Skip to main content
Glama

build_mac_ws

Build macOS applications from Xcode workspaces using xcodebuild with configurable schemes, architectures, and build settings.

Instructions

Builds a macOS app using xcodebuild from a workspace.

Input Schema

TableJSON Schema
NameRequiredDescriptionDefault
workspacePathYesPath to the .xcworkspace file (Required)
schemeYesThe scheme to use (Required)
configurationNoBuild configuration (Debug, Release, etc.)
derivedDataPathNoPath where build products and other derived data will go
archNoArchitecture to build for (arm64 or x86_64). For macOS only.
extraArgsNoAdditional xcodebuild arguments
preferXcodebuildNoIf true, prefers xcodebuild over the experimental incremental build system, useful for when incremental build system fails.

Implementation Reference

  • Primary internal handler for the build_mac_ws tool. Executes the macOS-specific build logic by calling executeXcodeBuildCommand with platform: XcodePlatform.macOS.
    async function _handleMacOSBuildLogic(params: { workspacePath?: string; projectPath?: string; scheme: string; configuration: string; derivedDataPath?: string; arch?: string; extraArgs?: string[]; preferXcodebuild?: boolean; }): Promise<ToolResponse> { log('info', `Starting macOS build for scheme ${params.scheme} (internal)`); return executeXcodeBuildCommand( { ...params, }, { platform: XcodePlatform.macOS, arch: params.arch, logPrefix: 'macOS Build', }, params.preferXcodebuild, 'build', ); }
  • Registers the 'build_mac_ws' MCP tool on the server using registerTool, defining name, description, input schema, and handler function.
    registerTool<WorkspaceParams>( server, 'build_mac_ws', 'Builds a macOS app using xcodebuild from a workspace.', { workspacePath: workspacePathSchema, scheme: schemeSchema, configuration: configurationSchema, derivedDataPath: derivedDataPathSchema, arch: archSchema, extraArgs: extraArgsSchema, preferXcodebuild: preferXcodebuildSchema, }, async (params) => _handleMacOSBuildLogic({ ...params, configuration: params.configuration ?? 'Debug', preferXcodebuild: params.preferXcodebuild ?? false, }), );
  • Zod schema for the optional 'arch' parameter specific to macOS builds.
    const archSchema = z .enum(['arm64', 'x86_64']) .optional() .describe('Architecture to build for (arm64 or x86_64). For macOS only.');
  • Core helper function called by the handler to execute the actual xcodebuild command (or xcodemake/make for incremental builds), parse output, extract warnings/errors, and format the tool response.
    export async function executeXcodeBuildCommand( params: SharedBuildParams, platformOptions: PlatformBuildOptions, preferXcodebuild: boolean = false, buildAction: string = 'build', ): Promise<ToolResponse> { // Collect warnings, errors, and stderr messages from the build output const buildMessages: { type: 'text'; text: string }[] = []; function grepWarningsAndErrors(text: string): { type: 'warning' | 'error'; content: string }[] { return text .split('\n') .map((content) => { if (/warning:/i.test(content)) return { type: 'warning', content }; if (/error:/i.test(content)) return { type: 'error', content }; return null; }) .filter(Boolean) as { type: 'warning' | 'error'; content: string }[]; } log('info', `Starting ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction} for scheme ${params.scheme}`); // Check if xcodemake is enabled and available const isXcodemakeEnabledFlag = isXcodemakeEnabled(); let xcodemakeAvailableFlag = false; if (isXcodemakeEnabledFlag && buildAction === 'build') { xcodemakeAvailableFlag = await isXcodemakeAvailable(); if (xcodemakeAvailableFlag && preferXcodebuild) { log( 'info', 'xcodemake is enabled but preferXcodebuild is set to true. Falling back to xcodebuild.', ); buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: '⚠️ incremental build support is enabled but preferXcodebuild is set to true. Falling back to xcodebuild.', }); } else if (!xcodemakeAvailableFlag) { buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: '⚠️ xcodemake is enabled but not available. Falling back to xcodebuild.', }); log('info', 'xcodemake is enabled but not available. Falling back to xcodebuild.'); } else { log('info', 'xcodemake is enabled and available, using it for incremental builds.'); buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: 