Module 3 of 3 in Getting Started with AI-Assisted iOS Development

Codebase Exploration with AI

Oct 21 2026, Swift 6 and Objective-C, iOS 27, Xcode 27
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How this was made

Explore an unfamiliar legacy iOS codebase with AI without treating its answers as authoritative. You will verify a codebase map and technical-debt findings against the source, create a high-level Objective-C-to-Swift and UIKit-to-SwiftUI modernization plan, and investigate whether the app is ready for a safe feature change. By Felipe Laso-Marsetti.

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EXPERIENCE
Intermediate level
EST TIME TO COMPLETE
14 mins
CONTENT
3 lessons
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Module outcomes

  • Explore an unfamiliar iOS codebase using focused questions and source-backed verification.
  • Evaluate and prioritize technical debt without treating age, Objective-C, or UIKit as problems by themselves.
  • Create and review a high-level incremental modernization plan without rewriting the app.
  • Prepare for a safe feature change by tracing dependencies, risks, testing gaps, and open questions.

Covered concepts

  • AI-assisted codebase exploration
  • Source-backed technical-debt evaluation
  • Objective-C and Swift interoperability
  • UIKit and SwiftUI interoperability
  • Incremental modernization planning
  • Feature change-impact analysis
  • Independent AI review
  • Human-in-the-loop decision making

Module content

1
Explore the Codebase & Evaluate Technical Debt Lesson (6 mins)

Use short, focused AI prompts to understand an unfamiliar iOS codebase, verify the answers against the source, and prioritize evidence-backed technical debt.

 Start
Module Introduction • Start Video · 1 min
Explore Before You Change Reading · 1 min
Demo Video · 4 mins
Explore the Codebase & Evaluate Technical Debt Quiz 4 questions
2
Create & Review a Modernization Plan Lesson (4 mins)

Use AI to compare incremental Objective-C-to-Swift and UIKit-to-SwiftUI approaches, challenge unnecessary scope, and produce a reviewed high-level modernization plan.

 Start
Plan Incremental Modernization • Start Reading · 1 min
Demo Video · 3 mins
Create & Review a Modernization Plan Quiz 4 questions
3
Prepare for a Safe Feature Change Lesson (4 mins)

Trace a proposed BabyTrack feature through the existing code, identify risks and testing gaps, and use an independent AI review to produce a feature-readiness plan.

 Start
Prepare a Safe Feature Change • Start Reading · 1 min
Demo Video · 3 mins
Prepare for a Safe Feature Change Quiz 4 questions

How this was made

Our AI policy
Words
Written by the author, AI-edited
Code
AI-assisted, author-verified 16K · $0.19 · GPT-5.6 Terra · Oct 2026
Media
  • Illustrations: Illustrator
  • Voiceover: Author