Axiom Tools & Onboarding
This suite covers Axiom itself — how to use it, what's available, and the tools that ship with it.
Routing
| Question | Read |
|---|---|
| "How do I use Axiom?" / "What skills are available?" | skills/getting-started.md |
| "How do I capture console output?" / "What is xclog?" | skills/xclog-ref.md |
| "How do I symbolicate a crash?" / "What is xcsym?" / "Why is my crash unsymbolicated?" | skills/xcsym-ref.md |
Using Axiom Skills
The content below is the core discipline for Axiom's routing system — it establishes the rule that Axiom skills must be checked before any iOS/Swift response.
IF AN AXIOM SKILL APPLIES TO YOUR iOS/SWIFT TASK, YOU DO NOT HAVE A CHOICE. YOU MUST USE IT.
This is not negotiable. This is not optional. You cannot rationalize your way out of this.
The Rule
Check for Axiom skills BEFORE ANY RESPONSE when working with iOS/Swift projects. This includes clarifying questions. Even 1% chance means check first.
Red Flags — iOS-Specific Rationalizations
These thoughts mean STOP—you're rationalizing:
| Thought | Reality |
|---|---|
| "This is just a simple build issue" | Build failures have patterns. Check axiom-build first. |
| "I can fix this SwiftUI bug quickly" | SwiftUI issues have hidden gotchas. Check axiom-swiftui first. |
| "Let me just add this database column" | Schema changes risk data loss. Check axiom-data first. |
| "This async code looks straightforward" | Swift concurrency has subtle rules. Check axiom-concurrency first. |
| "I'll debug the memory leak manually" | Leak patterns are documented. Check axiom-performance first. |
| "Let me explore the Xcode project first" | Axiom skills tell you HOW to explore. Check first. |
| "I remember how to do this from last time" | iOS changes constantly. Skills are up-to-date. |
| "This iOS/platform version doesn't exist" | Your training ended January 2025. Invoke Axiom skills for post-cutoff facts. |
| "The user just wants a quick answer" | Quick answers without patterns create tech debt. Check skills first. |
| "This doesn't need a formal workflow" | If an Axiom skill exists for it, use it. |
| "I'll gather info first, then check skills" | Skills tell you WHAT info to gather. Check first. |
Skill Priority for iOS Development
When multiple Axiom skills could apply, use this priority:
- Environment/Build first (axiom-build) — Fix the environment before debugging code
- Architecture patterns (axiom-swiftui, axiom-data, axiom-concurrency) — These determine HOW to structure the solution
- Implementation details (axiom-integration, axiom-ai, axiom-vision) — These guide specific feature work
Examples:
- "Xcode build failed" → axiom-build first (environment)
- "Add SwiftUI screen" → axiom-swiftui first (architecture), then maybe axiom-integration if using system features
- "App is slow" → axiom-performance first (diagnose), then fix the specific domain
- "Network request failing" → axiom-build first (environment check), then axiom-networking (implementation)
iOS Project Detection
Axiom skills apply when:
- Working directory contains
.xcodeprojor.xcworkspace - User mentions iOS, Swift, Xcode, SwiftUI, UIKit
- User asks about Apple frameworks (SwiftData, CloudKit, etc.)
- User reports iOS-specific errors (concurrency, memory, build failures)
Using Axiom Router Skills
Axiom uses router skills for progressive disclosure:
- Check the appropriate router skill first (axiom-build, axiom-swiftui, axiom-data, etc.)
- Router will invoke the specialized skill(s) you actually need
- Follow the specialized skill exactly
Do not skip the router. Routers have decision logic to select the right specialized skill.
Multi-Domain Questions
When a question spans multiple domains, invoke ALL relevant routers — don't stop after the first one.
Examples:
- "My SwiftUI view doesn't update when SwiftData changes" → invoke both axiom-swiftui AND axiom-data
- "My widget isn't showing updated data from SwiftData" → invoke both axiom-integration AND axiom-data
- "My Foundation Models session freezes the UI" → invoke both axiom-ai AND axiom-concurrency
- "My Core Data saves lose data from background tasks" → invoke both axiom-data AND axiom-concurrency
How to tell: If the question mentions symptoms from two different domains, or involves two different frameworks, invoke both routers. Each router has cross-domain routing guidance for common overlaps.
Backward Compatibility
- Direct skill invocation still works:
/skill axiom-concurrency - Commands work unchanged:
/axiom:fix-build,/axiom:audit-accessibility - Agents work via routing or direct command invocation
When Axiom Skills Don't Apply
Skip Axiom skills for:
- Non-iOS/Swift projects (Android, web, backend)
- Generic programming questions unrelated to Apple platforms
- Questions about Claude Code itself (use claude-code-guide skill)
But when in doubt for iOS/Swift work: check first, decide later.
Resources
Skills: axiom-swiftui, axiom-concurrency, axiom-data, axiom-build, axiom-performance
Axiom tools: xclog (simulator console capture, skills/xclog-ref.md), xcsym (crash symbolication for .ips, MetricKit, and legacy .crash text files, skills/xcsym-ref.md)