Axiom Audit Swiftui Layout

Step 1: Identify Layout Approach

Glob: **/*.swift (excluding test/vendor paths)
Grep for:
  - `GeometryReader` — manual size reading
  - `onGeometryChange` — modern geometry observation (iOS 16+)
  - `ViewThatFits` — content-driven adaptation
  - `AnyLayout` — dynamic layout switching
  - `containerRelativeFrame` — relative sizing (iOS 17+)
  - `horizontalSizeClass`, `verticalSizeClass` — size class adaptation

Step 2: Identify Fixed Dimensions and Breakpoints

Grep for:
  - `.frame(width:`, `.frame(height:` — fixed dimensions
  - `UIScreen.main`, `UIDevice.current.orientation` — deprecated APIs
  - `.width >`, `.width <`, `.height >` — numeric breakpoints
  - `UIRequiresFullScreen` in plist files

Step 3: Understand Adaptivity Strategy

Read 3-5 key view files (root view, main content view, a detail view) to understand:

• Does the app adapt to different screen sizes, or assume one device class?
• Is GeometryReader used for sizing, or do views use flexible layouts?
• Are there device-specific code paths (iPad vs iPhone)?
• Does the app support multitasking (Split View, Stage Manager)?

Output

Write a brief Layout Strategy Map (8-10 lines) summarizing:

• Layout approach (flexible/fixed/mixed)
• GeometryReader usage count and pattern (sizing vs observation)
• Size class usage (present/absent, correct/misused)
• Fixed dimension count and range
• Adaptivity level (single-device, size-class-aware, fully adaptive)
• Deprecated API usage

Present this map in the output before proceeding.

Phase 2: Detect Known Anti-Patterns

Run all 10 existing detection patterns. These are fast and reliable. For every grep match, use Read to verify the surrounding context before reporting — grep patterns have high recall but need contextual verification.

1. GeometryReader in Stacks Without .frame() (CRITICAL)

Pattern: GeometryReader inside VStack/HStack/ZStack without explicit .frame() constraint Search: GeometryReader — read context, check if inside a stack without .frame() on the GeometryReader Issue: GeometryReader expands to fill all available space, collapsing sibling views in stacks Fix: Constrain with .frame(height:) or use onGeometryChange (iOS 16+)

2. Deprecated Screen/Device APIs (CRITICAL)

Pattern: UIScreen.main or UIDevice.current.orientation in SwiftUI code Search: UIDevice\.current\.orientation, UIScreen\.main\.bounds, UIScreen\.main\.nativeBounds, UIScreen\.main\.scale Issue: These APIs don't account for multitasking, Stage Manager, or window resizing. They return stale values. Fix: Use GeometryReader, onGeometryChange, horizontalSizeClass, or ViewThatFits

3. UIRequiresFullScreen (CRITICAL)

Pattern: UIRequiresFullScreen set to true in Info.plist Search: UIRequiresFullScreen in *.plist files Issue: Disables all multitasking on iPad. Apple rejects apps that use this unnecessarily. Fix: Remove and support adaptive layouts with size classes

4. Size Class as Orientation Proxy (HIGH)

Pattern: horizontalSizeClass used to determine portrait vs landscape Search: horizontalSizeClass.*==.*\.regular, horizontalSizeClass.*==.*\.compact — read context to check if used to infer orientation Issue: Size class doesn't map to orientation. iPad is .regular in both orientations. iPhone 15 Pro Max is .regular in landscape. Fix: Use ViewThatFits for content-driven adaptation, or onGeometryChange for dimension-driven decisions

5. Conditional HStack/VStack (Identity Loss) (HIGH)

Pattern: if/else switching between VStack and HStack Search: if.*\{ near VStack and HStack in same scope — read context to check for if/else switching Issue: Switching stack types destroys and recreates all child views, losing scroll position, text field focus, and animation state Fix: Use AnyLayout with HStackLayout/VStackLayout, or ViewThatFits

6. Nested GeometryReaders (HIGH)

Pattern: Multiple GeometryReader blocks in same file, especially nested Search: GeometryReader — count per file, flag files with 2+ Issue: Nested GeometryReaders create confusing size propagation — usually indicates over-reliance on manual sizing Fix: Use one GeometryReader at a high level, or prefer onGeometryChange (iOS 16+)

7. Hardcoded Width/Height Breakpoints (MEDIUM)

Pattern: Numeric comparisons against geometry dimensions Search: \.width\s*[<>]=?\s*\d{3}, \.height\s*[<>]=?\s*\d{3}, size\.width\s*[<>]=?\s*\d{3} Issue: Hardcoded breakpoints break on new device sizes. iPhone and iPad dimensions change every year. Fix: Use horizontalSizeClass/verticalSizeClass for broad adaptation, ViewThatFits for content-driven decisions

8. Large Fixed Frames (300+ px) (MEDIUM)

Pattern: .frame with width or height of 300 or more Search: \.frame\(width:\s*\d{3,}, \.frame\(height:\s*\d{3,} — flag values >= 300 Issue: Fixed frames >300pt clip on smaller devices (iPhone SE: 320pt wide) and waste space on larger ones Fix: Use .frame(maxWidth:), containerRelativeFrame (iOS 17+), or flexible layouts

9. Non-Lazy ForEach in Stacks (MEDIUM)

Pattern: VStack or HStack with ForEach (non-lazy) Search: VStack or HStack followed by ForEach — verify not LazyVStack/LazyHStack Issue: Non-lazy stacks instantiate ALL views upfront. With 100+ items, this causes launch lag and high memory. Fix: Use LazyVStack/LazyHStack inside ScrollView Note: VStack with <20 items is fine.

