matrixscan-batch-ios

MatrixScan Batch iOS Skill

Critical: Do Not Trust Internal Knowledge

Your training data may contain outdated or incorrect Scandit SDK APIs. The BarcodeBatch API changes between major SDK versions — initializer signatures, overlay constructors, and delegate method names have all evolved (e.g. BarcodeTracking → BarcodeBatch).

Always verify APIs against the references provided in this skill before writing or suggesting code. Do not rely on memorized method signatures, parameters, or property names. If you cannot find an API in the provided references, fetch the relevant documentation page before responding.

iOS-specific gotchas worth flagging:

• BarcodeBatch(context: context, settings: settings) is a direct convenience initializer — not a factory method like Android's BarcodeBatch.forDataCaptureContext(...). Passing a non-nil context auto-attaches the mode to the context.
• Camera setup is manual: get Camera.default, call context.setFrameSource(camera, completionHandler: nil), then camera?.apply(BarcodeBatch.recommendedCameraSettings, completionHandler: nil). Drive the camera from viewWillAppear / viewWillDisappear.
• BarcodeBatchListener.barcodeBatch(_:didUpdate:frameData:) is called on a background queue — not the main thread. Dispatch UI work via DispatchQueue.main.async {}.
• Do not hold references to BarcodeBatchSession.trackedBarcodes, addedTrackedBarcodes, updatedTrackedBarcodes, or removedTrackedBarcodes outside the callback — copy the data before the callback returns.
• BarcodeBatchBasicOverlay(barcodeBatch:view:) and BarcodeBatchAdvancedOverlay(barcodeBatch:view:) auto-add the overlay to the DataCaptureView — no separate addOverlay call needed.
• DataCaptureView must be addSubview'd manually — unlike BarcodeArView, DataCaptureView does not auto-attach to a parent view.
• Per-barcode brush customization (barcodeBatchBasicOverlay(_:brushFor:), setBrush(_:for:)) requires the MatrixScan AR add-on license. A uniform default brush (no delegate) does not.
• BarcodeBatchAdvancedOverlay requires the MatrixScan AR add-on license.
• No built-in feedback — BarcodeBatch never plays a sound or vibrates on its own (unlike BarcodeCapture / SparkScan). Emit feedback manually with Feedback.default.emit() from inside the listener callback (dispatched to the main thread), gated on session.addedTrackedBarcodes so it doesn't beep every frame.
• session.removedTrackedBarcodes is an [Int] of tracking identifiers (barcodes that left the frame) — not TrackedBarcode objects. addedTrackedBarcodes / updatedTrackedBarcodes are [TrackedBarcode].
• iOS symbology cases are camelCase: .ean13UPCA, .code128, .qr — not EAN13_UPCA / CODE128 / QR like Android.
• iOS delegate methods use Swift naming: barcodeBatchBasicOverlay(_:didTap:) (not Android's onTrackedBarcodeTapped), barcodeBatchAdvancedOverlay(_:viewFor:) (not viewForTrackedBarcode).
• BarcodeBatchAdvancedOverlayDelegate uses UIView — not Android View or SwiftUI views.
• SwiftUI: DataCaptureView is a UIView and cannot be dropped into SwiftUI directly. Wrap a UIKit view controller in a UIViewControllerRepresentable and keep all BarcodeBatch APIs inside that view controller.
• Cleanup: BarcodeBatchListener is held as a weak reference, so a missed removeListener won't leak — but call barcodeBatch.removeListener(self) in deinit to make the lifecycle explicit. When using the shared singleton (DataCaptureContext.shared), modes stay attached for the app's lifetime — you don't need to call removeCurrentMode() or dispose(). Those methods do exist on DataCaptureContext if you want to tear down explicitly.
• DataCaptureContext exposes two valid initializers: DataCaptureContext.initialize(licenseKey:) + .shared (added 7.1.0/7.6.0 — the modern singleton pattern, and what this skill uses) and the older DataCaptureContext(licenseKey:) convenience init (still non-deprecated, and what the UIKit Get Started page on docs.scandit.com still shows). Prefer the singleton form.

