capabilities.md

XBridge capabilities

XBridge puts the everyday Xcode workflow in VS Code. These are the commands and tools available in version 1.4.2. Open the Command Palette and type XBridge: to find a command; the most common actions also appear in the XBridge sidebar and status bar.

Project and workflow

Command	What it does
XBridge: Select Xcode Project or Workspace	Choose an .xcodeproj, .xcworkspace, or Swift package when more than one is available.
XBridge: Select Scheme	Choose the Xcode scheme.
XBridge: Select Build Configuration	Switch between configurations such as Debug and Release.
XBridge: Select Scheme, Configuration or Destination	Open one picker for the active build target.
XBridge: Refresh Schemes	Reload schemes and targets from Xcode.
XBridge: Open in Xcode	Open the active project or workspace in Xcode.
XBridge: Getting Started	Open the guided VS Code walkthrough.

Build, run, test, and packages

Command	What it does
XBridge: Build	Compile the active scheme.
XBridge: Build & Run	Build, install, and launch the app on the selected destination.
XBridge: Stop	Cancel the active operation or stop the running app.
XBridge: Stop Running App	Terminate the launched app without shutting down the simulator.
XBridge: Clean Build Folder	Remove the active project's DerivedData build products.
XBridge: Run Tests	Run the selected test plan or target with xcodebuild.
XBridge: Select Test Plan	Choose an Xcode test plan, if the scheme has one.
XBridge: Select Test Target	Limit a run to one test target.
XBridge: Resolve Package Dependencies	Resolve Swift Package Manager dependencies through Xcode.

The native VS Code Test Explorer discovers XCTest methods and Swift Testing @Test methods, shows per-test results, and lets you run individual tests. Build errors and test failures appear in Problems and at their source locations.

Results and logs

Command	What it does
XBridge: Show Build Output	Open the XBridge Build output channel.
XBridge: Show Build Issues	Browse errors and warnings and jump to the source line.
XBridge: Show App Console	Open the launched app's console output.

The status bar also shows the selected scheme and destination, build activity, and error and warning counts.

Simulators and devices

Command	What it does
XBridge: Select Destination (Simulator/Device)	Choose a simulator or connected physical device.
XBridge: Set as Destination	Use the selected device from the Destinations tree.
XBridge: Boot Simulator	Start a simulator.
XBridge: Shutdown Simulator	Shut down a simulator.
XBridge: Open Simulator.app	Bring Apple's Simulator app forward.
XBridge: Refresh Simulators	Reload the local simulator list.
XBridge: Refresh Devices & Simulators	Reload simulator and connected-device discovery.
XBridge: Erase Simulator Content	Reset a simulator's content and settings.
XBridge: Copy Simulator UDID	Copy the simulator identifier.
XBridge: Open URL or Deep Link…	Open a URL in a simulator.
XBridge: Take Screenshot	Save a PNG from a booted simulator.
XBridge: Start / Stop Screen Recording	Save a simulator recording as video.
XBridge: Toggle Light / Dark Appearance	Change the simulator appearance.
XBridge: Open App Data Container	Open the installed app's container in Finder.
XBridge: Uninstall App from Simulator	Remove the installed app.

Connected iPhones and iPads appear in Destinations through Apple's devicectl. Physical-device builds require working code signing and Developer Mode.

AI agent tools

Compatible VS Code AI agents can call these eight tools directly:

Tool	Capability
xbridge_build	Build and return compiler diagnostics.
xbridge_test	Run tests and return failures.
xbridge_run	Build and launch an app.
xbridge_listSchemes	List schemes, configurations, and targets.
xbridge_listSimulators	List available simulators and status.
xbridge_bootSimulator	Boot a simulator.
xbridge_readDiagnostics	Read the last build or test diagnostics.
xbridge_clean	Clean the Xcode build folder.

See the main README for the eleven configurable settings and XBridgeDemo for a project you can try locally.