tipkit-generator

---
name: tipkit-generator
description: Generate TipKit infrastructure with inline/popover tips, rules, display frequency, and testing utilities. Use when adding contextual tips or feature discovery to an iOS/macOS app.
allowed-tools: [Read, Write, Edit, Glob, Grep, Bash, AskUserQuestion]
last_verified: 2026-07-16
review_by: 2027-06-22
os_version: iOS 27 / macOS 27
---

# TipKit Generator

Generate a complete TipKit setup for contextual tips and feature discovery, including tip definitions, rules, display frequency, inline and popover presentation, and testing utilities.

## When This Skill Activates

Use this skill when the user:
- Asks to "add tips" or "add TipKit"
- Mentions "contextual tips" or "feature discovery"
- Wants "popover tips" or "inline tips"
- Asks about "coach marks" or "user education"
- Mentions "onboarding hints" or "tip prompts"
- Wants to "highlight new features" or "guide users"

## Pre-Generation Checks

### 1. Project Context Detection
- [ ] Check deployment target (TipKit requires iOS 17+ / macOS 14+)
- [ ] Identify if SwiftUI or UIKit project
- [ ] Find App entry point location for Tips.configure()
- [ ] Check for existing TipKit implementations

### 2. Conflict Detection
Search for existing TipKit usage:
```
Glob: **/*Tip*.swift
Grep: "import TipKit" or "Tips.configure"
```

If found, ask user:
- Extend existing tip infrastructure?
- Replace existing tips?

## Configuration Questions

Ask user via AskUserQuestion:

1. **What features need tips?**
   - List the features or UI elements that should have tips
   - Example: "search bar, filter button, swipe-to-delete gesture"

2. **Tip presentation style?** (per tip or general preference)
   - Inline (TipView embedded in layout)
   - Popover (attached to a control)
   - Both

3. **Rule types needed?**
   - Parameter-based (show after user meets condition, e.g., has viewed a screen 3 times)
   - Event-based (show after user performs an action N times)
   - Both

4. **Display frequency?**
   - Immediate (tips show as soon as eligible)
   - Hourly
   - Daily
   - Weekly
   - Monthly

5. **Tip ordering?**
   - Independent (tips show whenever eligible)
   - Ordered (use TipGroup to show tips in sequence)

## Generation Process

### Step 1: Read Templates

Read the templates file for code patterns:
```
Read("skills/generators/tipkit-generator/templates.md")
```

### Step 2: Create Core Files

Generate these files based on configuration:
1. `Tips/` directory with one file per tip (e.g., `SearchTip.swift`, `FilterTip.swift`)
2. `Tips/TipEvents.swift` - Centralized event definitions
3. `Tips/TipsConfiguration.swift` - Tips.configure() setup and testing utilities

### Step 3: Determine File Location

Check project structure:
- If `Sources/` exists -> `Sources/Tips/`
- If `App/` exists -> `App/Tips/`
- Otherwise -> `Tips/`

### Step 4: Integrate Tips

- Add `Tips.configure()` call in App entry point
- Add `TipView` or `.popoverTip()` at the appropriate view locations
- Wire up event donation at action sites
- Wire up tip invalidation where appropriate

## Output Format

After generation, provide:

### Files Created
```
Sources/Tips/
├── SearchTip.swift            # Tip with rules and options
├── FilterTip.swift            # Another tip definition
├── TipEvents.swift            # Centralized event definitions
└── TipsConfiguration.swift    # Tips.configure() + testing helpers
```

### Integration Steps

**App Entry Point (Required):**
```swift
import TipKit

@main
struct MyApp: App {
    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .task {
                    try? Tips.configure([
                        .displayFrequency(.daily),
                        .datastoreLocation(.applicationDefault)
                    ])
                }
        }
    }
}
```

**Inline Tip:**
```swift
import TipKit

struct SearchView: View {
    let searchTip = SearchTip()

    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            TipView(searchTip)
            SearchBar()
        }
    }
}
```

**Popover Tip:**
```swift
import TipKit

struct ToolbarView: View {
    let filterTip = FilterTip()

    var body: some View {
        Button("Filter", systemImage: "line.3.horizontal.decrease.circle") {
            // action
        }
        .popoverTip(filterTip)
    }
}
```

