I built a macOS Docker app in Swift without knowing Swift

Giovanni D'Andrea — Thu, 18 Dec 2025 11:07:32 +0000

I didn't plan this project.
And I definitely didn't know Swift when I started.

I was bored, working on local projects, jumping around between windows.
At some point I just opened Codex and thought: let's see what happens.

Dock-scan came out of that moment.

What is Dockscan?

Dockscan is a small native macOS menu bar app that lets you inspect and manage your local Docker environment.

It lives in the menu bar and gives you quick access to:

containers
images
volumes
networks
docker-compose/swarm stacks

It's not meant to replace Docker Desktop.
It's more like a lightweight companion you can glance at while working.

The twist: I didn't know Swift

Here’s the real part.

When I started Dockscan, I didn't know Swift.
I had never built a macOS app before.

This whole thing was built using a vibe coding workflow, working alongside Codex.

I’d describe what I wanted, let it generate code, run the app, see what broke, tweak things, repeat.
No big specs. No deep planning. Just momentum.

Slowly, things started to make sense:

how the app lifecycle works
how views are structured
how macOS menus behave
how to talk to the Docker API

A personal thought on AI

This project made something very clear to me.

It’s incredible how far we’ve come with AI.

Sure, there are limits.
Some things probably shouldn't go straight into production at large scale if they’re built entirely with AI.

But it's impossible to deny this:
AI is an incredible work companion.

It lowers the barrier to entry, helps you move faster, and lets you explore ideas that you might never start otherwise, especially in areas you don't already know.

Dockscan exists because of that.

If you want to check it out:
https://github.com/imggion/dock-scan/tree/v1.0.0

APIVault - Your Gateway To A World Of Public APIs

Giovanni D'Andrea — Tue, 02 May 2023 11:02:12 +0000

⭐️ After spending days searching for the right API on an internal project, we noticed that many websites and blogs only provide a small, if not minimal, amount of usable resources. 🌎

🚀 So, we're super excited to introduce our new project, ApiVault, created specifically for the developer community! 🌐

🔍 ApiVault is a platform that provides all public APIs in one place, making the search process easier and more effective for developers around the world. 🌍

💡 Whether you're looking for APIs to add to your project or seeking inspiration to create new ones, ApiVault is the site for you.

🔧 Our platform enthusiastically welcomes all developers who want to participate actively by adding their APIs or working on improving the existing codebase. Collaboration is key for us and we're eager to see how the community will grow and develop together. 💼

🤝 We'd be happy to receive your feedback and ideas to make our platform even better. Your opinion is extremely important to us and will allow us to constantly improve the service.

Just 72 hours after the official launch, ApiVault reached:

🌎 over 2.1k users from around the world
👀 2,600 repository views
⭐ 92 stars received
👨‍💻 7 contributors to the project.

🖥️ Visit the website to explore the numerous APIs already available! 🎉

If you want to contribute feel free to do it!
https://github.com/Exifly/ApiVault

Dev.to community, we hope you'll join us on this journey to make the search for usable APIs more accessible and efficient for developers everywhere. Let's build something great together!

And do not forget.. Happy coding to everyone! ❤️

DEV Community: Giovanni D'Andrea

I built a macOS Docker app in Swift without knowing Swift

What is Dockscan?

The twist: I didn't know Swift

A personal thought on AI

APIVault - Your Gateway To A World Of Public APIs