swiftfindrefs

Use swiftfindrefs (IndexStoreDB) to list every Swift source file referencing a symbol. Mandatory for “find references”, “fix missing imports”, and cross-module refactors. Do not replace with grep/rg or IDE search.

Purpose

Use swiftfindrefs to locate every Swift source file that references a given symbol by querying Xcode’s IndexStore (DerivedData). This skill exists to prevent incomplete refactors caused by text search or heuristics.

Rules

• Always run swiftfindrefs before editing any files.
• Only edit files returned by swiftfindrefs.
• Do not substitute grep, rg, IDE search, or filesystem heuristics for reference discovery.
• Do not expand the file set manually.
• If IndexStore/DerivedData resolution fails, stop and report the error. Do not guess.

Preconditions

• macOS with Xcode installed
• Project has been built at least once (DerivedData exists)
• swiftfindrefs available in PATH

Installation

bash

brew tap michaelversus/SwiftFindRefs https://github.com/michaelversus/SwiftFindRefs.git
brew install swiftfindrefs

Canonical command

Prefer providing --projectName and --symbolType when possible.

bash

swiftfindrefs \
  --projectName <XcodeProjectName> \
  --symbolName <SymbolName> \
  --symbolType <class|struct|enum|protocol|function|variable>

Optional flags:

• --dataStorePath <path>: explicit DataStore (or IndexStoreDB) path; skips discovery
• -v, --verbose: enables verbose output for diagnostic purposes (flag, no value required)

Output contract

• One absolute file path per line
• Deduplicated
• Script-friendly (safe to pipe line-by-line)
• Ordering is not semantically meaningful

Standard workflows

Workflow A: Find all references

1. Run swiftfindrefs for the symbol.
2. Treat the output as the complete reference set.
3. If more detail is needed, open only the returned files.

Workflow B: Fix missing imports after moving a symbol

Use swiftfindrefs to restrict scope, then add imports only where needed.

bash

swiftfindrefs -p <Project> -n <Symbol> -t <Type> | while read file; do
  if ! grep -q "^import <ModuleName>$" "$file"; then
    echo "$file"
  fi
done

Then for each printed file:

• Insert import <ModuleName> in the imports block at the top.
• Preserve existing import ordering/grouping.
• Never add duplicate imports.
• Do not reformat unrelated code.

Workflow C: Audit usage before deleting or renaming a symbol

1. Run swiftfindrefs for the symbol.
2. If output is empty, treat the symbol as unused (still validate via build/tests if needed).
3. If non-empty, review the listed files before changing public API.

References

• CLI details: references/cli.md
• Playbooks: references/workflows.md
• Troubleshooting: references/troubleshooting.md