MCP server providing curated Swift/SwiftUI best practices from leading iOS developers, including patterns and real-world code examples from Swift by Sundell, SwiftLee, and other trusted sources.
npm install swift-best-practicesAn MCP server providing curated Swift and SwiftUI best practices from leading iOS developers, including patterns and real-world code examples from Swift by Sundell, SwiftLee, and other trusted sources.
Quick Start • Features • Usage • Contributing
---
- ✅ Curated Content: Only high-quality patterns from trusted iOS developers
- ✅ Always Up-to-Date: Automatically fetches the latest articles and patterns
- ✅ MCP Native: Works seamlessly with Claude, Cursor, Windsurf, and other MCP-compatible tools
- ✅ Privacy First: Free sources require no authentication
- ✅ Extensible: Optional Patreon integration for premium content
- 🎓 Expert Knowledge Base: Provides patterns from Swift by Sundell, Antoine van der Lee, Nil Coalescing, and more
- 🔍 Intelligent Search: Query by topic, pattern, or specific iOS concepts
- 🎯 Quality Filtering: Configurable quality thresholds ensure only the best content
- 📚 Multiple Sources: Aggregates knowledge from various trusted educators
- 🔄 Auto-Updates: Content automatically refreshes from RSS feeds
- ⚡ Fast Performance: Efficient caching and indexed search
- Node.js: Version 18.0.0 or higher
- MCP-Compatible AI Assistant: Claude Desktop, Cursor, Windsurf, or VS Code with Copilot
``bash`
npm install -g swift-patterns-mcp
#### Cursor
Or manually add to Cursor Settings → Tools → MCP Servers:
.cursor/mcp.json:`json`
{
"mcpServers": {
"swift-patterns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "swift-patterns-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
Alternatively, add the following to your ~/.cursor/mcp.json file. To learn more, see the Cursor documentation.
#### Claude Code
Run this command in your terminal:
`bash`
claude mcp add swift-patterns -- npx -y swift-patterns-mcp@latest
Or manually add to your project's .mcp.json file:
.mcp.jsonjson`
{
"mcpServers": {
"swift-patterns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "swift-patterns-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
After adding the configuration, restart Claude Code and run /mcp to see the swift-patterns MCP server in the list. If you see Connected, you're ready to use it.
See the Claude Code MCP documentation for more details.
#### Windsurf
Add the swift-patterns server to your project's .windsurf/mcp.json configuration file:
.windsurf/mcp.jsonjson`
{
"mcpServers": {
"swift-patterns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "swift-patterns-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
After adding the configuration, restart Windsurf to activate the MCP server.
See the Windsurf MCP documentation for more details.
#### VS Code
To configure MCP in VS Code with GitHub Copilot, add the swift-patterns-mcp server to your project's .vscode/mcp.json configuration file:
.vscode/mcp.jsonjson`
{
"mcp": {
"servers": {
"swift-patterns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "swift-patterns-mcp@latest"]
}
}
}
}
After adding the configuration, open .vscode/mcp.json and click Start next to the swift-patterns server.
See the VS Code MCP documentation for more details.
Try these queries:
`
"Show me SwiftUI animation patterns"
"What does Sundell say about testing?"
"Explain navigation patterns in SwiftUI"
The configuration file is automatically created at ~/.swift-patterns-mcp/config.json:
`json`
{
"sources": {
"sundell": { "enabled": true, "configured": true },
"vanderlee": { "enabled": true, "configured": true },
"nilcoalescing": { "enabled": true, "configured": true },
"pointfree": { "enabled": true, "configured": true },
"patreon": { "enabled": false, "configured": false }
},
"prefetchSources": true,
"semanticRecall": {
"enabled": false,
"minLexicalScore": 0.35,
"minRelevanceScore": 70
},
"memvid": {
"enabled": true,
"autoStore": true,
"useEmbeddings": false,
"embeddingModel": "bge-small"
}
}
Memvid provides persistent semantic memory that improves recall across sessions and evolving sources. Unlike in-memory caching, memvid stores patterns in a single-file database that persists between server restarts.
Features:
- 💾 Persistent Storage: Patterns are stored in ~/.swift-patterns-mcp/swift-patterns-memory.mv2
- 🔍 Cross-Session Recall: Find patterns from previous searches even after server restart
- 🧠 Semantic Search: Optional embedding-based similarity search
- 🚀 Automatic Storage: Patterns are automatically stored during searches
- ⚡ Fast Retrieval: Built-in BM25 + optional vector search
Configuration:
`json`
{
"memvid": {
"enabled": true, // Enable memvid persistent memory
"autoStore": true, // Automatically store patterns during searches
"useEmbeddings": false, // Use semantic embeddings (requires model download)
"embeddingModel": "bge-small" // Embedding model: "bge-small", "openai-small"
}
}
When to Enable:
- You want patterns to persist across server restarts
- You frequently search for similar topics
- You want improved recall for evolving source content
- You need cross-session semantic memory
Note: Memvid complements MiniSearch (for fast in-session search) and semantic recall (for in-session fallback). All three work together:
1. MiniSearch handles fast lexical search within current session
2. Semantic recall activates for poor lexical results (in-session)
3. Memvid provides cross-session persistent memory and recall
Semantic recall provides AI-powered semantic search as a fallback when traditional keyword search returns poor results. It uses transformer embeddings to understand query intent and find conceptually similar patterns.
