Apple Documentation Router
Apple bundles for-LLM markdown documentation inside Xcode. These are authoritative, up-to-date guides and diagnostics written by Apple engineers. Read them directly with Claude Code's native Read tool — no MCP server or special tool required.
When to Use
- You need the exact API signature or behavior from Apple
- An Axiom skill references an Apple framework and you want the official source
- A Swift compiler diagnostic needs explanation
- The user asks about a specific Apple framework feature
Priority: Axiom skills provide opinionated guidance (decision trees, anti-patterns, pressure scenarios). Apple docs provide authoritative API details. Use both together.
How to Read These Docs
The session-start hook resolves Xcode's location and echoes the literal base directories into session context (look for "Apple for-LLM Documentation: Xcode detected at <path>"). Use the Read tool with <that base>/<filename>.
Default Xcode location (/Applications/Xcode.app) base directories:
| Content | Base directory |
|---|---|
| AdditionalDocumentation guides | /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/PlugIns/IDEIntelligenceChat.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AdditionalDocumentation/ |
| Swift compiler diagnostics | /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/share/doc/swift/diagnostics/ |
Example invocation Claude should produce:
Read /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/PlugIns/IDEIntelligenceChat.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AdditionalDocumentation/SwiftUI-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.mdXcode-beta users: the session-start hook respects AXIOM_XCODE_PATH and reports the resolved path in session context — use that path, not the default above.
Guide Files (AdditionalDocumentation)
20 files. Read with the path pattern {guides base}/{filename}.
UI & Design
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Liquid Glass in SwiftUI | SwiftUI-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md |
| Liquid Glass in UIKit | UIKit-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md |
| Liquid Glass in AppKit | AppKit-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md |
| Liquid Glass in WidgetKit | WidgetKit-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md |
| SwiftUI new toolbar features | SwiftUI-New-Toolbar-Features.md |
| SwiftUI styled text editing | SwiftUI-Styled-Text-Editing.md |
| SwiftUI WebKit integration | SwiftUI-WebKit-Integration.md |
| SwiftUI AlarmKit integration | SwiftUI-AlarmKit-Integration.md |
| Swift Charts 3D visualization | Swift-Charts-3D-Visualization.md |
| Foundation AttributedString updates | Foundation-AttributedString-Updates.md |
Data & Persistence
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| SwiftData class inheritance | SwiftData-Class-Inheritance.md |
Concurrency & Performance
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Swift concurrency updates | Swift-Concurrency-Updates.md |
| InlineArray and Span | Swift-InlineArray-Span.md |
Apple Intelligence
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Foundation Models (on-device LLM) | FoundationModels-Using-on-device-LLM-in-your-app.md |
System Integration
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| App Intents updates | AppIntents-Updates.md |
| StoreKit updates | StoreKit-Updates.md |
| MapKit GeoToolbox PlaceDescriptors | MapKit-GeoToolbox-PlaceDescriptors.md |
| Widgets for visionOS | Widgets-for-visionOS.md |
Accessibility
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Assistive Access in iOS | Implementing-Assistive-Access-in-iOS.md |
Computer Vision
| Topic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Visual Intelligence in iOS | Implementing-Visual-Intelligence-in-iOS.md |
Swift Compiler Diagnostics
46 files in the diagnostics directory. Read with the path pattern {diagnostics base}/{filename}.