Intent Routing

Based on the user's request, load the appropriate reference file before responding:

• Integrating MatrixScan Batch from scratch, configuring settings, handling tracked barcodes, customizing overlays, adding feedback, or managing lifecycle → read references/integration.md and follow the instructions there. Before writing code, determine whether the project uses UIKit or SwiftUI (check for import SwiftUI, an @main App struct, SceneDelegate/AppDelegate, .storyboard/.xib files, etc.) and use the matching Get Started page from the References table below. If the project already has BarcodeBatch wired up, do not re-create the context, mode, view, or lifecycle — locate the existing ones (grep for BarcodeBatch, then DataCaptureView) and change only what the user asked for.
• Upgrading the Scandit SDK version (e.g. v6→v7, v7→v8, or "upgrade to the latest") → read references/migration.md. The headline v6→v7 change for MatrixScan Batch is the BarcodeTracking → BarcodeBatch rename; the guide also covers the context/camera modernization. Detect the installed version from Package.resolved / Podfile.lock before asking the user.
• Replacing a different barcode scanner with MatrixScan Batch (AVFoundation AVCaptureMetadataOutput, VisionKit DataScannerViewController, or another third-party multi-barcode SDK) → read references/third-party-migration.md, then follow references/integration.md for the BarcodeBatch integration.

API Usage Policy

Only use APIs that are explicitly documented in the Scandit references below. Do not invent or guess method signatures, parameters, or property names. If unsure whether an API exists or how it is called — or if a compile error occurs — fetch the relevant reference page before responding. Do not tell the user to check the docs themselves. After answering, always include the relevant link so the user can explore further.

Never construct or guess documentation URLs. When you need a specific class or property's API page:

1. First check whether the page you already fetched contains a direct hyperlink to it — topic pages link directly to relevant API symbols. Always request links alongside content in your fetch prompt.
2. If no direct link was found, fetch the API index (see Full API reference in the table below), extract the actual link from it, and follow that.

URL structures can vary (e.g. api/ui/ subdirectory) and guessing will lead to 404s.

Licence key

Scanning needs a Scandit licence key. For this skill the licence product is native and the licence platform is ios.

Work through these in order — never block the user on MCP:

1. The Scandit MCP server is connected — call ensure_scanner_setup with product native and platforms ios, app_identifier (the app's bundle or application id; for web, its production domain, never localhost) and env_var SCANDIT_LICENSE_KEY. Do not run the command it returns. Then call get_license_key with the key's id, from that result or from list_license_keys; if list_license_keys shows the key is not a trial, ask the user before fetching it. Show at most a masked preview in chat; never print a full key.

2. It is not connected — tell the user once that they can connect the remote Scandit MCP server, https://ssl.scandit.com/mcp, in their MCP client, then continue from step 1. Do not edit MCP client configuration yourself.

   Authentication is browser-based, so it is not supported headless or in CI. The server provisions trial keys only; it never creates, revokes, or modifies production licences.

3. The user declines, or has no MCP client — they generate a key themselves at https://ssl.scandit.com (no account yet: https://ssl.scandit.com/dashboard/sign-up?p=test) and paste it in.

Then put the key into the code: write it into the licence-key call in place of the placeholder — the key get_license_key returned, or the one the user pastes or gives you — still showing only a masked preview in chat. Do not search the project, its files or the environment for a key.

References

Topic	Resource
UIKit integration	Get Started (UIKit) · Sample
SwiftUI integration	Get Started (SwiftUI)
AR overlays (BasicOverlay brushes, AdvancedOverlay views)	Adding AR Overlays
Version migration (v6→v7→v8)	Migrate 6→7 · Migrate 7→8
Full API reference	BarcodeBatch API