Cannot compile on ios project (Cannot find 'NSWorkspace' in scope)

[devnomic]

[Alexeichua]

The same thing. Can't compile for iOS.

[MohamedMohana]

This is a cross-platform issue. NSWorkspace is a macOS-only API (part of AppKit), which is why it's failing to compile on iOS.

Root Cause

NSWorkspace is available only on:

• macOS (via AppKit framework)
• NOT available on iOS (UIKit doesn't have an equivalent)

Solution: Conditional Compilation

You need to wrap NSWorkspace code in macOS-specific compilation blocks. Here are the approaches:

Option 1: Use #if os(macOS) (Recommended)

#if os(macOS)
import AppKit

// NSWorkspace code goes here
let workspace = NSWorkspace.shared
if let url = URL(string: "https://example.com") {
    workspace.open(url)
}
#elseif os(iOS)
import UIKit

// iOS-specific alternative goes here
if let url = URL(string: "https://example.com") {
    UIApplication.shared.open(url)
}
#endif

Option 2: Use Availability Checks (if you need iOS + macOS)

#if os(macOS)
import AppKit
#endif

func openURL(_ url: URL) {
    #if os(macOS)
    NSWorkspace.shared.open(url)
    #elseif os(iOS)
    UIApplication.shared.open(url)
    #endif
}

Option 3: Create Abstraction Layer

// Shared protocol
protocol URLHandler {
    func open(_ url: URL)
}

// macOS implementation
#if os(macOS)
import AppKit
class MacURLHandler: URLHandler {
    func open(_ url: URL) {
        NSWorkspace.shared.open(url)
    }
}
#endif

// iOS implementation
#if os(iOS)
import UIKit
class iOSURLHandler: URLHandler {
    func open(_ url: URL) {
        UIApplication.shared.open(url)
    }
}
#endif

// Usage (works on both platforms)
let urlHandler: URLHandler

#if os(macOS)
urlHandler = MacURLHandler()
#elseif os(iOS)
urlHandler = iOSURLHandler()
#endif

// Later in code
urlHandler.open(URL(string: "https://example.com")!)

Common macOS-Only APIs to Watch Out For

These APIs will cause the same issue on iOS:

• NSWorkspace → Use UIApplication.shared.open() on iOS
• NSImage → Use UIImage on iOS
• NSView → Use UIView on iOS
• NSViewController → Use UIViewController on iOS
• NSWindow → Use UIWindow on iOS
• NSTouchBar → Not available on iOS
• NSApplication → Use UIApplication on iOS

Package.swift Configuration

If you're supporting both platforms, your Package.swift should look like:

let package = Package(
    name: "LLMStream",
    platforms: [
        .macOS(.v13),
        .iOS(.v15)  // Add iOS platform
    ],
    targets: [
        .target(
            name: "LLMStream",
            dependencies: [
                .product(name: "AppKit", package: "appkit"), // macOS only
                .product(name: "UIKit", package: "uikit")   // iOS only
            ]
        )
    ]
)

Additional Resources

• Apple: AppKit - NSWorkspace
• Apple: UIKit - UIApplication
• Swift: Conditional Compilation

Let me know if you need help with the specific code where NSWorkspace is being used! Happy to provide a more targeted solution.