I have a macOS app that I'm creating in Swift and I have integrated an external HID device that has a number of controls on it.
The HID part is done where I am receiving all of the hid commands from the device and I am trying to create a mapping file where I can maintain the HID key mappings in a separate swift file.
All I want in that file is the data and what I want to do is this;
raw hid data is received from HID device (In ViewController)
Lookup the function name assigned to this hid data (In separate file)
Run the function that is mapped to that key. (Function located in the main ViewController)
So far I have the external swift file setup with all of the mapping and that all works fine but my issue is when I try to call the looked up function in the ViewController, it says the function can't be found in the scope.
Initially I thought I would use a delegate but the external file isn't a viewcontroller, just a separate swift file so I don't know if I can do that?.
I've tried searching but everything I've found is calling a function from another ViewController which I'm not. It's very possible I'm not using the best approach and my goal is to just keep all of the mapping in a separate file as there is a lot and it woudl be easier to maintain.
Any suggestions are appreciated.
This is one way to achieve this. It can get tedious. You can totally skip writing out a separate protocol for the delegate, but this is cleaner design.
protocol HIDMessageDelegate: AnyObject {
// example messages
func message1()
func message2()
func message3()
}
class HIDMessageParser {
static weak var delegate: HIDMessageDelegate?
static func parseHIDMessage() {
var condition = 0
// this is where your switch statement will go and you'll parse things and call the relevant delegate method
switch (condition) {
default:
delegate?.message1()
}
}
}
class MyViewController: UIViewController {
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
HIDMessageParser.delegate = self
}
}
extension MyViewController: HIDMessageDelegate {
func message1() {
}
func message2() {
}
func message3() {
}
}
You can simply create a UIViewController as the external file and add it as a property to the main ViewController.
In the external file add this.
#IBOutlet var uiViewController: UIViewController!
In the ViewController add this.
var externalFileViewController: UIViewController!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
externalFileViewController = externalFileViewController?.loadView()
// If we have an object then load it
if let viewController = externalFileViewController {
viewController.view.frame = view.frame
viewController.view.autoresizingMask = [.flexibleHeight, .flexibleWidth]
view.addSubview(viewController.view)
uiViewController = viewController
}
}
Now in the viewController look up the functions to be called from the external file and call them using the function name.
The functions are defined in the external file using #IBAction.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Related
Heres a caption of my API call:
So, I've got the abilities of the pokemons I needed, but now, idk how to get that data out of my Service class (where I'm doing all the parsing), and send it to my InfoViewController.
My purpose is to fetch that data on some label, and then show the ability names for every poke, according to their ID. Here is a caption of my app:
I wanna add an "Ability" label below Weight, and that's where I wanna assign the data. I have a whole CollectionView with all the pokemons, and the goal is assign the correct ability for each one of them.
I'm kinda struggling for a practical (and less verbose) way to reach this.
I apreciated every comment, any advice and suggestion too. Thanks!
EDIT: Heres my code:
extension InfoController: ServiceDelegate {
func finishedWithPokemonAbilities(abilities: [String], id: Int) {
self.abilities = abilities
self.ids = id
print(abilities)
}
}
You can create a custom Protocol(could call it PokemonServiceDelegate as an example) that your InfoViewController would inherit and implement. On your service object(I'm using PokemonService in the example) create a property with a type of PokemonServiceDelegate and set that property to the view controller that you want to receive the data. After the service finishes fetching the data, update the delegate by passing the data in the function declared in the protocol.
// Protocol your view controller will inherit
protocol PokemonServiceDelegate {
// Function your view controller will implement
func finishedWithPokemonAbilities(abilities: [String])
}
class InfoViewController: UIViewController {
// Reference to the service that makes the request
var service: PokemonService
override func viewDidLoad() {
...
// Set the delegate of the service to self
service.delegate = self
...
}
}
extension InfoViewController: PokemonServiceDelegate {
// Implement the protocol
func finishedWithPokemonAbilities(abilities: [String]) {
// Do something with their abilities here
}
}
struct PokemonService {
var delegate: PokemonServiceDelegate?
// The function that you call to get your abilities
func someUpdateFunc() {
...
let abilities = json[abilities].arrayValue.map {$0["ability"]["name"].stringValue}
delegate?.finishedWithPokemonAbilities(abilities: abilities)
...
}
}
I created an extension swift file, and in that file I wrote extension UIViewController{ ... } in my project, rather than writing all lines in every view controller. Everything worked ok. Later on I created a public func(i.e myFunc), with the same name inside each of the 30 view controllers, and having different outputs. I am trying to call this common named function from the extension file, but I get an error "Value of type 'UIViewController' has no member 'myFunc'. On the extension file, how can I call this common named function which executes different outputs on each different view controller?
