Agent-Skills.md

Agent Skills: iPad Patterns

iPadOS-specific patterns including Stage Manager, multi-window, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, and Apple Pencil support. Use when building iPad-optimized features.

UncategorizedID: rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills/ipad-patterns

Repository

rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills
rshankrasLicense: MIT
11710

Install this agent skill to your local

pnpm dlx add-skill https://github.com/rshankras/claude-code-apple-skills/tree/HEAD/skills/ios/ipad-patterns

Skill Files

Browse the full folder contents for ipad-patterns.

Download Skill

Loading file tree…

skills/ios/ipad-patterns/SKILL.md

Skill Metadata

Name
ipad-patterns
Description
iPadOS-specific patterns including Stage Manager, multi-window, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, and Apple Pencil support. Use when building iPad-optimized features.

iPad Patterns

Comprehensive guide for iPadOS-specific development patterns. Covers multitasking (Stage Manager, Split View, Slide Over), multi-window support, drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, Apple Pencil, and external display support. These patterns differentiate an iPad-optimized app from a scaled-up iPhone app.

When This Skill Activates

  • User is building or reviewing iPad-specific features
  • User asks about Stage Manager, multi-window, or UIScene lifecycle
  • User needs drag and drop (NSItemProvider, Transferable, UIDragInteraction)
  • User wants keyboard shortcuts or discoverability overlay
  • User asks about pointer/trackpad interactions or hover effects
  • User is implementing Apple Pencil or PencilKit support
  • User needs adaptive layouts for Split View, Slide Over, or size classes
  • User asks about external display support
  • User wants to make an iPhone app work well on iPad

Decision Tree

What iPad feature are you building?
|
+-- Multi-window / Stage Manager / UIScene lifecycle
|   +-- multitasking.md
|      +-- Scene configuration, requestSceneSessionActivation
|      +-- Window management, scene delegates
|
+-- Split View / Slide Over / Adaptive Layout
|   +-- multitasking.md
|      +-- Size classes, compact/regular transitions
|      +-- NavigationSplitView column widths
|
+-- Drag and Drop
|   +-- drag-drop.md
|      +-- SwiftUI: .draggable() / .dropDestination()
|      +-- UIKit: UIDragInteraction / UIDropInteraction
|      +-- Transferable protocol, NSItemProvider
|
+-- Keyboard Shortcuts
|   +-- input-methods.md
|      +-- SwiftUI: .keyboardShortcut()
|      +-- UIKit: UIKeyCommand
|      +-- Discoverability overlay (Cmd hold)
|
+-- Pointer / Trackpad Interactions
|   +-- input-methods.md
|      +-- .hoverEffect(), UIPointerInteraction
|      +-- Custom pointer shapes, lift/highlight effects
|
+-- Apple Pencil / PencilKit
|   +-- input-methods.md
|      +-- PKCanvasView, PKDrawing
|      +-- Touch type filtering, Scribble
|
+-- External Display
    +-- multitasking.md
       +-- WindowGroup for external scenes
       +-- UIScreen notifications (legacy)

API Availability

| API | Minimum Version | Reference | |-----|----------------|-----------| | UIScene / UISceneDelegate | iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md | | UISceneConfiguration | iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md | | UIUserInterfaceSizeClass | iPadOS 8 | multitasking.md | | NavigationSplitView | iPadOS 16 | multitasking.md | | .horizontalSizeClass / .verticalSizeClass | iPadOS 14 (SwiftUI) | multitasking.md | | .hoverEffect() | iPadOS 13 | input-methods.md | | UIPointerInteraction | iPadOS 13.4 | input-methods.md | | .keyboardShortcut() | iPadOS 14 | input-methods.md | | UIKeyCommand | iPadOS 7 | input-methods.md | | PencilKit (PKCanvasView) | iPadOS 13 | input-methods.md | | UIPencilInteraction | iPadOS 12.1 | input-methods.md | | .draggable() / .dropDestination() | iPadOS 16 | drag-drop.md | | Transferable protocol | iPadOS 16 | drag-drop.md | | UIDragInteraction / UIDropInteraction | iPadOS 11 | drag-drop.md | | NSItemProvider | iPadOS 11 | drag-drop.md | | WindowGroup (multi-window) | iPadOS 16 (SwiftUI lifecycle) | multitasking.md | | .handlesExternalEvents | iPadOS 14 | multitasking.md | | Stage Manager | iPadOS 16 (M1+ iPads) | multitasking.md | | UISceneSession.requestSceneSessionActivation | iPadOS 13 | multitasking.md | | .focusable() / @FocusState | iPadOS 15 | input-methods.md | | FocusedValue / FocusedObject | iPadOS 16 | input-methods.md |

