Main Site ↗

swiftui-view-refactor

by harperreed30546GitHub

Provides concrete rules for structuring SwiftUI views with specific ordering guidelines, dependency injection patterns, and Observation usage. Focuses on MV patterns, splitting large views, and handling view models safely. Includes practical examples for common refactoring scenarios.

Unlock Deep Analysis

Use AI to visualize the workflow and generate a realistic output preview for this skill.

Powered by Fastest LLM

Target Audience

iOS developers working with SwiftUI who need to maintain consistent code structure, especially in teams or larger codebases

10/10Security

Low security risk, safe to use

9
Clarity
8
Practicality
8
Quality
9
Maintainability
6
Innovation
Mobile
swiftuicode-refactoringmobile-developmentioscode-standards
Compatible Agents
Claude Code
Claude Code
~/.claude/skills/
Codex CLI
Codex CLI
~/.codex/skills/
Gemini CLI
Gemini CLI
~/.gemini/skills/
O
OpenCode
~/.opencode/skills/
O
OpenClaw
~/.openclaw/skills/
GitHub Copilot
GitHub Copilot
~/.copilot/skills/
Cursor
Cursor
~/.cursor/skills/
W
Windsurf
~/.codeium/windsurf/skills/
C
Cline
~/.cline/skills/
R
Roo Code
~/.roo/skills/
K
Kiro
~/.kiro/skills/
J
Junie
~/.junie/skills/
A
Augment Code
~/.augment/skills/
W
Warp
~/.warp/skills/
G
Goose
~/.config/goose/skills/
SKILL.md

SwiftUI View Refactor

Overview

Apply a consistent structure and dependency pattern to SwiftUI views, with a focus on ordering, Model-View (MV) patterns, careful view model handling, and correct Observation usage.

Core Guidelines

1) View ordering (top → bottom)

  • Environment
  • private/public let
  • @State / other stored properties
  • computed var (non-view)
  • init
  • body
  • computed view builders / other view helpers
  • helper / async functions

2) Prefer MV (Model-View) patterns

  • Default to MV: Views are lightweight state expressions; models/services own business logic.
  • Favor @State, @Environment, @Query, and task/onChange for orchestration.
  • Inject services and shared models via @Environment; keep views small and composable.
  • Split large views into subviews rather than introducing a view model.

3) Split large bodies and view properties

  • If body grows beyond a screen or has multiple logical sections, split it into smaller subviews.
  • Extract large computed view properties (var header: some View { ... }) into dedicated View types when they carry state or complex branching.
  • It's fine to keep related subviews as computed view properties in the same file; extract to a standalone View struct only when it structurally makes sense or when reuse is intended.
  • Prefer passing small inputs (data, bindings, callbacks) over reusing the entire parent view state.

Example (extracting a section):

var body: some View {
    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
        HeaderSection(title: title, isPinned: isPinned)
        DetailsSection(details: details)
        ActionsSection(onSave: onSave, onCancel: onCancel)
    }
}

Example (long body → shorter body + computed views in the same file):

var body: some View {
    List {
        header
        filters
        results
        footer
    }
}

private var header: some View {
    VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
        Text(title).font(.title2)
        Text(subtitle).font(.subheadline)
    }
}

private var filters: some View {
    ScrollView(.horizontal, showsIndicators: false) {
        HStack {
            ForEach(filterOptions, id: \.self) { option in
                FilterChip(option: option, isSelected: option == selectedFilter)
                    .onTapGesture { selectedFilter = option }
            }
        }
    }
}

Example (extracting a complex computed view):

private var header: some View {
    HeaderSection(title: title, subtitle: subtitle, status: status)
}

private struct HeaderSection: View {
    let title: String
    let subtitle: String?
    let status: Status

    var body: some View {
        VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
            Text(title).font(.headline)
            if let subtitle { Text(subtitle).font(.subheadline) }
            StatusBadge(status: status)
        }
    }
}

4) View model handling (only if already present)

  • Do not introduce a view model unless the request or existing code clearly calls for one.
  • If a view model exists, make it non-optional when possible.
  • Pass dependencies to the view via init, then pass them into the view model in the view's init.
  • Avoid bootstrapIfNeeded patterns.

Example (Observation-based):

@State private var viewModel: SomeViewModel

init(dependency: Dependency) {
    _viewModel = State(initialValue: SomeViewModel(dependency: dependency))
}

5) Observation usage

  • For @Observable reference types, store them as @State in the root view.
  • Pass observables down explicitly as needed; avoid optional state unless required.

Workflow

  1. Reorder the view to match the ordering rules.
  2. Favor MV: move lightweight orchestration into the view using @State, @Environment, @Query, task, and onChange.
  3. If a view model exists, replace optional view models with a non-optional @State view model initialized in init by passing dependencies from the view.
  4. Confirm Observation usage: @State for root @Observable view models, no redundant wrappers.
  5. Keep behavior intact: do not change layout or business logic unless requested.

Notes

  • Prefer small, explicit helpers over large conditional blocks.
  • Keep computed view builders below body and non-view computed vars above init.
  • For MV-first guidance and rationale, see references/mv-patterns.md.

Source: https://github.com/harperreed/dotfiles#.claude~skills~swiftui-view-refactor

Content curated from original sources, copyright belongs to authors

Grade A
8.1AI Score
Best Practices
Checking...
Try this Skill

User Rating

USER RATING

0UP
0DOWN
Loading files...

WORKS WITH

Claude Code
Claude
Codex CLI
Codex
Gemini CLI
Gemini
O
OpenCode
O
OpenClaw
GitHub Copilot
Copilot
Cursor
Cursor
W
Windsurf
C
Cline
R
Roo
K
Kiro
J
Junie
A
Augment
W
Warp
G
Goose