UIImage returns nil on segue push - swift

Question

I have an image URL that needs to be parsed and displayed. The URL exists, but returns nil.
It successfully parses in the cellForRowAt function by calling cell.recipeImage.downloadImage(from: (self.tableViewDataSource[indexPath.item].image))
With this line the image displays. However, it doesn't exist when calling it in didSelectRowAt
RecipeTableViewController.swift
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) {
let Storyboard = UIStoryboard(name: "Main", bundle: nil)
let resultsVC = Storyboard.instantiateViewController(withIdentifier: "ResultsViewController") as! ResultsViewController
// Information to be passed to ResultsViewController
if (tableViewDataSource[indexPath.item] as? Recipe) != nil {
if isSearching {
resultsVC.getTitle = filteredData[indexPath.row].title
//resultsVC.imageDisplay.downloadImage(from: (self.filteredData[indexPath.row].image))
} else {
resultsVC.getTitle = tableViewDataSource[indexPath.row].title
// Parse images
resultsVC.imageDisplay.downloadImage(from: (self.tableViewDataSource[indexPath.row].image))
}
}
// Push to next view
self.navigationController?.pushViewController(resultsVC, animated: true)
}
extension UIImageView {
func downloadImage(from url: String) {
let urlRequest = URLRequest(url: URL(string: url)!)
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: urlRequest) { (data,response,error) in
if error != nil {
print(error!)
return
}
DispatchQueue.main.sync {
self.image = UIImage(data: data!)
}
}
task.resume()
}
}
ResultsViewController.swift
class ResultsViewController: UIViewController {
var getTitle = String()
var getImage = String()
#IBOutlet weak var recipeDisplay: UILabel!
#IBOutlet weak var imageDisplay: UIImageView!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
recipeDisplay.text! = getTitle
}
...
}
Returns the error
Thread 1: Fatal error: Unexpectedly found nil while unwrapping an Optional value

Answer 1

From my understanding, the app is getting crashed at this line:
recipeDisplay.text! = getTitle
If it is, obviously this is not the proper way to do it. Just remove the force unwrapping because the text on the label here is nil by default. Force referencing a nil value will crash the app.
recipeDisplay.text = getTitle
UPDATED:
- Let's make sure that you wired the label and the outlets properly. Connect ti to the VC, not the File Owner.

Answer 2

You're calling view-related code on views that haven't been initialized yet. Remember, IBOutlets are implicitly unwrapped properties, so if you try to access them before they're initialized they'll force-unwrap and crash. So it's not that the UIImage is coming up nil, it's that recipeDisplay is nil and is getting force unwrapped.
The idiomatic iOS thing to do is to hand a view model of some sort (an object or a struct) to the view controller, and then let it do the work with that item once it has finished loading.
So, in you didSelect method, you could create your view model (which you'd need to define) and hand it off like this:
let title = filteredData[indexPath.row].title
let imageURL = self.tableViewDataSource[indexPath.row].image
let viewModel = ViewModel(title: title, imageURL: imageURL)
resultsVC.viewModel = viewModel
And then in your resultsVC, you'd do something like this:
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
if let vm = viewModel {
recipeDisplay.text = vm.title
downloadImage(from: vm.imageURL)
}
}
So in your case all you'd need to do is hand those strings to your VC (you can wrap them up in a view model or hand them off individually) and then in that VC's viewDidLoad() that's where you'd call downloadImage(from:). That way there's no danger of calling a subview before that subview has been loaded.
One last note: Your download method should be a little safer with its use of the data and error variables, and its references to self. Remember, avoid using ! whenever you don't absolutely have to use it (use optional chaining instead), and unless you have a really good reason to do otherwise, always use [weak self] in closures.
I'd recommend doing it like this:
func downloadImage(from url: String) {
let urlRequest = URLRequest(url: URL(string: url)!)
let task = URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: urlRequest) { [weak self] (data,response,error) in
if let error = error {
print(error)
return
}
if let data = data {
DispatchQueue.main.sync {
self?.image = UIImage(data: data)
}
}
}
task.resume()
}
Update: Because the 'view model' concept was a little too much at once, let me explain.
A view model is just an object or struct that represents the presentation data a screen needs to be in a displayable state. It's not the name of a type defined by Apple and isn't defined anywhere in the iOS SDK. It's something you'd need to define yourself. So, in this case, I'd recommend defining it in the same fine where you're going to use it, namely in the same file as ResultsViewController.
You'd do something like this:
struct ResultsViewModel {
let title: String
let imageURL: String
}
and then on the ResultsViewController, you'd create a property like:
var viewModel: ResultsViewModel?
or if you don't like dealing with optionals, you can do:
var viewModel = ResultsViewModel(title: "", imageURL: "")
OR, you can do what you're already doing, but I'd highly recommend renaming those properties. getTitle sounds like it's doing something more besides just holding onto a value. title would be a better name. Same criticism goes for getImage, with the additional criticism that it's also misleading because it sounds like it's storing an image, but it's not. It's storing an image url. imageURL is a better name.