Getting optional String from singleton - swift

Question

I've created a class with some vars and lets. One of these vars is a String. I store them in UserDefaults. If I want to access the string of this class over a singleton class, I will always get an optional String. I don't know why.
Here is the class of the object:
import Foundation
import SpriteKit
class BallSkinsClass: NSObject, NSCoding {
let id: Int
var name: String
var isBuyed: Bool
let ID = "id"
let NAME = "name"
let ISBUYED = "isBuyed"
init(id: Int, name: String, isBuyed: Bool) {
self.id = id
self.name = name
self.isBuyed = isBuyed
}
required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
self.id = aDecoder.decodeInteger(forKey: ID)
self.name = String(describing: aDecoder.decodeObject(forKey: NAME))
self.isBuyed = aDecoder.decodeBool(forKey: ISBUYED)
}
#objc func encode(with aCoder: NSCoder) {
aCoder.encode(id, forKey: ID)
aCoder.encode(name, forKey: NAME)
aCoder.encode(isBuyed, forKey: ISBUYED)
}
}
To declare the skins, access, save and load I have these functions in my BallSkinsClass:
import Foundation
import SpriteKit
import GameKit
class BallSkins {
static var sharedInstance = BallSkins()
private init() {
}
let BALLSKINS = "ballSkins"
var standard: BallSkinsClass! = BallSkinsClass(id: 0, name: "Standard", isBuyed: true)
var billiard: BallSkinsClass! = BallSkinsClass(id: 1, name: "Billard", isBuyed: false)
var emoji: BallSkinsClass! = BallSkinsClass(id: 2, name: "Emojis", isBuyed: false)
func archiveBallSkins(ballSkins:[BallSkinsClass]) -> NSData {
print("archiving Skins")
let archivedBallSkins = NSKeyedArchiver.archivedData(withRootObject: ballSkins as Array)
return archivedBallSkins as NSData
}
func saveBallSkins(ballSkins:[BallSkinsClass]) {
let archivedBallSkins = archiveBallSkins(ballSkins: ballSkins)
UserDefaults.standard.set(archivedBallSkins, forKey: BALLSKINS)
print("saving Skins")
}
func retrieveBallSkins() -> [BallSkinsClass]? {
print("retrieving Skins")
if let unarchivedBallSkins = UserDefaults.standard.object(forKey: BALLSKINS) as? NSData {
return NSKeyedUnarchiver.unarchiveObject(with: unarchivedBallSkins as Data) as? [BallSkinsClass]
}
return nil
}
func loadBallSkins() {
print("loading Skins")
let archivedBallSkins = retrieveBallSkins()
for ballSkin in archivedBallSkins! {
switch ballSkin.id {
case 0 :
standard.isBuyed = ballSkin.isBuyed
case 1:
billiard.isBuyed = ballSkin.isBuyed
case 2:
emoji.isBuyed = ballSkin.isBuyed
default:
standard.isBuyed = ballSkin.isBuyed
}
}
}
}
If I want to access the name of the skin in any other scene or view I call:
ballSkins.sharedInstance.billiard.name
But this is an optional every time! I don't know why or where the error is.

Answer 1

I suppose it is caused by
required init?(coder aDecoder: NSCoder) {
self.id = aDecoder.decodeInteger(forKey: ID)
self.name = String(describing: aDecoder.decodeObject(forKey: NAME))
self.isBuyed = aDecoder.decodeBool(forKey: ISBUYED)
}
3rd line generates optional string because according to documentation
func decodeObject() -> Any?
and String(describing: ...) does not unwrap your value. You must unwrap all values from UserDefaults by yourself, providing defaultValue if nil is not possible