triage

User: “I see crashes in App Store Connect but don’t know how to investigate” → Invoke: /skill axiom-testflight-triage

User: “My crash logs aren’t symbolicated” → Invoke: /skill axiom-testflight-triage

User: “I need to review TestFlight feedback” → Invoke: /skill axiom-testflight-triage

User: “How do I find crashes in App Store Connect?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-app-store-connect-ref

User: “Where’s the crash-free users metric in ASC?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-app-store-connect-ref

User: “How do I export crash data from App Store Connect?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-app-store-connect-ref

User: “Analyze this crash log” [pastes .ips content] → Invoke: crash-analyzer agent or /axiom:analyze-crash

User: “Parse this .ips file: ~/Library/Logs/DiagnosticReports/MyApp.ips” → Invoke: crash-analyzer agent or /axiom:analyze-crash

User: “Why did my app crash? Here’s the report…” → Invoke: crash-analyzer agent or /axiom:analyze-crash

User: “How do I set up MetricKit to collect crash data?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-metrickit-ref

User: “How do I parse MXDiagnosticPayload?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-metrickit-ref

User: “What’s in MXCallStackTree and how do I decode it?” → Invoke: /skill axiom-metrickit-ref

User: “My app hangs sometimes” → Invoke: /skill axiom-hang-diagnostics

User: “The main thread is blocked and UI is unresponsive” → Invoke: /skill axiom-hang-diagnostics

User: “Xcode Organizer shows hang diagnostics for my app” → Invoke: /skill axiom-hang-diagnostics

User: “My app was killed by watchdog during launch” → Invoke: /skill axiom-hang-diagnostics