SimBuild - iOS Simulator Build Extension

SimBuild is a VS Code extension that builds your iOS app and installs it to the simulator with one click—no need to open Xcode.

What it does

• Auto-detects .xcodeproj or .xcworkspace in the workspace
• Lets you pick an iOS simulator to target
• Lets you pick an Xcode scheme
• Builds for the simulator using xcodebuild
• Installs and launches the built app on the chosen simulator
• Shows build output in a dedicated panel

Requirements

• macOS with Xcode installed (includes the iOS Simulator)
• Xcode command line tools available (xcode-select -p should resolve)
• xcrun simctl available (bundled with Xcode)
• Node.js 18+ (for local development/building the extension)

Install

• From VS Code: install from a packaged VSIX, or
• Build locally: clone the repo, then run npm install and npm run compile

Quickstart

1. Open the iOS project folder in VS Code (must contain a .xcodeproj or .xcworkspace).
2. Run the command palette (Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+P) and choose one:
   • SimBuild: Build
   • SimBuild: Build and Run
3. Select a scheme (first run only).
4. Select a simulator device (first run only).
5. Watch build progress in the SimBuild output panel; the app installs and launches on completion.

Commands

• simbuild.build — Build the current project.
• simbuild.run — Build and run on a simulator.
• simbuild.selectSimulator — Pick a simulator device.
• simbuild.selectScheme — Pick a scheme.
• simbuild.clean — Clean build artifacts.

Settings

Configuration keys (set in VS Code settings):

{
  "simbuild.defaultSimulator": "iPhone 15 Pro",
  "simbuild.derivedDataPath": "./build",
  "simbuild.showBuildTime": true
}

Development

• Install deps: npm install
• Compile once: npm run compile
• Watch mode: npm run watch
• Tests: npm run test
• Lint: npm run lint

Troubleshooting

• Ensure xcode-select -p points to an installed Xcode.
• Ensure xcrun simctl list devices available --json returns devices.
• If no schemes are found, open the project in Xcode once to generate shared schemes.