Xcode Build Orchestrator

Xcode Build Orchestrator

Use this skill as the recommend-first entrypoint for end-to-end Xcode build optimization work.

Non-Negotiable Rules

• Wall-clock build time (how long the developer waits) is the primary success metric. Every recommendation must state its expected impact on the developer's actual wait time.
• Start in recommendation mode.
• Benchmark before making changes.
• Do not modify project files, source files, packages, or scripts without explicit developer approval.
• Preserve the evidence trail for every recommendation.
• Re-benchmark after approved changes and report the wall-clock delta.

Two-Phase Workflow

The orchestration is designed as two distinct phases separated by developer review.

Phase 1 -- Analyze (recommend-only)

Run this phase in agent mode because the agent needs to execute builds, run benchmark scripts, write benchmark artifacts, and generate the optimization report. However, treat Phase 1 as recommend-only: do not modify any project files, source files, packages, or build settings. The only files the agent creates during this phase are benchmark artifacts and the optimization plan inside .build-benchmark/.

1. Collect the build target context: workspace or project, scheme, configuration, destination, and current pain point. When both .xcworkspace and .xcodeproj exist, prefer .xcodeproj unless the workspace contains sub-projects required for the build. Workspaces that reference external projects may fail if those projects are not checked out.
2. Run xcode-build-benchmark to establish a baseline if no fresh benchmark exists. The benchmark script auto-detects COMPILATION_CACHE_ENABLE_CACHING = YES and includes cached clean builds that measure the realistic developer experience (warm cache). If the build fails to compile, check git log for a recent buildable commit. When working in a worktree, cherry-picking a targeted build fix from a feature branch is acceptable to reach a buildable state. If SPM packages reference gitignored directories in their exclude: paths (e.g., __Snapshots__), create those directories before building -- worktrees do not contain gitignored content and xcodebuild -resolvePackageDependencies will crash otherwise.
3. Verify the benchmark artifact has non-empty timing_summary_categories. If empty, the timing summary parser may have failed -- re-parse the raw logs or inspect them manually. If COMPILATION_CACHE_ENABLE_CACHING is enabled, also verify the artifact includes cached_clean runs.
   • Benchmark confidence check: For each build type (clean, cached clean, incremental), compare the min and max values. If the spread (max - min) exceeds 20% of the median, flag the benchmark as having high variance and recommend running additional repetitions (5+ runs) before drawing conclusions. High variance makes it difficult to distinguish real improvements from noise. After applying changes, only claim an improvement if the post-change median falls outside the baseline's min-max range.
4. If incremental builds are the primary pain point and Xcode 16.4+ is available, recommend the developer enable Task Backtraces (Scheme Editor > Build tab > Build Debugging > "Task Backtraces"). This reveals why each task re-ran, which is critical for diagnosing unexpected replanning or input invalidation. Include any Task Backtrace evidence in the analysis.
5. Determine whether compile tasks are likely blocking wall-clock progress or just consuming parallel CPU time. Compare the sum of all timing-summary category seconds against the wall-clock median: if the sum is 2x+ the median, most work is parallelized and compile hotspot fixes are unlikely to reduce wait time. If SwiftCompile, CompileC, SwiftEmitModule, or Planning Swift module dominate the timing summary and appear likely to be on the critical path, run diagnose_compilation.py to capture type-checking hotspots. If they are parallelized, still run diagnostics but label findings as "parallel efficiency improvements" rather than "build time improvements."
6. Run the specialist analyses that fit the evidence by reading each skill's SKILL.md and applying its workflow:
   • xcode-compilation-analyzer
   • xcode-project-analyzer
   • spm-build-analysis
7. Merge findings into a single prioritized improvement plan.
8. Generate the markdown optimization report using generate_optimization_report.py and save it to .build-benchmark/optimization-plan.md. This report includes the build settings audit, timing analysis, prioritized recommendations, and an approval checklist.
9. Stop and present the plan to the developer for review.

The developer reviews .build-benchmark/optimization-plan.md, checks the approval boxes for the recommendations they want implemented, and then triggers phase 2.

Phase 2 -- Execute and verify (agent mode)

Run this phase in agent mode after the developer has reviewed and approved recommendations from the plan. Delegate all implementation work to xcode-build-fixer by reading its SKILL.md and applying its workflow.

10. Read .build-benchmark/optimization-plan.md and identify the approved items from the approval checklist.
11. Hand off to xcode-build-fixer with the approved plan. The fixer applies each approved change, verifies compilation, and re-benchmarks.
12. Append verification results to the optimization plan: post-change medians, absolute and percentage deltas, and confidence notes.
13. Report before and after results, plus any remaining follow-up opportunities.