# Is there's a way to generate a xcode project which will use ninja to compile?

**URL:** https://discourse.cmake.org/t/is-theres-a-way-to-generate-a-xcode-project-which-will-use-ninja-to-compile/15002
**Category:** Usage
**Tags:** os:macos, gen:ninja, gen:xcode
**Created:** [August 14, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/is-theres-a-way-to-generate-a-xcode-project-which-will-use-ninja-to-compile/15002 "2025-08-14T09:20:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 2
**Page:** 1

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### Author: ![pbskycrystal](https://discourse.cmake.org/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/p/5f8ce5/32.png) [@pbskycrystal](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/pbskycrystal)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 9:20am UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/is-theres-a-way-to-generate-a-xcode-project-which-will-use-ninja-to-compile/15002/1 "2025-08-14T09:20:57Z")

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I’m trying to switch our generator from Xcode to Ninja Multi-config, which makes compile much faster. But some of our teammates said they prefer using Xcode for develop/debug.  
Is there’s a way to generate a xcode project, could open and navigate like normal project, but compiles by ninja when I click run in Xcode?

Looks GN has done that by adding buildPhases “Compile and copy \*\*\* via ninja” into xcodeproj, which runs a custom python script to call ninja for build.

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### Author: ![benthevining](https://discourse.cmake.org/user_avatar/discourse.cmake.org/benthevining/32/1924_2.png) [@benthevining](https://discourse.cmake.org/u/benthevining)
#### Post date: [August 14, 2025, 5:48pm UTC](https://discourse.cmake.org/t/is-theres-a-way-to-generate-a-xcode-project-which-will-use-ninja-to-compile/15002/2 "2025-08-14T17:48:14Z")

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Xcode is its own build system. The xcode generator will always use xcodebuild to drive the build.