'ℹ️ xcodemake is enabled and available, using it for incremental builds.', }); } } try { const command = ['xcodebuild']; let projectDir = ''; if (params.workspacePath) { projectDir = path.dirname(params.workspacePath); command.push('-workspace', params.workspacePath); } else if (params.projectPath) { projectDir = path.dirname(params.projectPath); command.push('-project', params.projectPath); } command.push('-scheme', params.scheme); command.push('-configuration', params.configuration); command.push('-skipMacroValidation'); // Construct destination string based on platform let destinationString: string; const isSimulatorPlatform = [ XcodePlatform.iOSSimulator, XcodePlatform.watchOSSimulator, XcodePlatform.tvOSSimulator, XcodePlatform.visionOSSimulator, ].includes(platformOptions.platform); if (isSimulatorPlatform) { if (platformOptions.simulatorId) { destinationString = constructDestinationString( platformOptions.platform, undefined, platformOptions.simulatorId, ); } else if (platformOptions.simulatorName) { destinationString = constructDestinationString( platformOptions.platform, platformOptions.simulatorName, undefined, platformOptions.useLatestOS, ); } else { return createTextResponse( `For ${platformOptions.platform} platform, either simulatorId or simulatorName must be provided`, true, ); } } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.macOS) { destinationString = constructDestinationString( platformOptions.platform, undefined, undefined, false, platformOptions.arch, ); } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.iOS) { destinationString = 'generic/platform=iOS'; } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.watchOS) { destinationString = 'generic/platform=watchOS'; } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.tvOS) { destinationString = 'generic/platform=tvOS'; } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.visionOS) { destinationString = 'generic/platform=visionOS'; } else { return createTextResponse(`Unsupported platform: ${platformOptions.platform}`, true); } command.push('-destination', destinationString); if (params.derivedDataPath) { command.push('-derivedDataPath', params.derivedDataPath); } if (params.extraArgs && params.extraArgs.length > 0) { command.push(...params.extraArgs); } command.push(buildAction); // Execute the command using xcodemake or xcodebuild let result; if ( isXcodemakeEnabledFlag && xcodemakeAvailableFlag && buildAction === 'build' && !preferXcodebuild ) { // Check if Makefile already exists const makefileExists = doesMakefileExist(projectDir); log('debug', 'Makefile exists: ' + makefileExists); // Check if Makefile log already exists const makeLogFileExists = doesMakeLogFileExist(projectDir, command); log('debug', 'Makefile log exists: ' + makeLogFileExists); if (makefileExists && makeLogFileExists) { // Use make for incremental builds buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: 'ℹ️ Using make for incremental build', }); result = await executeMakeCommand(projectDir, platformOptions.logPrefix); } else { // Generate Makefile using xcodemake buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: 'ℹ️ Generating Makefile with xcodemake (first build may take longer)', }); // Remove 'xcodebuild' from the command array before passing to executeXcodemakeCommand result = await executeXcodemakeCommand( projectDir, command.slice(1), platformOptions.logPrefix, ); } } else { // Use standard xcodebuild result = await executeCommand(command, platformOptions.logPrefix); } // Grep warnings and errors from stdout (build output) const warningOrErrorLines = grepWarningsAndErrors(result.output); warningOrErrorLines.forEach(({ type, content }) => { buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: type === 'warning' ? `⚠️ Warning: ${content}` : `❌ Error: ${content}`, }); }); // Include all stderr lines as errors if (result.error) { result.error.split('\n').forEach((content) => { if (content.trim()) { buildMessages.push({ type: 'text', text: `❌ [stderr] ${content}` }); } }); } if (!result.success) { log('error', `${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction} failed: ${result.error}`); // Create concise error response with warnings/errors included const errorResponse = createTextResponse( `❌ ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction} failed for scheme ${params.scheme}.