Concurrency Diagnostics
| Diagnostic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Actor-isolated call from nonisolated context | actor-isolated-call.md |
| Conformance isolation | conformance-isolation.md |
| Isolated conformances | isolated-conformances.md |
| Nonisolated nonsending by default | nonisolated-nonsending-by-default.md |
| Sendable closure captures | sendable-closure-captures.md |
| Sendable metatypes | sendable-metatypes.md |
| Explicit Sendable annotations | explicit-sendable-annotations.md |
| Sending closure risks data race | sending-closure-risks-data-race.md |
| Sending risks data race | sending-risks-data-race.md |
| Mutable global variable | mutable-global-variable.md |
| Preconcurrency import | preconcurrency-import.md |
| Dynamic exclusivity | dynamic-exclusivity.md |
| Exclusivity violation | exclusivity-violation.md |
Type System Diagnostics
| Diagnostic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Existential any | existential-any.md |
| Existential member access limitations | existential-member-access-limitations.md |
| Nominal types | nominal-types.md |
| Multiple inheritance | multiple-inheritance.md |
| Protocol type non-conformance | protocol-type-non-conformance.md |
| Opaque type inference | opaque-type-inference.md |
| Foreign reference type | foreign-reference-type.md |
Build & Migration Diagnostics
| Diagnostic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Deprecated declaration | deprecated-declaration.md |
| Error in future Swift version | error-in-future-swift-version.md |
| Strict language features | strict-language-features.md |
| Strict memory safety | strict-memory-safety.md |
| Implementation only deprecated | implementation-only-deprecated.md |
| Member import visibility | member-import-visibility.md |
| Missing module on known paths | missing-module-on-known-paths.md |
| Module not testable | module-not-testable.md |
| Module version missing | module-version-missing.md |
| Clang declaration import | clang-declaration-import.md |
| Availability unrecognized name | availability-unrecognized-name.md |
| Always-available domain | always-available-domain.md |
| Upcoming language features | upcoming-language-features.md |
| Unknown warning group | unknown-warning-group.md |
| Compilation caching | compilation-caching.md |
| Embedded restrictions | embedded-restrictions.md |
Swift Language Diagnostics
| Diagnostic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Dynamic callable requirements | dynamic-callable-requirements.md |
| Property wrapper requirements | property-wrapper-requirements.md |
| Result builder methods | result-builder-methods.md |
| String interpolation conformance | string-interpolation-conformance.md |
| Trailing closure matching | trailing-closure-matching.md |
| Temporary pointers | temporary-pointers.md |
| Semantic copies | semantic-copies.md |
| Performance hints | performance-hints.md |
Index
| Diagnostic | Filename |
|---|---|
| Diagnostic groups (taxonomy) | diagnostic-groups.md |
| All diagnostics index | diagnostics.md |
If a diagnostic you need isn't listed above, list the diagnostics directory first:
ls $AXIOM_XCODE_PATH/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/share/doc/swift/diagnostics/Filenames follow the diagnostic's short name (lowercase, hyphenated).
Routing Decision Tree
User question about Apple API/framework?
├── Specific compiler error/warning → Read {diagnostics base}/<diagnostic-name>.md
├── Liquid Glass implementation → Read {guides base}/<Framework>-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md
├── Swift concurrency patterns → Read {guides base}/Swift-Concurrency-Updates.md
├── Foundation Models / on-device AI → Read {guides base}/FoundationModels-Using-on-device-LLM-in-your-app.md
├── SwiftData features → Read {guides base}/SwiftData-Class-Inheritance.md
├── StoreKit / IAP → Read {guides base}/StoreKit-Updates.md
├── App Intents / Siri → Read {guides base}/AppIntents-Updates.md
├── Charts / visualization → Read {guides base}/Swift-Charts-3D-Visualization.md
├── Text editing / AttributedString → Read {guides base}/SwiftUI-Styled-Text-Editing.md or Foundation-AttributedString-Updates.md
├── WebKit in SwiftUI → Read {guides base}/SwiftUI-WebKit-Integration.md
├── Toolbar features → Read {guides base}/SwiftUI-New-Toolbar-Features.md
└── Other → ls the base directory to see what's availableFallback When Xcode Is Unavailable
If AXIOM_XCODE_PATH is unset, or the path doesn't exist, or the IDEIntelligenceChat.framework directory is missing (older Xcode), fall back to:
- sosumi.ai (markdown mirror of developer.apple.com — see
axiom-tools/apple-docs-research.md) - WebFetch of the equivalent developer.apple.com URL
- Suggest installing the latest Xcode for full Apple docs coverage
Do not silently fail — tell the user when Xcode docs aren't available locally and which fallback you used.
MCP Convenience Path
Clients using axiom-mcp can also invoke axiom_read_skill with the legacy ID (e.g., apple-guide-swiftui-implementing-liquid-glass-design). The MCP server reads the same Xcode files and returns the same content. Both paths are supported — the file-Read path works everywhere; the MCP path is a convenience for catalog/search workflows.
Research Methodology
For WWDC transcript capture (Chrome auto-capture), sosumi.ai documentation access, and multi-session research workflows, see skills/apple-docs-research.md.
Resources
Skills: axiom-swiftui, axiom-concurrency, axiom-data, axiom-ai, axiom-integration
