vnidrop/apple/README.md

VniDrop — native Apple app (iOS / iPadOS / macOS)

A native SwiftUI app for Apple platforms, sharing the existing Rust transfer core (crates/vnidrop) through UniFFI-generated Swift bindings. The Rust crate is not modified; the Kotlin/Compose app layer is ported to Swift and mirrors the Compose UI screen-for-screen. Android, Windows, and Linux continue to use shared/ + Compose.

Layout

apple/
  scripts/build-core.sh     # builds the Rust core + generates Swift bindings + xcframework
  VnidropCore/              # local SwiftPM package: xcframework + generated Vnidrop.swift
  VniDrop/                  # SwiftUI app sources
    App/                    # entry point, object graph, root view, environment
    Core/                   # repository, models, preferences, notifications, progress
    Features/Send|Receive|Approvals|Settings/
    UI/Theme|Components|Navigation|Feedback|Shell/
    Platform/               # pickers, QR, NFC, share/export, per-OS file services
    Resources/              # Localizable.xcstrings, Info.plist, entitlements, assets
  Tests/                    # XCTest (ported progress-derivation assertions)
  Package.swift             # builds VniDrop/ as a library for CLI build/test
  project.yml               # XcodeGen spec for the iOS/macOS app target

Build & run

Prerequisites: Xcode, Rust with the Apple targets (aarch64-apple-ios, aarch64-apple-ios-sim, x86_64-apple-ios, aarch64-apple-darwin), and xcodegen (brew install xcodegen).

# From the repository root:
make apple-core          # Rust core, Swift bindings, and XCFramework
make apple-project       # generate apple/VniDrop.xcodeproj
make open-apple-project  # generate and open the project in Xcode
make build-apple-macos   # unsigned macOS build (App Store target)
make open-apple          # build and launch the macOS app
make build-apple-ios     # unsigned iOS simulator app
make check-apple         # iOS simulator tests

make apple-project also generates ignored Store and Direct version xcconfig files. Their CURRENT_PROJECT_VERSION values come from the central version resolver as UTC YYYYMMDD.HHMM.SS build identifiers. Regenerate the project before creating another App Store archive so it receives a fresh build number; direct DMG builds refresh their own value automatically.

macOS shipping channels

The macOS app ships through two targets that build identical sources:

• VniDrop (Release) — Mac App Store / TestFlight. Sandboxed, no self-updater.
• VniDropDirect (Release-Direct) — direct-download .dmg on GitHub Releases + Homebrew cask. Adds the Sparkle auto-updater behind the DIRECT_DISTRIBUTION compile flag, so the App Store binary never links Sparkle.

make build-apple-macos-direct   # unsigned compile-check of the direct target
make build-apple-dmg                # signed (+ notarized) .dmg

Full signing, notarization, appcast, and cask flow: see RELEASE-MACOS.md.

Use APPLE_PROFILE=release to request a release Rust core, or set APPLE_DESTINATION to override the automatically selected iOS simulator. Code signing is disabled for the app and test targets; local and CI builds do not require an Apple Development team or provisioning profile. Make builds can opt in with APPLE_CODE_SIGNING=YES. For signed builds from Xcode, create the ignored apple/Local.xcconfig and override the signing settings there, including the development team.

Command-line typecheck & tests

Package.swift builds the same sources as a library (minus the @main entry), so the shared logic can be checked and unit-tested without Xcode:

cd apple
swift build                       # macOS
swift test                        # runs Tests/ (ported progress-derivation assertions)
# iOS typecheck:
swift build --triple arm64-apple-ios16.0-simulator --sdk "$(xcrun --sdk iphonesimulator --show-sdk-path)"

Generated / ignored artifacts

build-core.sh produces build outputs that are gitignored (see apple/.gitignore): VnidropCore/vnidrop.xcframework/, VnidropCore/Sources/VnidropCore/Vnidrop.swift, and .build-core/. A clean checkout must run build-core.sh before generating or opening the Xcode project. VniDrop.xcodeproj itself is generated by XcodeGen from project.yml and does not need to be committed.

Build profile note

The default is debug. The workspace [profile.release] uses thin LTO, which the current macOS toolchain miscompiles into corrupt host proc-macro dylibs ("mis-aligned LINKEDIT string pool"). build-core.sh sets CARGO_PROFILE_DEV_STRIP=none (matching the existing Gobley Xcode run-script) so debug builds succeed. For a release core, disable LTO for proc-macros/build scripts (e.g. add a [profile.release.build-override] lto = false locally) — the Rust crate itself is never changed.

System frameworks

The Rust core (iroh network stack) links SystemConfiguration, Security, and libresolv. These are declared in both Package.swift (for CLI build/test) and project.yml (for the app target).

Parity & scope

Screens mirror the Compose UI in shared/. Two deliberate simplifications:

• Empty-state Lottie animations are rendered as SF Symbols (no lottie-ios dependency); swap in lottie-ios if exact-parity animation is required.
• Bug reporting is stubbed behind BugReportService (NoopBugReportService) and a real transport lands in a later phase. There is no telemetry or crash auto-reporting.