Top 5 Mistakes

| # | Mistake | Fix | Details | |---|---------|-----|---------| | 1 | Ignoring size classes, building fixed layouts | Use @Environment(\.horizontalSizeClass) to adapt between compact and regular | multitasking.md | | 2 | No keyboard shortcuts for common actions | Add .keyboardShortcut() to primary actions (Cmd+N, Cmd+S, Delete) | input-methods.md | | 3 | Missing drag and drop on list/grid items | Add .draggable() and .dropDestination() for content types users expect to move | drag-drop.md | | 4 | No hover effects on interactive elements | Add .hoverEffect() to buttons, list rows, and custom controls | input-methods.md | | 5 | Not supporting multiple windows (single-scene only) | Add WindowGroup support and handle NSUserActivity for state restoration | multitasking.md |

Process

1. Identify iPad Features Needed

Read the user's code or requirements to determine:

  • Is this a new iPad app or adapting an iPhone app?
  • Which iPad-specific features are relevant (multitasking, drag/drop, keyboard, pencil)?
  • Target iPadOS version and hardware (Stage Manager requires M1+)
  • Whether the app uses SwiftUI lifecycle or UIKit AppDelegate

2. Load Relevant Reference Files

Based on the need, read from this directory:

  • multitasking.md -- Stage Manager, multi-window, Split View, Slide Over, size classes, external display
  • input-methods.md -- Keyboard shortcuts, pointer interactions, Apple Pencil, focus system
  • drag-drop.md -- Drag and drop, Transferable protocol, NSItemProvider

3. Review or Recommend

Apply patterns from the reference files. Check for common issues using the review checklist below.

4. Cross-Reference

  • For navigation architecture on iPad, see ios/navigation-patterns/navigation-split-view.md
  • For macOS Catalyst concerns, see macos/coding-best-practices/
  • For toolbar patterns, see swiftui/toolbars/SKILL.md
  • For animation and transitions, see design/animation-patterns/

Review Checklist

When reviewing code for iPad optimization, verify:

  • [ ] Size class adaptation -- UI adapts to compact/regular width (Split View, Slide Over)
  • [ ] Keyboard shortcuts -- primary actions have .keyboardShortcut() modifiers
  • [ ] Discoverability -- shortcuts appear when user holds Command key
  • [ ] Pointer effects -- interactive elements have .hoverEffect()
  • [ ] Drag and drop -- list/grid items support .draggable() and .dropDestination()
  • [ ] Multi-window -- app supports multiple windows if content model allows it
  • [ ] Scene restoration -- state is preserved when scene disconnects/reconnects
  • [ ] Pencil support -- drawing views filter touch types, PencilKit configured correctly
  • [ ] Column layout -- NavigationSplitView column widths appropriate for iPad
  • [ ] No hardcoded widths -- layouts use .frame(minWidth:idealWidth:maxWidth:) or geometry-based sizing
  • [ ] Context menus -- long-press context menus on relevant items (also improve right-click with pointer)
  • [ ] Toolbar placement -- actions placed in .primaryAction, .secondaryAction, or .keyboard as appropriate

References