Features:
- 🧠 Automatically activates when keyword search scores are low
- 🎯 Uses sentence transformers to understand meaning, not just keywords
- 📊 Quality filtering to only index high-relevance patterns
- ⚡ Efficient caching of embeddings
Configuration:
`json`
{
"semanticRecall": {
"enabled": false, // Enable semantic recall
"minLexicalScore": 0.35, // Activate when keyword search < 0.35
"minRelevanceScore": 70 // Only index patterns with score >= 70
}
}
When to Enable:
- Your queries use conceptual terms that don't match exact keywords
- You want more intelligent, context-aware search results
- You're okay with slightly slower first-time searches (embeddings need to compute)
Note: Requires downloading a ~50MB transformer model on first use. Embeddings are cached for performance.
For premium features, add to your MCP client config:
`json`
{
"mcpServers": {
"swift-patterns": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "swift-patterns-mcp@latest"],
"env": {
"PATREON_CLIENT_ID": "your_client_id",
"PATREON_CLIENT_SECRET": "your_client_secret"
}
}
}
}
`
"Show me best practices for SwiftUI animations"
"What does Sundell say about testing?"
"Explain navigation patterns in SwiftUI"
`
"Show me performance tips from van der Lee"
"Find iOS architecture patterns for MVVM + coordinator"
"Give me examples for SwiftUI infinite scrolling"
`
"Show me advanced SwiftUI patterns"
"How do I build a photo editor app?"
Currently supported, no authentication needed:
| Source | Creator | Content Type | Update Frequency |
|--------|---------|--------------|------------------|
| Swift by Sundell | John Sundell | Articles, patterns, best practices | Weekly |
| Antoine van der Lee | Antoine van der Lee | Tutorials, tips, deep dives | Weekly |
| Nil Coalescing | Nil Coalescing | SwiftUI patterns, Swift tips | Weekly |
| Point-Free | Point-Free | Open source libraries, patterns | On release |
Requires authentication and active subscriptions:
| Source | What You Get | Setup Method | Status |
|--------|--------------|--------------|--------|
| Patreon | Premium content from iOS creators | OAuth 2.0 | ✅ Available |
Access premium content from iOS creators you support:
`bash`
swift-patterns-mcp setup --patreon
Follow the interactive wizard to:
1. Create a Patreon OAuth application
2. Configure credentials
3. Complete authentication
📖 Detailed Guide: Patreon Setup Documentation
#### Requirements
- Active Patreon account with at least one iOS creator subscription
- Patreon Creator account (free - no need to launch a creator page)
- 10 minutes for one-time OAuth setup
#### Why Creator Account?
Patreon requires OAuth apps to be registered by creators. You don't need to launch a creator page or become an active creator - just register as one to create an OAuth app for personal use.
#### What You Get
- ✅ Access to premium tutorials and patterns from creators you support
- ✅ Automatic extraction of code from downloadable content
- ✅ Quality filtering and advanced search
- ✅ Multi-creator support
- ✅ Private, secure authentication
`bashSource management
swift-patterns-mcp source list
swift-patterns-mcp source enable
swift-patterns-mcp source disable
🏗️ How It Works
mermaid
graph LR
A[AI Assistant] --> B[swift-patterns-mcp Server]
B --> C[Free Sources]
B --> D[Premium Sources]
C --> E[Swift by Sundell RSS]
C --> F[van der Lee RSS]
C --> G[Nil Coalescing RSS]
C --> H[Point-Free GitHub]
D --> I[Patreon API]
`1. Query: Receives a query through the MCP protocol
2. Processing: Searches enabled sources based on the query
3. Content Retrieval: Fetches and parses content from RSS feeds, APIs, and cached data
4. Quality Filtering: Applies configurable quality thresholds
5. Response: Returns formatted, relevant patterns and examples
🔧 Troubleshooting
$3
Node version incompatible
bash
node --version # Should be >= 18.0.0
`Sources not returning results
bash
swift-patterns-mcp source list
ls ~/.swift-patterns-mcp/config.json
swift-patterns-mcp setup
`#### Patreon Integration Issues
OAuth redirect not working
- Ensure redirect URI is exactly:
- Check no other process is using port 3000
- Verify OAuth credentials are correctly setNo premium content showing
- Confirm you have active Patreon subscriptions to iOS creators
- Re-authenticate:
- Check Patreon source is enabled: We welcome contributions! See our contributing guidelines.
MIT License - Copyright (c) 2026 Lasha Efremidze
Created by Lasha Efremidze
Content Sources
- John Sundell - Swift by Sundell
- Antoine van der Lee - SwiftLee
- Nil Coalescing - SwiftUI patterns and Swift tips
- Point-Free - Advanced Swift education
Built with Model Context Protocol
---
Made with ❤️ for the Swift community