Extension file Code:
extension UIViewController {
func sampleFunc {
let viewController = self.navigationController?.visibleViewController {
........
viewController.myFunc() }. *//error: Value of type 'UIViewController?' has no member 'myFunc'*
}
}
Note: I don't want to use like this:
if let viewController = self as? ViewController1 {viewController.myFunc()}
if let viewController = self as? ViewController2 {viewController.myFunc()}
if let ... 3,
4....30
Or maybe is there a way to check whether the function exists, and if it exists then execute command without receiving that kind of errors ?
use of unresolved identifier
or
value of type 'UIViewController?' has no member 'myFunc'
The viewController variable in the extension is could be any VC, couldn't it? Not just the 30 you created. You can't guarantee that any random VC will have a method called myFunc, so you can't call it in the extension.
One way to resolve this problem is to create a protocol that your 30 VCs all implement:
protocol MyFuncable : UIViewController { // please come up with a better name
func myFunc ()
}
This is an example of how you implement the protocol:
class ViewController: UIViewController, MyFuncable {
func myFunc() {
// do whatever you want...
print("myFunc executed")
}
}
Now we guarantee that everything that implements myFuncable will have a method called myFunc, so now in your extension, you can check whether the VCs are MyFuncable:
extension UIViewController {
func sampleFunc() {
// here is where the checking happens:
if let viewController = self.navigationController?.visibleViewController as? MyFuncable {
viewController.myFunc()
}
}
}
Try this code below.
extension UIViewController {
func sampleFunc() {
if let viewController = self.navigationController?.visibleViewController {
print("Class name: \(NSStringFromClass(type(of: viewController)))")
let anyObject = viewController as AnyObject
if anyObject.responds(to: #selector(anyObject.myFunc)) {
anyObject.myFunc()
}
}
}
}
I have issues with using protocols to send data back to previous controller. I have studied SO questions and guides, but for some reason my data doesn't get transferred back.
In my second class I create data, that is later being sent back to first class:
protocol ImageEditorDelegate {
func sendImage(image: UIImage, id: String)
}
class PhotoEditorViewController: UIViewController {
var delegate: ImageEditorDelegate?
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
}
#IBAction func didPressSave(_ sender: UIButton) {
delegate?.sendImage(image: finalImage, id: imageThatWasSelected)
self.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
}
}
And in my receiving class I have:
class NewProductViewController: UIViewController, ImageEditorDelegate {
var imageEditor: PhotoEditorViewController?
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
imageEditor?.delegate = self
}
func sendImage(image: UIImage, id: String) {
print("Receiving images", image, id)
switch id {
case "1":
selectedImages[1] = image
productImage1.image = image
case "2":
selectedImages[2] = image
productImage2.image = image
case "3":
selectedImages[3] = image
productImage3.image = image
default:
break
}
}
}
But nothing happens, this func never gets called. I think my delegate is nil, or so, but how could I fix this issue? I have Also, I'm using VIPER as architecture with slightly customized segues, may this be the issue? I have tried simple segues, but had same issue.
I understand that this is rather simple question, but I couldn't understand what I doing wrong after I have read articles about protocols.
Thanks for your help!
What you're doing is very wrong. You have two view controllers with property references to one another:
class PhotoEditorViewController: UIViewController {
var delegate: ImageEditorDelegate?
}
class NewProductViewController: UIViewController, ImageEditorDelegate {
var imageEditor: PhotoEditorViewController?
}
Those are not weak references, so if you ever do get this to work — that is, if you ever arrange things so that the NewProductViewController's imageEditor is a PhotoEditorViewController whose delegate is that NewProductViewController — you will have a nasty retain cycle and a memory leak.
This suggests that you have not understood the protocol-and-delegate pattern. Only the presented view controller should have a delegate property pointing back to the presenter, and it should be weak. The presenter does not need any property pointing to the presented view controller, because it presents it.
you need to instantiate your photoEditor, like
photoEditor = PhotoEditorViewController()
before attempting to set its delegate.
you dont' have to do this next part, but I'd suggest making the delegate variable a weak variable to avoid any retain issues, like so
weak var delegate: ImageEditorDelegate?
