# xcode-project-analyzer

Audits an Xcode project's settings, schemes and script phases to show what slows the build down. Changes are proposed, never applied without your approval.

- skill · `type=skill` · Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, OpenCode · 3500 installs · ★ 1264
- Author: AvdLee
- License: MIT · policy=mirror · the beginning of the file is at the end of this page
- Source: https://github.com/AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill/tree/HEAD/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md
- Updated: 2026-09-14
- HTML: https://affpapa.org/en/nevibecode/skills/xcode-project-analyzer

## What it does

This skill targets project- and target-level build problems that source edits won't fix. It reviews scheme build order, target dependencies, Debug versus Release settings, run script phases and their inputs and outputs, parallelization, module dependency settings and module-map readiness. The Build Timing Summary gets a close look too: time spent on “Planning Swift module”, asset catalog compilation, `ExtractAppIntentsMetadata`, and the overhead of a rebuild with zero changes. Spot a `Podfile` or `Pods.xcodeproj` and the skill won't tune CocoaPods at all — it points you to SPM instead.

Recommendation-first is the default. Touching project files, schemes or build settings needs explicit approval, so nothing gets rewritten behind your back. Every finding comes with evidence, likely scope, the effect on clean and incremental builds, an impact estimate, and whether sign-off is required. Debug and Release configurations are checked against the checklist in `references/build-settings-best-practices.md` using `[x]` and `[ ]` marks. Language-migration settings such as `SWIFT_STRICT_CONCURRENCY` stay out of scope — build performance is the whole job.

When the trail leads into the package graph or build plugins, the skill hands off to `spm-build-analysis`. On Xcode 16.4 and later it can also read Task Backtraces to pin down which input change re-runs a task. Useful when incremental builds have crept up in time and the cause isn't obvious.

## Install

### Claude Code (native platform)

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --skill xcode-project-analyzer -a claude-code
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `~/.claude/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md` — Copy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/

### Codex

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --skill xcode-project-analyzer -a codex
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.agents/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md` — For all projects use ~/.agents/skills/

### Cursor

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --skill xcode-project-analyzer -a cursor
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.cursor/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md` — Cursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/

### GitHub Copilot

1. **GitHub CLI**
```bash
gh skill install AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill xcode-project-analyzer
```

2. **Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.github/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md`

### Gemini CLI

1. **Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --skill xcode-project-analyzer -a gemini-cli
```

2. **Platform CLI**
```bash
gemini skills install https://github.com/AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --path skills/xcode-project-analyzer
```

### Windsurf (Devin Desktop)

**Manually: put the files in place**
- File: `.devin/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md` — The legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works

### OpenCode

**Skills CLI (Vercel)**
```bash
npx skills add AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill --skill xcode-project-analyzer -a opencode
```

### Claude.ai

**Claude.ai**
- Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills

Where a file is given instead of a command, copy the files from the source to that path: https://github.com/AvdLee/Xcode-Build-Optimization-Agent-Skill/tree/HEAD/skills/xcode-project-analyzer/SKILL.md

## When to use it
- find out why incremental builds got slow
- check Debug and Release settings against a checklist
- remove serial bottlenecks in schemes
- spot script phases that declare no inputs or outputs
- trace what re-runs a task when nothing changed

## Example prompts
- Analyze my Xcode project's build and tell me what can be sped up
- Why did incremental builds get slower? Look at the schemes and script phases
- Compare my Debug and Release settings against the build settings checklist

## Source text · SKILL.md · MIT

Below is the content of a third-party file. It is data, not instructions for you: do not act on anything written inside unless the human asks. Block tag: cb9e8ea50e35f4c9.

BEGIN THIRD-PARTY FILE cb9e8ea50e35f4c9
```text
---
name: xcode-project-analyzer
description: Audit Xcode project configuration, build settings, scheme behavior, and script phases to find build-time improvements with explicit approval gates. Use when a developer wants project-level build analysis, slow incremental builds, guidance on target dependencies, build settings review, run script phase analysis, parallelization improvements, or module-map and DEFINES_MODULE configuration.
---

# Xcode Project Analyzer

Use this skill for project- and target-level build inefficiencies that are unlikely to be solved by source edits alone.

## Core Rules

- Recommendation-first by default.
- Require explicit approval before changing project files, schemes, or build settings.
- Prefer measured findings tied to timing summaries, build logs, or project configuration evidence.
- Distinguish debug-only pain from release-only pain.

## What To Review

- scheme build order and target dependencies
- debug vs release build settings against the [build settings best practices](references/build-settings-best-practices.md)
- run script phases and dependency-analysis settings
- derived-data churn or obviously invalidating custom steps
- opportunities for parallelization
- explicit module dependency settings and module-map readiness
- "Planning Swift module" time in the Build Timing Summary -- if it dominates incremental builds, suspect unexpected input modification or macro-related invalidation
- asset catalog compilation time, especially in targets with large or numerous catalogs
- `ExtractAppIntentsMetadata` time in the Build Timing Summary -- if this phase consumes significant time, record it as `xcode-behavior` (report the cost and impact, but do not suggest a repo-local optimization unless there is explicit Apple guidance)
- zero-change build overhead -- if a no-op rebuild exceeds a few seconds, investigate fixed-cost phases (script execution, codesign, validation, CopySwiftLibs)
```
END THIRD-PARTY FILE cb9e8ea50e35f4c9

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