A macOS menubar app that creates Xcode playgrounds for iOS or macOS development with one click.
PlayAlways is a macOS menubar application that enables developers to create Xcode playgrounds for iOS or macOS instantly, without launching Xcode. It solves the problem of interrupting workflow to start a new playground, making it ideal for quick prototyping, testing Swift code, or experimenting with APIs.
iOS and macOS developers who regularly use Xcode playgrounds for prototyping, learning Swift, or testing code snippets in a sandboxed environment.
Developers choose PlayAlways for its speed and convenience—it eliminates the need to open Xcode to create a playground, saving time and keeping focus on coding. The menu bar integration and optional Xcode extension provide seamless access from anywhere in the development environment.
Create Xcode playgrounds from your menu bar
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Enables generating playgrounds directly from the macOS menu bar with a single click, as highlighted in the README's 'Quick Creation' feature, saving time over launching Xcode.
Once a default path is set, all playgrounds automatically save there, reducing repetitive file dialogs, which the README notes as a key workflow improvement.
Holding the Option key while selecting a playground type brings up a save panel for custom locations, offering flexibility without altering the default, as described in the README.
Includes an Xcode extension to create playgrounds from selected code, enhancing productivity within the IDE, though the app must be running, per the README.
Exclusively available for macOS, making it unsuitable for developers on Windows or Linux who use Xcode playgrounds via other means, a clear platform restriction.
The Xcode extension requires the PlayAlways app to be actively running, adding an extra step and potential point of failure, as admitted in the README.
Only supports creating iOS or macOS playgrounds, with no mention of other types like Swift Playgrounds for iPad or custom templates, which restricts use cases for advanced prototyping.