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Copilot Instructions for MSAL iOS/macOS

Repository Overview

This is the Microsoft Authentication Library (MSAL) for iOS and macOS - an authentication SDK for integrating Microsoft identity platform authentication into native Apple applications. The library supports OAuth2/OpenID Connect protocols for Microsoft Entra ID (workforce), External ID (customers), Azure AD B2C, and personal Microsoft accounts.

Key Facts:

  • Languages: Objective-C (primary), Swift (native auth APIs)
  • Platforms: iOS 16+, macOS 11+, visionOS 1.2+
  • Distribution: CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, Git submodule
  • Submodule: MSAL/IdentityCore contains shared common code (do NOT make direct changes without understanding impact)

Critical: Architecture & Project Structure

Main Workspace & Targets

  • Workspace: MSAL.xcworkspace (ALWAYS use .xcworkspace, NEVER .xcodeproj directly)
  • Main Project: MSAL/MSAL.xcodeproj
  • Submodule: MSAL/IdentityCore - shared common library (git submodule)

Source Code Organization

MSAL/src/
├── public/              # Public API headers (MSAL prefix)
│   ├── MSAL.h          # Main umbrella header
│   ├── ios/            # iOS-specific public headers
│   ├── mac/            # macOS-specific public headers
│   ├── configuration/  # Configuration classes
│   └── native_auth/public/  # Native auth public APIs (Swift)
├── MSALPublicClientApplication.m  # Main SDK entry point
├── configuration/      # Internal configuration
├── instance/          # Authority/instance handling
├── native_auth/       # Native authentication (Swift + Obj-C bridge)
├── telemetry/         # Telemetry implementation
└── util/              # Utilities

Public API Files

Public headers MUST be in:

  • MSAL/src/public/*.h (shared)
  • MSAL/src/public/ios/*.h (iOS only)
  • MSAL/src/public/mac/*.h (macOS only)
  • MSAL/src/public/configuration/*.h (config classes)
  • MSAL/src/native_auth/public/ (native auth - Swift)

Configuration Files

  • Build configs: MSAL/xcconfig/*.xcconfig - Xcode build settings
  • Swift lint: MSAL/.swiftlint.yml - only applies to src/native_auth
  • CocoaPods: MSAL.podspec - pod spec with app-lib and native-auth subspecs
  • Swift PM: Package.swift - binary framework distribution
  • Privacy: MSAL/PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy - Apple privacy manifest

Testing

Unit Tests: Located in MSAL/test/unit/ Integration Tests: Located in MSAL/test/integration/ Automation Tests: Located in MSAL/test/automation/ (requires conf.json - not in repo)

Running Tests:

  • Via Xcode: Select scheme and Cmd+U
  • E2E tests require test configuration from Azure KeyVault (CI only)

Code Style Guidelines

READ: .clinerules/04-Code-style-guidelines.md - Contains mandatory Objective-C style rules

Key Rules (Repository-Specific):

  1. Opening braces on NEW line (differs from most Obj-C guides)
  2. 4-space indentation (never tabs)
  3. Imports NOT grouped - list without organizing comments
  4. Error handling: Check return value, NEVER the error variable directly
  5. Prefixes: MSAL for public classes, MSID for IdentityCore internal
  6. Properties over ivars: Use @property declarations
  7. Swift lint: Native auth code must pass SwiftLint (line length: 150)

Example:

- (BOOL)performOperationWithError:(NSError **)error
{
    NSError *internalError = nil;
    BOOL result = [self doSomethingWithError:&internalError];
    
    if (!result)  // Check return value, not error
    {
        if (error) *error = internalError;
        return NO;
    }
    
    return YES;
}

Making Changes

Adding New Public API

  1. Add header to appropriate MSAL/src/public/ subdirectory
  2. Import in MSAL/src/public/MSAL.h umbrella header
  3. Update MSAL.podspec if needed (public_header_files)
  4. Add to MSAL/module.modulemap if using native auth subspec
  5. Document in header comments (Jazzy-compatible)

Modifying Build Settings

  1. Edit appropriate .xcconfig file in MSAL/xcconfig/
  2. Settings cascade: specific → platform → common
  3. Test both Debug and Release configurations

Adding Dependencies

Internal: Avoid. This library should be self-contained. External (IdentityCore): Coordinate with common library team.

Modifying IdentityCore Submodule

  1. Make changes in IdentityCore repo separately
  2. Update submodule reference: cd MSAL/IdentityCore && git checkout <commit>
  3. Commit submodule update in MSAL repo
  4. Test thoroughly - affects BOTH MSAL and ADAL

Key Files to Never Modify

  • MSAL/IdentityCore/ - managed as submodule
  • Package.swift - auto-generated by release process
  • MSAL.zip - binary distribution artifact
  • build/ - build artifacts directory
  • .xcuserdata/ - user-specific Xcode settings

Trust These Instructions

These instructions have been validated against the actual build system, CI pipelines, and codebase structure. If you encounter conflicts between these instructions and other information:

  1. Trust these instructions FIRST
  2. Only search for additional information if:
    • Instructions are incomplete for your specific task
    • You encounter an error not covered here
    • You need API usage examples (see .clinerules/03-MSAL-API-usage.md for MSAL API samples)
    • You need to create a new application with MSAL authentication (see .clinerules/AGENTS.md for details about the different options the user can select)
    • You are implementing a new feature in MSAL library, it needs to be guarded by a feature flag (see .clinerules/05-feature-gating.md for guidelines)

When searching:

  • Check .clinerules/*.md for code style specifics, API usage, configuration steps and feature flag guidance.
  • Check README.md for user-facing documentation
  • Check CHANGELOG.md for version history and breaking changes
  • Check specific xcconfig files for build settings