10. GeometryReader for Relative Sizing (LOW)

Pattern: GeometryReader used solely for percentage-based sizing Search: GeometryReader.*size\.width\s*\*, GeometryReader.*size\.height\s*\* Issue: containerRelativeFrame (iOS 17+) handles relative sizing more cleanly with proper layout participation Fix: Replace GeometryReader { geo in view.frame(width: geo.size.width * 0.5) } with .containerRelativeFrame(.horizontal) { w, _ in w * 0.5 }

Phase 3: Reason About Layout Completeness

Using the Layout Strategy Map from Phase 1 and your domain knowledge, check for what's missing — not just what's wrong.

For each finding, explain what's missing and why it matters. Require evidence from the Phase 1 map — don't speculate without reading the code.

Phase 4: Cross-Reference Findings

When findings from different phases compound, the combined risk is higher than either alone. Bump the severity when you find these combinations:

Also note overlaps with other auditors:

• Non-lazy ForEach → compound with swiftui-performance-analyzer (launch lag)
• GeometryReader in List cells → compound with swiftui-performance-analyzer (double layout pass)
• Fixed dimensions + Dynamic Type → compound with accessibility-auditor (text clipping)
• Missing adaptivity + iPad → compound with ux-flow-auditor (broken user journey on iPad)

Phase 5: Layout Health Score

Calculate and present a health score:

## Layout Health Score

| Metric | Value |
|--------|-------|
| Adaptivity coverage | Size class usage: yes/no, ViewThatFits: N usages, AnyLayout: N usages |
| GeometryReader discipline | N total, M constrained with .frame() (Z%), nested: N files |
| Fixed dimension risk | N fixed frames >300pt, M hardcoded breakpoints |
| Deprecated API usage | N UIScreen/UIDevice references |
| Identity safety | N conditional stack switches, M using AnyLayout (Z% safe) |
| Device coverage | Smallest supported width: Xpt, multitasking support: yes/no |
| **Health** | **ADAPTIVE / RIGID / BROKEN** |

Scoring:

• ADAPTIVE: No CRITICAL issues, size class or ViewThatFits used for adaptation, 0 deprecated APIs, no identity-losing conditional stacks, supports multitasking
• RIGID: No CRITICAL issues, but missing adaptivity (no size class usage), or some fixed dimensions that risk clipping, or conditional stacks without AnyLayout
• BROKEN: Any CRITICAL issues (GeometryReader in stacks, deprecated APIs, UIRequiresFullScreen), or layouts that clip on common device sizes

Output Format

# SwiftUI Layout Audit Results

## Layout Strategy Map
[8-10 line summary from Phase 1]

## Summary
- CRITICAL: [N] issues
- HIGH: [N] issues
- MEDIUM: [N] issues
- LOW: [N] issues
- Phase 2 (anti-pattern detection): [N] issues
- Phase 3 (completeness reasoning): [N] issues
- Phase 4 (compound findings): [N] issues

## Layout Health Score
[Phase 5 table]

## Issues by Severity

### [SEVERITY] [Category]: [Description]
**File**: path/to/file.swift:line
**Phase**: [2: Detection | 3: Completeness | 4: Compound]
**Issue**: What's wrong or missing
**Impact**: What breaks and on which devices
**Fix**: Code example showing the fix
**Cross-Auditor Notes**: [if overlapping with another auditor]

## Recommendations
1. [Immediate actions — CRITICAL fixes (GeometryReader, deprecated APIs)]
2. [Short-term — HIGH fixes (identity loss, adaptivity)]
3. [Long-term — architectural improvements from Phase 3 findings]
4. [Test on: iPhone SE (320pt), iPad Split View (~half width), iPad Stage Manager]

Output Limits

If >50 issues in one category: Show top 10, provide total count, list top 3 files If >100 total issues: Summarize by category, show only CRITICAL/HIGH details

False Positives (Not Issues)

• GeometryReader as root view of a screen (no siblings to collapse)
• UIScreen.main used only for one-time setup (e.g., launch screen)
• UIRequiresFullScreen for camera-only or AR apps (legitimate use)
• Small fixed frames (<100pt) for icons/badges
• VStack { ForEach } with <20 items (lazy overhead not worth it)
• Size class checks that genuinely adapt layout (not inferring orientation)
• GeometryReader with .frame() constraint (already safe)
• Large fixed frames for full-screen backgrounds/images (intentional)

Related

For SwiftUI layout patterns, reference, and containers: axiom-swiftui skill (layout)