`, true, ); if (buildMessages.length > 0 && errorResponse.content) { errorResponse.content.unshift(...buildMessages); } // If using xcodemake and build failed but no compiling errors, suggest using xcodebuild if ( warningOrErrorLines.length == 0 && isXcodemakeEnabledFlag && xcodemakeAvailableFlag && buildAction === 'build' && !preferXcodebuild ) { errorResponse.content.push({ type: 'text', text: `💡 Incremental build using xcodemake failed, suggest using preferXcodebuild option to try build again using slower xcodebuild command.`, }); } return errorResponse; } log('info', `✅ ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction} succeeded.`); // Create additional info based on platform and action let additionalInfo = ''; // Add xcodemake info if relevant if ( isXcodemakeEnabledFlag && xcodemakeAvailableFlag && buildAction === 'build' && !preferXcodebuild ) { additionalInfo += `xcodemake: Using faster incremental builds with xcodemake. Future builds will use the generated Makefile for improved performance. `; } // Only show next steps for 'build' action if (buildAction === 'build') { if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.macOS) { additionalInfo = `Next Steps: 1. Get App Path: get_macos_app_path_${params.workspacePath ? 'workspace' : 'project'} 2. Get Bundle ID: get_macos_bundle_id 3. Launch App: launch_macos_app`; } else if (platformOptions.platform === XcodePlatform.iOS) { additionalInfo = `Next Steps: 1. Get App Path: get_ios_device_app_path_${params.workspacePath ? 'workspace' : 'project'} 2. Get Bundle ID: get_ios_bundle_id`; } else if (isSimulatorPlatform) { const idOrName = platformOptions.simulatorId ? 'id' : 'name'; const simIdParam = platformOptions.simulatorId ? 'simulatorId' : 'simulatorName'; const simIdValue = platformOptions.simulatorId || platformOptions.simulatorName; additionalInfo = `Next Steps: 1. Get App Path: get_simulator_app_path_by_${idOrName}_${params.workspacePath ? 'workspace' : 'project'}({ ${simIdParam}: '${simIdValue}', scheme: '${params.scheme}' }) 2. Get Bundle ID: get_ios_bundle_id({ appPath: 'APP_PATH_FROM_STEP_1' }) 3. Choose one of the following options: - Option 1: Launch app normally: launch_app_in_simulator({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID' }) - Option 2: Launch app with logs (captures both console and structured logs): launch_app_with_logs_in_simulator({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID' }) - Option 3: Launch app normally, then capture structured logs only: launch_app_in_simulator({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID' }) start_simulator_log_capture({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID' }) - Option 4: Launch app normally, then capture all logs (will restart app): launch_app_in_simulator({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID' }) start_simulator_log_capture({ simulatorUuid: 'SIMULATOR_UUID', bundleId: 'APP_BUNDLE_ID', captureConsole: true }) When done capturing logs, use: stop_and_get_simulator_log({ logSessionId: 'SESSION_ID' })`; } } const successResponse: ToolResponse = { content: [ ...buildMessages, { type: 'text', text: `✅ ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction} succeeded for scheme ${params.scheme}.`, }, ], }; // Only add additional info if we have any if (additionalInfo) { successResponse.content.push({ type: 'text', text: additionalInfo, }); } return successResponse; } catch (error) { const errorMessage = error instanceof Error ? error.message : String(error); log('error', `Error during ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction}: ${errorMessage}`); return createTextResponse( `Error during ${platformOptions.logPrefix} ${buildAction}: ${errorMessage}`, true, ); } }
  • Top-level inclusion of the macOS workspace build tool registration in the central tool registration system.
    register: registerMacOSBuildWorkspaceTool, groups: [ToolGroup.MACOS_WORKFLOW], envVar: 'XCODEBUILDMCP_TOOL_MACOS_BUILD_WORKSPACE', },

Latest Blog Posts

MCP directory API

We provide all the information about MCP servers via our MCP API.

curl -X GET 'https://glama.ai/api/mcp/v1/servers/SampsonKY/XcodeBuildMCP'

If you have feedback or need assistance with the MCP directory API, please join our Discord server