AppKit

Purpose

Build native macOS applications using AppKit — Apple's mature, Objective-C-originated UI framework. AppKit provides deep OS integration, native look and feel, and access to macOS-specific features (menus, toolbars, sheets, drawers, NSTableView, NSCollectionView, document architecture) that SwiftUI cannot fully replace.

Agent Protocol

Trigger

Exact user phrases: "AppKit", "macOS app", "Cocoa framework", "NSView", "NSViewController", "NSTableView", "NSDocument", "native Mac app", "Mac Catalyst", "Objective-C Mac", "Swift AppKit".

Input Context

• macOS deployment target (macOS 12 Monterey+, macOS 14 Sonoma+)
• Language preference (Swift, Objective-C, or mixed)
• App architecture (single window, multi-document, preferences window)
• Existing codebase details (SwiftUI hybrid, pure AppKit, legacy)
• Performance requirements (large data sets, real-time rendering, heavy computation)
• Distribution method (Mac App Store, notarized DMG, enterprise MDM)