and you'll need to mark the protocol as class like so
protocol ImageEditorDelegate : class {
I have an app which contains several viewControllers. On the viewDidAppear() of the first VC I call a set of functions which populate some arrays with information pulled from a database and then reload table data for a tableView. The functions all work perfectly fine and the desired result is achieved every time. What I am concerned about is how often viewDidAppear() is called. I do not think (unless I am wrong) it is a good idea for the refreshing functions to be automatically called and reload all of the data every time the view appears. I cannot put it into the viewDidLoad() because the tableView is part of a tab bar and if there are some modifications done to the data in any of the other tabs, the viewDidLoad() will not be called when tabbing back over and it would need to reload at this point (as modifications were made). I thought to use a set of variables to check if any modifications were done to the data from any of the other viewControllers to then conditionally tell the VDA to run or not. Generally:
override func viewDidAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
if condition {
//run functions
} else{
//don't run functions
}
}
The issue with this is that the data can be modified from many different viewControllers which may not segue back to the one of interest for the viewDidAppear() (so using a prepareForSegue wouldn't work necessarily). What is the best way to 'check' if the data has been modified. Again, I figured a set of bool variables would work well, but I want to stay away from using too many global variables. Any ideas?
Notification Center
struct NotificationName {
static let MyNotificationName = "kMyNotificationName"
}
class First {
init() {
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(self.notificationReceived), name: NotificationName.MyNotificationName, object: nil)
}
func notificationReceived() {
// Refresh table view here
}
}
class Second {
func postNotification() {
NotificationCenter.default.post(name: NotificationName.MyNotificationName, object: nil)
}
}
Once postNotification is called, the function notificationReceived in class First will be called.
Create a common global data store and let all the view controllers get their data from there. This is essentially a global singleton with some accompanying functions. I know you wanted to do this without global variables but I think you should consider this.
Create a class to contain the data. Also let it be able to reload the data.
class MyData {
static let shared = MyData()
var data : SomeDataType
func loadData() {
// Load the data
}
}
Register to receive the notification as follows:
static let dataChangedNotification = Notification.Name("DataChanged")
override func viewWillAppear(_ animated: Bool) {
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
}
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Establish a way for call activity to notify this class so it can update accordingly
NotificationCenter.default.addObserver(self, selector: #selector(handleDataChangedNotification(notification:)), name: "DataChanged", object: nil)
}
func handleDataChangedNotification(notification: NSNotification) {
// This ViewController was notified that data was changed
// Do something
}
func getDataToDisplay() {
let currentData = MyData.shared.data
// do something
}
// Any view controller would call this function if it changes the data
func sendDataChangeNotification() {
let obj = [String]() // make some obj to send. Pass whatever custom data you need to send
NotificationCenter.default.post(name: type(of: self).dataChangedNotification, object: obj)
}
Trying to setup validation for a few text fields in a new (and very small) Swift Mac app. Following various other topics here on SO and a few other examples, I can still not get controlTextDidChange to propagate (to my ViewController).
E.g: How to live check a NSTextField - Swift OS X
I have read at least a dozen variations of basically that same concept. Since none of the accepted answers seem to work I am just getting more and more confused by something which is generally a fairly simple task on most platforms.
I have controlTextDidChange implemented to just call NSLog to let me know if I get anything.
AppDelegate should be part of the responder chain and should eventually handle controlTextDidChange but I see nothing there either.
Using the current Xcode I start a new project. Cocoa app, Swift, Storyboard and nothing else.
From what I can gather the below isolated example should work. In my actual app I have tried some ways of inserting the ViewController into the responder chain. Some answers I found suggested it was not always there. I also tried manually adding the ViewController as the delegate in code theTextField.delegate = self
Nothing I have done seems to get text changed to trigger any events.
Any ideas why I have so much trouble setting up this delegation?
My single textfield example app
Storyboard is about as simple as it gets:
AppDelegate
import Cocoa
#NSApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: NSObject, NSApplicationDelegate, NSTextFieldDelegate, NSTextDelegate {
func applicationDidFinishLaunching(_ aNotification: Notification) {
// Insert code here to initialize your application
}
func applicationWillTerminate(_ aNotification: Notification) {
// Insert code here to tear down your application
}
func controlTextDidChange(notification: NSNotification) {
let object = notification.object as! NSTextField
NSLog("AppDelegate::controlTextDidChange")
NSLog("field contains: \(object.stringValue)")
}
}
ViewController
import Cocoa
class ViewController: NSViewController, NSTextFieldDelegate, NSTextDelegate {
#IBOutlet var theTextField: NSTextField!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Do any additional setup after loading the view.
}
override var representedObject: Any? {
didSet {
// Update the view, if already loaded.
}
}
func controlTextDidChange(notification: NSNotification) {
let object = notification.object as! NSTextField
NSLog("ViewController::controlTextDidChange")
NSLog("field contains: \(object.stringValue)")
}
}
I think the samples you're following are a bit out-of-date.
Try...
override func controlTextDidChange(_ notification: Notification) {
...as the function definition for your method in your NSTextFieldDelegate.