**Event Donation (at action site):**
```swift
Button("Search") {
    performSearch()
    SearchTip.searchPerformed.donate()
}
```

**Tip Invalidation (when tip is no longer relevant):**
```swift
func onFeatureUsed() {
    // User discovered the feature, invalidate the tip
    searchTip.invalidate(reason: .actionPerformed)
}
```

### Testing Instructions

1. **Reset DataStore between runs:**
   ```swift
   // Add to a debug menu or call in preview
   try? Tips.resetDatastore()
   ```

2. **Show all tips for testing:**
   ```swift
   // Ignores rules and frequency -- shows everything
   Tips.showAllTipsForTesting()
   ```

3. **Show specific tips for testing:**
   ```swift
   Tips.showTipsForTesting([SearchTip.self])
   ```

4. **Test scenarios:**
   - Launch app fresh -- eligible tips should appear per display frequency
   - Perform actions that donate events -- event-based tips should appear when thresholds met
   - Tap tip close button -- tip should not reappear
   - Invalidate tip programmatically -- tip should dismiss and not reappear

## Common Gotchas

1. **Forgetting Tips.configure()** -- Tips will never appear if you do not call `Tips.configure()` before any tip is displayed. This must happen early, typically in the App `body` or `.task`.

2. **Rules not evaluating** -- Parameter-based rules require you to set the parameter value explicitly. If you define `@Parameter static var hasSeenFeature = false` but never set it to `true`, the rule never passes.

3. **DataStore conflicts in tests** -- If you run unit tests and the app simultaneously, they may share the same DataStore. Use `.datastoreLocation(.url(...))` to isolate them.

4. **Display frequency blocking tips** -- If you set `.displayFrequency(.daily)` and a tip was already shown today, no new tips will appear until tomorrow. Use `.immediate` during development.

5. **Tips not dismissing after invalidation** -- You must hold a reference to the tip instance and call `.invalidate(reason:)` on that instance. Creating a new instance and invalidating it does nothing to the displayed tip.

6. **TipGroup ordering ignored** -- Tips in a TipGroup only show in order if their rules are all satisfied. If Tip B's rules pass but Tip A's do not, neither will show (Tip A blocks Tip B).

## Tip Content Rules (WWDC23)

Good tips are **actionable, instructional, and easy to remember**:
- **Title** = a direct action phrase naming the feature ("Swipe to Save a Recipe"), not a greeting
- **Message** = the benefit, or short instructions that stand alone without needing more context

Never use tips for:
- ❌ Promotion (upsells, sales, "try Pro")
- ❌ Error messages or system status
- ❌ Purely informational content with no action to take
- ❌ Features too complex to explain in one short tip

### Eligibility and cadence specifics

- **Event rules accept date modifiers**: `$0.donations.donatedWithin(.days(5)).count >= 3` — "3 times in the past 5 days", not just a lifetime count
- **Associated types on event donations** scope a rule to a specific entity: donate the item's ID with the event and require N donations *for that ID*, so the tip fires on the exact item the user keeps revisiting
- The **`IgnoresDisplayFrequency(true)` tip option** exempts an urgent tip from the global `.displayFrequency` cadence
- The **`MaxDisplayCount(n)` tip option** auto-stops a tip after N impressions, even if it is never dismissed or invalidated

## Patterns

### Good Patterns

- One tip struct per file for clarity
- Centralize event definitions in a single file
- Use `.actionPerformed` invalidation reason when the user completes the action the tip describes
- Use `TipGroup` when tips should appear in a logical sequence
- Provide a debug/testing menu that calls `Tips.resetDatastore()`
- Use meaningful tip IDs that describe the feature

### Bad Patterns

- Defining all tips in a single massive file
- Forgetting to call `Tips.configure()` in the App entry point
- Using `.immediate` display frequency in production (overwhelming users)
- Hardcoding tip text instead of using localized strings for shipped apps
- Creating a new tip instance to invalidate instead of using the displayed instance
- Placing `TipView` inside a `ScrollView` without considering layout impact

## References

- **templates.md** - Code templates for tips, rules, configuration, and TipGroup

• SKILL.md 9 KB
• templates.md 19 KB