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 as files (in Claude Code, with the 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

Axiom's session context names the Xcode the user has switched to. In Claude Code it lists the literal base directories ("Apple for-LLM Documentation: Xcode detected at <path>"); other harnesses name the app ("Installed on this machine: Xcode … (<path>)") — substitute that .app for /Applications/Xcode.app in the table below. Read <base>/<filename> as a file (the Read tool in Claude Code).

Default Xcode location (/Applications/Xcode.app) base directories:

Example invocation Claude should produce:

Read /Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/PlugIns/IDEIntelligenceChat.framework/Versions/A/Resources/AdditionalDocumentation/SwiftUI-Implementing-Liquid-Glass-Design.md

These paths assume the default install; use the path from session context instead. Without session context: use AXIOM_XCODE_PATH if it is set; otherwise run xcode-select -p (it honors DEVELOPER_DIR), which prints <Xcode>.app/Contents/Developer — drop /Contents/Developer and put that .app in place of /Applications/Xcode.app above. If it prints /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools, no Xcode is selected; try /Applications/Xcode.app.

Guide Files (AdditionalDocumentation)

20 files. Read with the path pattern {guides base}/{filename}.

UI & Design

Data & Persistence

Concurrency & Performance

Apple Intelligence

System Integration

Accessibility

Computer Vision

Swift Compiler Diagnostics

The diagnostics directory ships more files than are listed here (the count varies by Xcode version); the most relevant are below. Read with the path pattern {diagnostics base}/{filename}.

Concurrency Diagnostics

Type System Diagnostics

Build & Migration Diagnostics

Swift Language Diagnostics

Index

If a diagnostic you need isn't listed above, list the diagnostics directory first:

ls "<Xcode>.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/share/doc/swift/diagnostics/"

<Xcode>.app is the app session context names; without session context, derive it as above. Command Line Tools keep the same files at /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/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 available

Fallback When Xcode Is Unavailable

If the resolved Xcode has no IDEIntelligenceChat.framework documentation directory (older Xcode, or only Command Line Tools installed), fall back to the list below. For a Swift diagnostic, first try the Command Line Tools copy at /Library/Developer/CommandLineTools/usr/share/doc/swift/diagnostics/.

1. sosumi.ai (markdown mirror of developer.apple.com — see skills/apple-docs-research.md)
2. The SDK's own declarations – its Swift interfaces and Objective-C headers (also in skills/apple-docs-research.md); Command Line Tools includes only the macOS SDK
3. 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

When the bundled guides don't cover it — Apple's full API reference, the SDK's own declarations, or a WWDC session's transcript and code — see skills/apple-docs-research.md.

Resources

Skills: axiom-swiftui, axiom-concurrency, axiom-data, axiom-ai, axiom-integration