I need to read and write some data from CFDictionary instances (to read and update EXIF data in photos). For the life of me, I cannot figure out how to do this in Swift 3. The signature for the call I want is:
func CFDictionaryGetValue(CFDictionary!, UnsafeRawPointer!)
How the heck do I convert my key (a string) to an UnsafeRawPointer so I can pass it to this call?
If you don't have to deal with other Core Foundation functions expecting an CFDictionary, you can simplify it by converting to Swift native Dictionary:
if let dict = cfDict as? [String: AnyObject] {
print(dict["key"])
}
Be careful converting a CFDictionary to a Swift native dictionary. The bridging is actually quite expensive as I just found out in my own code (yay for profiling!), so if it's being called quite a lot (as it was for me) this can become a big issue.
Remember that CFDictionary is toll-free bridged with NSDictionary. So, the fastest thing you can do looks more like this:
let cfDictionary: CFDictionary = <code that returns CFDictionary>
if let someValue = (cfDictionary as NSDictionary)["some key"] as? TargetType {
// do stuff with someValue
}
What about something like:
var key = "myKey"
let value = withUnsafePointer(to: &key){ upKey in
return CFDictionaryGetValue(myCFDictionary, upKey)
}
You can write something like this:
let key = "some key" as NSString
if let rawResult = CFDictionaryGetValue(cfDictionary, Unmanaged.passUnretained(key).toOpaque()) {
let result = Unmanaged<AnyObject>.fromOpaque(rawResult).takeUnretainedValue()
print(result)
}
But I guess you would not like to write such thing at any time you retrieve some data from that CFDictionary. You better convert it to Swift Dictionary as suggested in Code Different's answer.
Related
I have code that save a dictionary of [String: Any] in UserDefaults. On retrieval String are changed to __NSCFString. I am using Mixpanel to track events and sends this dictionary as events properties. Now the problem is __NSCFString is not a valid MixpanelType so Mixpanel is discarding my dictionary.
Questions:
Is there a way to get same datatypes that are saved using dictionary in UserDefaults?
Is there a way Mixpanel accepts converted datatypes?
Here is a code I am using
var mixpanelProperties: [String: Any] {
get { defaults.dictionary(forKey: "\(#function)") ?? [:] }
set { defaults.set(newValue, forKey: "\(#function)") }
}
mixpanelProperties = ["a-key": "value for the key"]
let prop = mixpanelProperties
print("Type of: \(String(describing: prop["a-key"]))")
asdad
MacOS and iOS use a variety of different classes to represent strings, which are all compatible. x as? String should just work, no matter what the concrete class of x is. Unless you use code that explicitely checks the class which you shouldn't do.
I’m learning Swift. How do I fix the following code to list the window names?
import CoreGraphics
let windows = CGWindowListCopyWindowInfo(CGWindowListOption.optionAll, kCGNullWindowID)
for i in 0..<CFArrayGetCount(windows) {
if let window = CFArrayGetValueAtIndex(windows, i) {
print(CFDictionaryGetValue(window, kCGWindowName))
}
}
The error:
main.swift:6:32: error: cannot convert value of type 'UnsafeRawPointer' to expected argument type 'CFDictionary?'
print(CFDictionaryGetValue(window, kCGWindowName))
^~~~~~
as! CFDictionary
It becomes easier if you avoid using the Core Foundation types and methods, and bridge the values to native Swift types as early as possible.
Here, CGWindowListCopyWindowInfo() returns an optional CFArray of CFDictionaries, and that can be bridged to the corresponding Swift type [[String : Any]]. Then you can access its values with the usual Swift methods (array enumeration and dictionary subscripting):
if let windowInfo = CGWindowListCopyWindowInfo(.optionAll, kCGNullWindowID) as? [[ String : Any]] {
for windowDict in windowInfo {
if let windowName = windowDict[kCGWindowName as String] as? String {
print(windowName)
}
}
}
You can use unsafeBitCast(_:to:) to convert the opaque raw pointer to a CFDictionary. Note that you'll also need to convert the second parameter, to a raw pointer:
CFDictionaryGetValue(unsafeBitCast(window, to: CFDictionary.self), unsafeBitCast(kCGWindowName, to: UnsafeRawPointer.self))
unsafeBitCast(_:to:) tells the compiler to treat that variable as another type, however it's not very safe (thus the unsafe prefix), recommending to read the documentation for more details, especially the following note:
Warning
Calling this function breaks the guarantees of the Swift type system; use with extreme care.
