macOS Development
You MUST use this skill for ANY macOS-specific development including windows, menus, sandboxing, distribution, AppKit bridging, and macOS SwiftUI differences.
Quick Reference
| Symptom / Task | Reference |
|---|---|
| Window management (WindowGroup, Window, MenuBarExtra, DocumentGroup) | See skills/windows.md |
| Menu bar, commands, keyboard shortcuts | See skills/menus-and-commands.md |
| Table, Inspector, NavigationSplitView, focus | See skills/swiftui-differences.md |
| App Sandbox, file access, security-scoped bookmarks | See skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md |
Another team's app or app group container access denied without a prompt (OS27) | See skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md |
| Developer ID, notarization, Sparkle auto-updates | See skills/direct-distribution.md |
| NSViewRepresentable, NSHostingController, AppKit bridging, @Observable in AppKit, NSHostingMenu, SwiftUI scenes from AppKit | See skills/appkit-interop.md |
Modernizing AppKit: mouseDown replacement, control events, status-item sessions, state restoration, concentric corners, touch (OS27) | See skills/appkit-modernization.md |
| Screen recording, sharing, or capture (ScreenCaptureKit) | See skills/screencapturekit.md |
SCStream / SCContentFilter / screenshots / file recording API, clip buffering, recording editor (OS27) | See skills/screencapturekit-ref.md |
| Bring an iOS app to Mac: Catalyst adoption, Designed for iPad, Mac availability opt-out | See skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md |
| Apple Pay on Mac / Catalyst | See axiom-payments/skills/apple-pay.md (Catalyst section) |
Cross-Suite Routes
These topics overlap with macOS development but live in separate suites:
SwiftUI (shared iOS/macOS)
- View state, data flow, @Observable → See axiom-swiftui
- Navigation (NavigationStack basics) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/nav.md)
- Layout (ViewThatFits, AnyLayout) → See axiom-swiftui (skills/layout.md)
- Animations → See axiom-swiftui (skills/animation-ref.md)
Data & persistence
- SwiftData, Core Data, GRDB → See axiom-data
- CloudKit sync → See axiom-data
Concurrency
- Swift 6 concurrency, actors, Sendable → See axiom-concurrency
Other
- Accessibility (VoiceOver, Dynamic Type) → See axiom-accessibility
- Networking (URLSession, Network.framework) → See axiom-networking
- Security (Keychain, passkeys, encryption) → See axiom-security
Conflict Resolution
axiom-macos vs axiom-swiftui: When working on a macOS SwiftUI app:
- Use axiom-macos for macOS-only concerns: windows, menus, commands, sandboxing, distribution, Table, Inspector, AppKit bridging
- Use axiom-swiftui for cross-platform SwiftUI: navigation, layout, state management, animations
- Both may apply: A macOS app using NavigationSplitView with Table needs axiom-macos for Table specifics and axiom-swiftui for NavigationSplitView basics
axiom-macos vs axiom-security: For sandbox and code signing:
- Use axiom-macos for macOS App Sandbox, security-scoped bookmarks, file access entitlements, Developer ID signing
- Use axiom-security for Keychain storage, encryption, passkeys, certificate management
Decision Tree
dotdigraph macos { start [label="macOS development task" shape=ellipse]; what [label="What area?" shape=diamond]; start -> what; what -> "skills/windows.md" [label="windows/scenes"]; what -> "skills/menus-and-commands.md" [label="menus/commands/shortcuts"]; what -> "skills/swiftui-differences.md" [label="Table/Inspector/focus/macOS SwiftUI"]; what -> "skills/sandbox-and-file-access.md" [label="sandbox/file access"]; what -> "skills/direct-distribution.md" [label="distribution/notarization/updates"]; what -> "skills/appkit-interop.md" [label="AppKit bridging"]; what -> "skills/appkit-modernization.md" [label="modernize AppKit\n(input/restoration/27 look)"]; what -> "skills/ios-apps-on-mac.md" [label="iOS app to Mac\n(Catalyst / Designed for iPad)"]; what -> "skills/screencapturekit.md" [label="screen capture/\nrecording/sharing"]; what -> "axiom-swiftui" [label="cross-platform SwiftUI"]; what -> "axiom-security" [label="Keychain/encryption"]; }
iOS screen capture? ScreenCaptureKit is macOS-only. For iOS screen recording, use ReplayKit — see axiom-media.
Resources
WWDC: 2021-10062, 2022-10061, 2022-10075, 2023-10148, 2024-10149, 2026-272, 2026-289
Docs: /security/app-sandbox, /swiftui/windowgroup, /swiftui/table
Skills: axiom-swiftui, axiom-security, axiom-concurrency, axiom-uikit
