iOS MCP Code Quality Server

A versatile iOS code quality analysis tool that operates in two modes:

1. CLI Tool: Direct command-line interface for iOS testing and linting
2. MCP Server: Model Context Protocol server for AI assistant integration

This tool provides comprehensive iOS code quality analysis and test automation capabilities, enabling both direct developer usage and AI assistant integration for Xcode tests, linter analysis, and detailed feedback on iOS projects through structured, actionable reports.

Quick Start

CLI Mode (Direct Usage with npx - Recommended)

Use instantly without installation:

# Run iOS tests
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests

# Run SwiftLint analysis
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "ViewController.swift,Model.swift"

# Show help
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server --help

Alternative: Install Globally (Optional)

For frequent use across multiple projects, you can install globally:

npm install -g ios-mcp-code-quality-server

# Then use the full name (following MCP conventions)
ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests
ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "ViewController.swift,Model.swift"

💡 Tip: Using npx is recommended as it ensures you always use the latest version without global installs.

MCP Server Mode (AI Assistant Integration)

# Start as MCP server (no arguments)
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server

# Or explicitly start server mode
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server

The server will start on http://localhost:3000 and be ready to receive MCP requests.

Features

• 🧪 iOS Test Execution: Run Xcode tests with detailed failure analysis
• 📱 Multiple Schemes Support: Test different iOS project configurations
• 🔍 SwiftLint Integration: Automated Swift code style and quality checking
• 📊 Structured Reporting: Clear, actionable feedback with file locations and line numbers
• 🛠 Build Error Detection: Intelligent parsing of Xcode build failures
• 🔒 Local Processing: All analysis happens on your machine for security
• ⚡ Dual Mode Operation: Use as CLI tool or MCP server
• 💻 Command Line Interface: Direct terminal usage for developers
• 🤖 AI Assistant Ready: MCP protocol support for seamless AI integration

Architecture

This tool operates in two distinct modes with intelligent detection:

CLI Mode

• Activation: When command-line arguments are provided
• Usage: Direct developer interaction via terminal commands or npx
• Output: Human-readable or JSON format for scripting
• Benefits: Fast execution, scriptable, CI/CD friendly, no installation required with npx

MCP Server Mode

• Activation: When no arguments are provided (default)
• Usage: AI assistant integration via Model Context Protocol
• Output: Structured MCP responses for AI consumption
• Benefits: AI-powered analysis, contextual suggestions, interactive debugging

Simple Mode Detection:

# MCP Server Mode (no arguments)
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server          # → Starts MCP server
ios-mcp-code-quality-server              # → Starts MCP server (if globally installed)

# CLI Mode (arguments provided)  
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server --help           # → CLI help
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --help      # → CLI test help
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files="file.swift"  # → CLI lint

CLI Usage

No Installation Required

Use npx to run the CLI directly without installation:

npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server --help              # Show all available commands
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server <command> --help    # Show help for specific command

Commands

Test Command

Run iOS tests with comprehensive analysis:

# Basic usage
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests

# With specific destination
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests \
  --destination "platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 15"

# Using Xcode project instead of workspace
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcodeproj MyApp.xcodeproj --scheme MyAppTests

# Get JSON output for script integration
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --json

# Verbose logging for debugging
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --verbose

Test Command Options:

• --xcworkspace <path>: Path to .xcworkspace file
• --xcodeproj <path>: Path to .xcodeproj file (either xcworkspace or xcodeproj required)
• --scheme <name>: Scheme name for testing (required)
• --destination <destination>: Test destination (default: "platform=iOS Simulator")
• --json: Output results in JSON format
• --verbose: Enable verbose logging

Lint Command

Run SwiftLint analysis on specific files:

# Lint specific files
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "ViewController.swift,Model.swift"

# With custom SwiftLint configuration
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "*.swift" --config-path .swiftlint.yml

# Get JSON output
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "ViewController.swift" --json

# Verbose output
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "*.swift" --verbose

Lint Command Options:

