Properties3
99Kelyphos (κέλυφος — Greek for shell or casing) is a SwiftUI framework that provides the outer structure for professional multi-panel applications on macOS and iPadOS.
Motivation
Building an IDE-style shell in SwiftUI requires coordinating NavigationSplitView, NSVisualEffectView, NSToolbar, keyboard shortcuts, and per-platform layout differences. Kelyphos encapsulates that complexity behind a clean, type-safe API.
Rather than scaffolding the same chrome for every project, Kelyphos provides:
- A unified shell view — one
KelyphosShellViewthat handles navigator, editor, inspector, and utility panels - Observable state —
KelyphosShellStatedrives the entire shell; pass it wherever you need panel control - Type-safe panels — define tabs as enums conforming to
KelyphosPanel; the framework handles icons, shortcuts, and tab bars
Design Philosophy
Platform Adaptability
The same KelyphosShellView works on both macOS and iPadOS. Panel visibility, vibrancy materials, toolbar layout, and keyboard shortcuts all adapt to platform conventions automatically.
Composability
Kelyphos is a shell, not an application framework. It makes no assumptions about your data model, navigation strategy, or feature set. Bring your own views, drop them into panel tabs, and the chrome handles the rest.
Liquid Glass
Kelyphos targets macOS 26 Tahoe and iPadOS 26. Panels use NSVisualEffectView vibrancy on macOS and .ultraThinMaterial on iPadOS. Appearance presets — clear, balanced, solid — let you tune the look without writing material code.