Automated summary
Generates NSStatusItem and NSMenu configurations for building macOS menu bar applications, with optional SwiftUI integration.
Strengths
- Emits directly usable Swift AppKit code (StatusBarController, popover, menu actions)
- Covers common cases: SwiftUI popovers, dynamic menu updates, light/dark icons
- Supports agent app configuration (LSUIElement) so the app has no Dock icon
- Explicit input schema with appType and iconType that constrains generation
Limitations
- Stays within the sample code shown: no detailed handling of keyboard shortcuts or entitlements
- Does not cover tests, code signing, or app distribution
- Assumes prior familiarity with AppKit and Xcode project structure
Use it to quickly scaffold a macOS menu bar app with a working SwiftUI popover.
Avoid it when you need a standard windowed app or a full build and distribution pipeline, which are outside this skill's scope.
Security analysis
SafeThe skill is purely a code-generation template for macOS NSStatusItem/NSMenu apps. It contains no shell commands, no network calls, no credential handling, no obfuscated payloads, and no attempts to disable safety mechanisms. The declared Bash/Write/Edit permissions are standard for a scaffolding skill and carry only incidental risk if an agent improvises beyond the provided instructions.
- •Declares Bash/Write/Edit tools without any constraint text, so a follow-on agent could use them broadly; however, no risky commands or file targets are specified in the skill itself.
Examples
Create a macOS menu bar app in ./MyMenuBar with a star status icon that toggles a 300x400 SwiftUI popover, and configure it as an LSUIElement agent app.Generate an NSMenu for a menu-only app with a Refresh item, a Settings item, and a Quit item, and show how to update the menu items dynamically at runtime.Set up an NSStatusItem using a custom template image so the icon adapts to light and dark mode, and wire the button action to open a SwiftUI window.name: appkit-menu-bar-builder description: Generate NSMenu and NSStatusItem configurations for macOS menu bar applications allowed-tools: Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep tags: [macos, appkit, menubar, statusitem, swift]
appkit-menu-bar-builder
Generate NSMenu and NSStatusItem configurations for macOS menu bar applications. This skill creates menu bar apps with proper status items, menus, and SwiftUI integration.
Capabilities
- Create NSStatusItem menu bar apps
- Generate NSMenu configurations
- Integrate SwiftUI popovers with AppKit
- Handle menu item actions
- Configure keyboard shortcuts
- Support dynamic menu updates
- Handle light/dark mode icons
- Generate agent app configurations (LSUIElement)
Input Schema
{
"type": "object",
"properties": {
"projectPath": { "type": "string" },
"appType": { "enum": ["menu-only", "popover", "window-and-menu"] },
"menuStructure": { "type": "array" },
"iconType": { "enum": ["system", "custom", "dynamic"] },
"useSwiftUI": { "type": "boolean", "default": true }
},
"required": ["projectPath"]
}
Generated Code
import AppKit
import SwiftUI
class StatusBarController {
private var statusItem: NSStatusItem
private var popover: NSPopover
init() {
statusItem = NSStatusBar.system.statusItem(withLength: NSStatusItem.variableLength)
popover = NSPopover()
popover.contentSize = NSSize(width: 300, height: 400)
popover.behavior = .transient
popover.contentViewController = NSHostingController(rootView: ContentView())
if let button = statusItem.button {
button.image = NSImage(systemSymbolName: "star.fill", accessibilityDescription: "App")
button.action = #selector(togglePopover)
button.target = self
}
}
@objc func togglePopover() {
if popover.isShown {
popover.performClose(nil)
} else if let button = statusItem.button {
popover.show(relativeTo: button.bounds, of: button, preferredEdge: .minY)
}
}
}
Related Skills
swiftui-view-generatormacos-entitlements-generator
From the file to a first result
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View the source and supporting filesThis download contains SKILL.md only. Any scripts, references, templates and dependencies are not included. Get the required files from the source, preserving their directory structure, before continuing.
1. Download the file
Download SKILL.mdFrom the root of a test project, save the file as .skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md, or use the command below. This folder is for inspecting the skill before installation.
Command for macOS/Linux or WSL: requires a POSIX shell and curl. On Windows without WSL, use the download button and create the folder manually.
mkdir -p '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx' && curl --fail --show-error --location 'https://skills-guides.com/api/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/download' --output '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md.part' && mv '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md.part' '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md'2. Check prerequisites
Read SKILL.md before using it. If it references scripts or external services, inspect them and prepare the required access in your test environment.
Tools declared by the author (check availability in your agent): Read, Write, Edit, Bash, Glob, Grep
No recognized prerequisites section in this file. This does not mean it is self-contained: libraries, tools and access requirements may be mentioned elsewhere in the content or source repository.
The platforms on this page are catalog indications. The paths below follow tool documentation; they do not prove this skill has been run in those tools. No minimum tool version is confirmed for this listing.
3. Load the skill
After inspection, copy the complete folder into your project using one of the commands below, then open a new tool session. The command stops if a folder with the same name already exists: compare the files before replacing it.
Claude Code
test -f '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.claude/skills' && test ! -e '.claude/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx' '.claude/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder'Cursor
test -f '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.cursor/skills' && test ! -e '.cursor/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx' '.cursor/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder'Codex
test -f '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && test -s '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md' && mkdir -p '.agents/skills' && test ! -e '.agents/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder' && cp -R '.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx' '.agents/skills/appkit-menu-bar-builder'OpenSkills
OpenSkills must already be installed. The local install/read procedure is checked with OpenSkills 1.5.0, which requires Node.js ≥ 20.6.0. Catalog slugs are not resolved automatically.
Official OpenSkills installationopenskills install './.skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx'openskills read 'appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx'Reading should display the installed file content and its base directory. It does not run the skill or install its dependencies.
For an agent that reads AGENTS.md, then sync the index. This command changes AGENTS.md: review the diff before using it.
openskills syncManual method or another tool: attach SKILL.md to a conversation, or open it in an agent that can read files. Include any required supporting resources. No universal folder is recognized by every tool.
4. Try a first task
Use a short, synthetic input: an API endpoint, a small document or an interface brief. In a new conversation, attach the file or give the agent its path, then adapt this request:
Read .skill-downloads/appkit-menu-bar-builder-mmbizjsx/SKILL.md and apply its instructions to this example: [describe a test input]. Identify any missing files, dependencies or access. Produce the result requested by the skill without inventing data or running unreviewed scripts.Expected result: output matching the skill instructions, or a precise list of missing prerequisites. A read confirmation alone does not validate a first use. If an external resource is unavailable, that path remains untested.
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