• --changed-files <files>: Comma-separated list of files to lint (required)
• --config-path <path>: Path to SwiftLint configuration file
• --json: Output results in JSON format
• --verbose: Enable verbose logging

Server Command

Start MCP server mode explicitly:

# Start server on default port (3000)
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server

# Start server on custom port
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server --port 8080

# Server with custom settings
PORT=3001 LOG_LEVEL=debug npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server

CLI Examples

# Complete iOS project test workflow
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --verbose

# Quick SwiftLint check on modified files
git diff --name-only | grep "\.swift$" | xargs -I {} npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files {}

# CI/CD integration with JSON output
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --json > test-results.json

# Check specific Swift files before commit
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "LoginViewController.swift,UserModel.swift" --config-path .swiftlint.yml

MCP Server Installation

Prerequisites

• Node.js 18+: Required for running the MCP server
• Xcode: For iOS project building and testing
• iOS Simulator: For running tests (or physical iOS device)
• SwiftLint (optional): For code quality analysis

Setup Steps

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/a-25/ios-mcp-code-quality-server.git
   cd ios-mcp-code-quality-server
   

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install
   

3. Build the project:

   npm run build
   

4. Start the server:

   npm start
   # or explicitly
   node dist/index.js server
   

AI Assistant Integration

Configure your AI assistant (Claude, Copilot, etc.) to use this MCP server:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "ios-code-quality": {
      "url": "http://localhost:3000",
      "timeout": 30000
    }
  }
}

Configuration

The server supports several configuration options through environment variables:

Variable	Description	Default
PORT	Server port	3000
NODE_ENV	Environment mode	development
LOG_LEVEL	Logging verbosity	info

Example configuration:

export PORT=8080
export LOG_LEVEL=debug
npm start
# or for CLI mode:
PORT=8080 LOG_LEVEL=debug npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server

Configuration

Environment variables (with defaults):

# Server Configuration
PORT=3000
NODE_ENV=development
LOG_LEVEL=info

# MCP Server Identity
MCP_SERVER_NAME=ios-mcp-code-quality-server
MCP_SERVER_VERSION=0.1.0

# Security Settings
ALLOWED_HOSTS=127.0.0.1,localhost,127.0.0.1:3000,localhost:3000
RATE_LIMIT_WINDOW_MS=60000
RATE_LIMIT_MAX_REQUESTS=100

# Performance Settings
SESSION_CLEANUP_INTERVAL_MS=300000
MAX_CONCURRENT_TASKS=5

Tools & Capabilities

Test Tool

Executes iOS tests and provides detailed failure analysis with support for running specific tests.

Parameters:

• xcodeproj (optional): Path to Xcode project file
• xcworkspace (optional): Path to Xcode workspace file
• Note: Either xcodeproj or xcworkspace parameter is mandatory (at least one must be provided)
• scheme (required): Xcode scheme to test
• destination (optional): Test destination (simulator/device)
  • Default value: generic/platform=iOS Simulator
• tests (optional): Array of specific test names to run
  • Format: ['MyTarget/TestClass/testMethod', 'MyTarget/TestClass']
  • Examples: ['MyAppTests/LoginTests/testValidLogin', 'MyAppUITests/HomeScreenTests']
• target (optional): Target parameter for test execution context
  • Can be used to specify different test environments or configurations

Example Responses:

Success Case (all tests passed):

{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text", 
      "text": "✅ All tests passed."
    }
  ]
}

Build Errors Case (compilation issues):

{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text", 
      "text": "❌ Build failed. Please provide the code for the failing test and the class/function under test for better AI suggestions."
    }
  ]
}

Test Errors Case (tests built but failed):

{
  "content": [
    {
      "type": "text", 
      "text": "❌ Test failed. Please provide the code for the failing test and the class/function under test for better AI suggestions."
    }
  ]
}

List Tests Tool

Discovers and lists all available tests in the iOS project.

