Sample CodeiOS, iPadOS, Mac Catalyst, macOSReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Building a signal generator

At a glance

Item Summary
Purpose Generate audio signals using an audio source node and a custom render callback.
App architecture A C/Objective-C header, Objective-C++, Swift sample with the source-visible chain SignalGeneratorAppContentViewAudioManagerSignalGeneratorAVFoundation / SwiftUI APIs.
Main patterns Binding-based state propagation
Project style 9 scanned source file(s) across C/Objective-C header, Objective-C++, Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.
Execution model No structured execution marker indexed; callback threading requires source review.
State/event model Source-visible mechanisms: @Observable, SwiftUI state property wrapper.
Key frameworks/packages AVFoundation, SwiftUI, AudioToolbox; these are source dependencies, not architecture labels.

Project structure

Source bundle/
├── SignalGenerator/
│   ├── SignalGeneratorApp.swift
│   ├── SignalGenerator.mm
│   ├── AudioManager.swift
│   ├── ContentView.swift
│   ├── SignalGenerator.h
│   ├── ParameterRamp.h
│   ├── SignalGeneratorKernel.h
│   ├── SignalGenerator-Bridging-Header.h
│   └── WaveFunction.h
├── Configuration/
│   └── SampleCode.xcconfig
└── SignalGenerator.xcodeproj/
    ├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
    └── project.pbxproj

Structure observations

  • Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
  • Primary languages: C/Objective-C header, Objective-C++, Swift.
  • The verified tree contains 3 project/configuration file(s) and 7 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

Reference code

SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorApp.swift:10 — architecture anchor

@main
struct SignalGeneratorApp: App {
    @State private var audioManager = AudioManager()

    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            // Set the frame size explicitly on macOS.
            ContentView(audioManager: $audioManager)
#if os(macOS)
                .frame(minWidth: 600, minHeight: 300)
#endif
        }
    }
}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into AVFAudio.

Ownership and state

Ownership evidence

SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorApp.swift:12 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

@main
struct SignalGeneratorApp: App {
    @State private var audioManager = AudioManager()
    // ...
}
Owner Object or state Relationship Mutation authority
SignalGeneratorApp AudioManager (audioManager) owns wrapper-managed state Owning lexical scope
AudioManager SignalGenerator (signalGenerator) creates and retains Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable
AudioManager AVAudioEngine (engine) creates and retains Owning lexical scope
AudioManager Waveform (waveform) stores or receives App/module collaborators

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Concurrency, scheduling, and thread safety

Evidence limit: actor isolation, async/await, or Task creation does not by itself prove background-thread execution; Sendable conformance alone does not prove thread-safe mutation.

No source-visible execution, scheduling, or synchronization boundary was found in the indexed source.

@MainActor/MainActor.run, DispatchQueue.main, and RunLoop.main are reported as distinct isolation, queue, and event-loop mechanisms. A plain Task is kept separate from Task.detached; neither is labeled as a background thread.

State propagation, frameworks, and dependencies

Evidence limit: an import proves a source-level compilation dependency at the cited line; it does not prove runtime use, architectural adoption, or whether a Swift package is a direct application dependency.

Category Mechanism or module Verified role Evidence
State propagation @Observable Observation macro publishes source-visible changes. SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift:10
State propagation SwiftUI state property wrapper A SwiftUI property wrapper supplies or observes UI state. SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift:12
Source import AVFoundation The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift:8
Source import SwiftUI The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift:8
Source import AudioToolbox The cited file imports this module; runtime use and architectural role are not inferred. SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator.mm:11

receive(on:) describes downstream delivery scheduling, while subscribe(on:) describes upstream subscription/request/cancel scheduling. An import Combine alone establishes neither behavior nor a Store, reducer, Redux, or other application architecture.

Class and protocol design

SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorApp.swift:11 — representative type boundary

@main
struct SignalGeneratorApp: App {
    @State private var audioManager = AudioManager()
    // ...
}
Type Responsibility Depends on or conforms to
SignalGeneratorApp Application entry and top-level composition App
AudioManager Long-lived feature or framework coordination Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
ContentView User-interface presentation and input forwarding View
SignalGenerator Generates feature data or resources NSObject
SignalGeneratorParameters Represents a feature value or composable behavior Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
ParameterRamp Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
SignalGeneratorKernel Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks

No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.

Access control

Symbol Access Verified effect Likely rationale
signalGenerator (SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift:11) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
engine (SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift:12) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
allCases (SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift:57) public The symbol is visible to importing modules. Inference: make the declaration available across a module or target boundary.
description (SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift:61) public The symbol is visible to importing modules. Inference: make the declaration available across a module or target boundary.

Reference code

SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift:11 — representative boundary

@Observable class AudioManager {
    private let signalGenerator = SignalGenerator()
    // ...
}

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic Owning type or file Placement rationale
Application entry and top-level composition SignalGeneratorApp The source’s App suffix makes this role explicit.
Generates feature data or resources SignalGenerator The source’s Generator suffix makes this role explicit.
Long-lived feature or framework coordination AudioManager The source’s Manager suffix makes this role explicit.
User-interface presentation and input forwarding ContentView The source’s View suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern Source evidence Purpose or tradeoff
Binding-based state propagation SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift:12 A binding exposes controlled read/write access while the upstream owner remains authoritative.

Naming conventions

  • Types: App: SignalGeneratorApp; Generator: SignalGenerator; Manager: AudioManager; View: ContentView.
  • Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
  • Methods: setSampleRate, setFrequency, setAmplitude, setWaveform, renderBlock, start, stop.
  • Files: SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorApp.swift, SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator.mm, SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift, SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift, SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator.h, SignalGenerator/ParameterRamp.h.

Architecture takeaways

  • SignalGeneratorApp is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
  • Framework work reaches AVFoundation, SwiftUI, AudioToolbox through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
  • Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
  • Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
  • The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.

Source map

Source file Relevant symbols
SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorApp.swift Cited implementation, SignalGeneratorApp
SignalGenerator/AudioManager.swift Cited implementation, @Observable, AVFoundation, AudioManager
SignalGenerator/ContentView.swift Cited implementation, SwiftUI state property wrapper, SwiftUI, ContentView
SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator.mm AudioToolbox, SignalGeneratorParameters, SignalGenerator
SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator.h SignalGenerator
SignalGenerator/ParameterRamp.h ParameterRamp
SignalGenerator/SignalGeneratorKernel.h SignalGeneratorKernel
SignalGenerator/SignalGenerator-Bridging-Header.h Feature implementation
SignalGenerator/WaveFunction.h Feature implementation