Xcode Extension

The ctok Xcode source editor extension adds three commands to Xcode’s Editor menu for estimating token usage and refining prompts without leaving the IDE.

Requirements

• macOS 13+
• Xcode 15+
• ctok CLI on PATH (npm i -g ctok)
• Apple Developer account (for signing)

Build from source

The extension is not yet on the Mac App Store. Build it yourself:

# Install XcodeGen
brew install xcodegen

# Generate and open the Xcode project
cd apps/xcode
xcodegen generate
open CtokXcode.xcodeproj

In Xcode, set your Team under Signing & Capabilities for both targets, then press ⌘R to build and run.

Enable the extension

1. Launch the ctok host app (it stays minimised in the background)
2. Open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Extensions → Xcode Source Editor
3. Enable ctok Source Extension

Commands

Available under Editor → ctok in any open Xcode file:

Command	Description
Check Token Count	Estimates tokens for the selection (or full file) and inserts a comment with the result
Refine Selection	Replaces the selection with the ctok-refined version; appends a comment showing tokens saved
Scan Project Token Footprint	Scans the configured directory and inserts a summary comment

Set scan directory

Option A - host app UI: Launch the ctok app and click Choose…

Option B - terminal:

defaults write dev.ctok.shared scanDirectory /path/to/your/project