Parameters:

• xcodeproj (optional): Path to Xcode project file
• xcworkspace (optional): Path to Xcode workspace file
• Note: Either xcodeproj or xcworkspace parameter is mandatory (at least one must be provided)
• scheme (optional): Xcode scheme to analyze
• destination (optional): Test destination (simulator/device)

Lint Tool

Performs lint analysis on your iOS project. Currently supported linters: SwiftLint

Usage Examples

CLI Usage Examples

Direct Testing:

# Run all tests in a scheme
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests

# Run tests with specific simulator
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests \
  --destination "platform=iOS Simulator,name=iPhone 15 Pro"

# Get machine-readable output for CI/CD
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --json

Code Quality Analysis:

# Lint specific files
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "LoginView.swift,UserModel.swift"

# Lint with custom config
npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "*.swift" --config-path .swiftlint.yml

# Git workflow integration
git diff --name-only HEAD~1 | grep "\.swift$" | tr '\n' ',' | \
  npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files

Development Workflow:

# Pre-commit hook example
#!/bin/sh
changed_swift_files=$(git diff --cached --name-only --diff-filter=ACM | grep "\.swift$" | tr '\n' ',' | sed 's/,$//')
if [ -n "$changed_swift_files" ]; then
  npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server lint --changed-files "$changed_swift_files" || exit 1
fi

AI Assistant Usage (MCP Mode)

Running Tests with AI Assistant:

"Can you run the tests for the LoginFeature scheme and tell me what failed?"

"Run only the LoginTests for the MyApp scheme"

"List all available tests in my project and then run the failing ones"

The AI assistant will use the enhanced test tools to:

1. Discover available tests using the list-tests tool
2. Execute specific tests or all tests for the specified scheme
3. Validate test names and provide suggestions for typos
4. Parse build and test results with detailed failure analysis
5. Provide structured summaries of failures with file locations and line numbers

Code Quality Analysis:

"Please analyze the code quality of my iOS project using SwiftLint"

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

CLI command not found:

• If using global install: npm install -g . from the project directory
• Otherwise use: node dist/index.js <command> from the project directory
• Verify build completed: npm run build

Server won't start:

• Check that port 3000 is available: lsof -i :3000
• Ensure Node.js 18+ is installed: node --version
• Verify dependencies are installed: npm list

Tests fail to run:

• Ensure Xcode is installed and command line tools are available
• Check that the specified scheme exists in your project
• Verify the destination device/simulator is available: xcrun simctl list devices
• For CLI mode: ensure xcworkspace/xcodeproj paths are correct and accessible

SwiftLint not working:

• Install SwiftLint: brew install swiftlint
• Verify installation: swiftlint version
• For CLI mode: ensure changed-files paths are correct and files exist

MCP Connection Issues:

• Verify the server is running: check that the process is active on port 3000 with lsof -i :3000
• Check AI assistant MCP configuration
• Review server logs for connection errors

Debug Mode

Enable detailed logging for troubleshooting:

CLI Mode:

npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server test --xcworkspace MyApp.xcworkspace --scheme MyAppTests --verbose

MCP Server Mode:

export LOG_LEVEL=debug
npm start
# or
LOG_LEVEL=debug npx ios-mcp-code-quality-server server

Development

Running Tests

# Run all tests
npm test

# Run with coverage
npm run test:coverage

Code Quality

# Run linter
npm run lint

# Fix linting issues
npm run lint:fix

# Type checking
npm run type-check

Building

npm run build

Contributing

We welcome contributions! Please follow these steps:

1. Fork the repository
2. Create a feature branch: git checkout -b feature/amazing-feature
3. Make your changes and add tests
4. Ensure all tests pass: npm test
5. Commit your changes: git commit -m 'Add amazing feature'
6. Push to your branch: git push origin feature/amazing-feature
7. Open a Pull Request

Development Guidelines

• Write tests for new features
• Follow TypeScript best practices
• Update documentation for API changes
• Ensure backwards compatibility when possible

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Security

• All processing happens locally on your machine
• No data is sent to external services without explicit configuration
• Do not share your local server endpoint publicly
• Keep dependencies updated to address security vulnerabilities

Support

• Issues: GitHub Issues
• Discussions: GitHub Discussions
• Documentation: This README and inline code documentation

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Made with ❤️ for the iOS development community