macOS App Architecture Planner
Design a clean, production-ready architecture for a native macOS app using SwiftUI, including data flow, persistence, and system integration.
Prompt Template
You are a senior Apple platform engineer specializing in macOS app development. Help me plan the architecture for a native macOS application. **App Concept:** [describe what the app does — e.g., "A bookmark collector that lets users save, tag, organize, and search web bookmarks with automatic metadata extraction"] **Target macOS Version:** [e.g., macOS 14 Sonoma+] **Key Features:** - [Feature 1] - [Feature 2] - [Feature 3] **Data Requirements:** [what data the app stores/manages] **System Integrations:** [e.g., Menu Bar, Share Extension, Spotlight, iCloud Sync, Shortcuts] Please provide: 1. **Architecture Pattern** — recommend MVVM, TCA, or another pattern with justification 2. **Project Structure** — folder/group layout with file responsibilities 3. **Data Layer** — persistence strategy (SwiftData, Core Data, SQLite, or file-based) with model definitions 4. **View Hierarchy** — main window structure, NavigationSplitView layout, toolbar design 5. **Key SwiftUI Views** — skeleton code for the 3-4 most important views 6. **macOS-Specific Features** — how to leverage the platform (keyboard shortcuts, drag & drop, menu bar, Services, Spotlight indexing) 7. **Networking** (if applicable) — how to fetch/sync data 8. **Error Handling** — strategy for user-facing errors 9. **Testing Strategy** — what to unit test vs. UI test 10. **Distribution** — App Store vs. direct distribution considerations
Example Output
Architecture: Bookmark Collector for macOS
Pattern: MVVM + Repository
SwiftUI pairs naturally with MVVM. A Repository layer abstracts SwiftData, keeping ViewModels testable.
Project Structure
BookmarkCollector/
├── App/
│ ├── BookmarkCollectorApp.swift # @main, WindowGroup, MenuBarExtra
│ └── AppState.swift # Shared app-level state
├── Models/
│ ├── Bookmark.swift # @Model — url, title, tags, thumbnail, dateAdded
│ ├── Tag.swift # @Model — name, color
│ └── Collection.swift # @Model — name, bookmarks relationship
├── ViewModels/
│ ├── BookmarkListViewModel.swift # Fetch, filter, search, bulk actions
│ ├── BookmarkDetailViewModel.swift # Edit, metadata refresh
│ └── ImportViewModel.swift # Browser import logic
├── Views/
│ ├── Sidebar/
│ │ ├── SidebarView.swift # Collections, smart folders, tags
│ │ └── TagCloudView.swift
│ ├── Content/
│ │ ├── BookmarkGridView.swift # Thumbnail grid / list toggle
│ │ └── BookmarkRowView.swift
│ ├── Detail/
│ │ └── BookmarkDetailView.swift # Full metadata, preview, edit
│ └── Shared/
│ ├── SearchBar.swift
│ └── TagPicker.swift
├── Services/
│ ├── MetadataService.swift # Open Graph / favicon fetcher
│ ├── SpotlightIndexer.swift # CSSearchableIndex integration
│ └── BookmarkImporter.swift # Safari/Chrome bookmark parser
├── Extensions/
│ ├── ShareExtension/ # Share sheet target
│ └── SpotlightExtension/
└── Resources/
└── Assets.xcassets
Data Layer (SwiftData)
@Model
class Bookmark {
var url: URL
var title: String
var summary: String?
var tags: [Tag]
var collection: Collection?
var thumbnail: Data?
var dateAdded: Date
var lastVisited: Date?
var isFavorite: Bool
}
Main Window (NavigationSplitView)
NavigationSplitView {
SidebarView() // Collections + Tags
} content: {
BookmarkGridView() // Grid/List of bookmarks
} detail: {
BookmarkDetailView() // Selected bookmark preview + metadata
}
.toolbar { ... } // Add, Import, Search, View Toggle
macOS Features
- **⌘K** Quick search (floating panel, like Spotlight)
- **Drag & Drop** URLs from browsers directly into the grid
- **Share Extension** Save from Safari/any app
- **Menu Bar** Quick-add widget
- **Spotlight** Index bookmarks for system-wide search
- **Keyboard shortcuts** ⌘N (new), ⌘T (tag), Delete, arrow navigation
Tips for Best Results
- 💡Specify if you need iCloud sync — it significantly affects architecture choices
- 💡Mention your minimum macOS version, as SwiftData requires macOS 14+
- 💡List specific macOS integrations you want (Menu Bar, Widgets, Shortcuts) upfront
- 💡If migrating from an iOS app, mention it — the architecture will differ for macOS idioms
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the macOS App Architecture Planner prompt?
Design a clean, production-ready architecture for a native macOS app using SwiftUI, including data flow, persistence, and system integration. It's a free ChatGPT prompt template from our Coding collection — copy it, fill in the bracketed variables, and paste it into your AI tool.
Which AI tools work with this prompt?
It's written and tested for ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini. Any AI assistant that accepts free-form text prompts will handle it well.
How do I customize this ChatGPT prompt?
Replace the bracketed variables — such as [e.g., macOS 14 Sonoma+], [Feature 1], [Feature 2] — with your own details before running it. Specify if you need iCloud sync — it significantly affects architecture choices
Is this prompt free to use?
Yes. Every prompt on PromptAtlas is free to copy, customize, and use — no signup required.
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