In your particular case there should not be any problems using the function, since you're working with the appropriate types, as declared in the documentation of the Foundation functions you're calling.
Complete, workable code could look something like this:
import CoreGraphics
let windows = CGWindowListCopyWindowInfo(CGWindowListOption.optionAll, kCGNullWindowID)
for i in 0..<CFArrayGetCount(windows) {
let windowDict = unsafeBitCast(CFArrayGetValueAtIndex(windows, i), to: CFDictionary.self)
let rawWindowNameKey = unsafeBitCast(kCGWindowName, to: UnsafeRawPointer.self)
let rawWindowName = CFDictionaryGetValue(windowDict, rawWindowNameKey)
let windowName = unsafeBitCast(rawWindowName, to: CFString?.self) as String?
print(windowName ?? "")
}
Update
You can bring the CoreFoundation array sooner to the Swift world by casting right from the start:
let windows = CGWindowListCopyWindowInfo(CGWindowListOption.optionAll, kCGNullWindowID) as? [[AnyHashable: Any]]
windows?.forEach { window in
print(window[kCGWindowName])
}
The code is much readable, however it might pose performance problems, as the cast to [[AnyHashable: Any]]` can be expensive for large array consisting of large dictionaries.
I try to convert my code to swift 3 an I have spent hours on the following error:
Type 'Any' has no subscript members
Here's was my original code:
let data: AnyObject = user.object(forKey: "profilePicture")![0]
I looked at the answers here but I'm still stuck. (I do programming as a hobby, I'm not a pro :/)
I've try that:
let object = object.object(forKey: "profilePicture") as? NSDictionary
let data: AnyObject = object![0] as AnyObject
But now I get this error:
Variable used within its own initial value
Second issue: Use always a different variable name as the method name, basically use more descriptive names than object anyway.
First issue: Tell the compiler the type of the value for profilePicture, apparently an array.
if let profilePictures = user["profilePicture"] as? [[String:Any]], !profilePictures.isEmpty {
let data = profilePictures[0]
}
However, the array might contain Data objects, if so use
if let profilePictures = user["profilePicture"] as? [Data], !profilePictures.isEmpty {
let data = profilePictures[0]
}
Or – what the key implies – the value for profilePicture is a single object, who knows (but you ...)
And finally, as always, don't use NSArray / NSDictionary in Swift.
Before Swift 3, you decode boolean values with NSCoder like this:
if let value = aDecoder.decodeObjectForKey(TestKey) as? Bool {
test = value
}
The suggested approach in Swift 3 is to use this instead:
aDecoder.decodeBool(forKey: TestKey)
But the class reference for decodeBool doesn't explain how to handle the situation if the value you're decoding isn't actually a boolean. You can't embed decodeBool in a let statement because the return value isn't an optional.
How do you safely decode values in Swift 3?
Took me a long time to figure out but you can still decode values like this.
The problem I had with swift3 is the renaming of the encoding methods:
// swift2:
coder.encodeObject(Any?, forKey:String)
coder.encodeBool(Bool, forKey:String)
// swift3:
coder.encode(Any?, forKey: String)
coder.encode(Bool, forKey: String)
So when you encode a boolean with coder.encode(boolenValue, forKey: "myBool") you have to decode it with decodeBool but when you encode it like this:
let booleanValue = true
coder.encode(booleanValue as Any, forKey: "myBool")
you can still decode it like this:
if let value = coder.decodeObject(forKey: "myBool") as? Bool {
test = value
}
This is safe (for shorter code using nil-coalescing op.) when wanted to use suggested decodeBool.
let value = aDecoder.decodeObject(forKey: TestKey) as? Bool ?? aDecoder.decodeBool(forKey: TestKey)
Using decodeBool is possible in situations when sure that it's Bool, IMO.
NSDictionary in this example :
var example: [Int:AnyObject] = [1:["A":"val","B":[1:["B1":"val"]]]]
how to update "B1" value OR should i not use NSDictionary for this complex value?
Thank you
I would suggest either of the following two options, but not a mix:
Find a way to structure you data, so you can use the power of the Swift Dictionary class.
Use a NSDictionary and ignore Swift's awesomeness.
Almost needless to say: It's so much better to go for the first option, if your data allows it. Using AnyObjects in a Dictionary isn't a good way. Note that you could also use structs to structure your data.
You cannot update this structure at all, because it implicitly has an immutable type. As a test:
var example: [Int: AnyObject] = [1:["A":"val","B":[1:["B1":"val"]]]]
if let dict=example[1] as? NSMutableDictionary {
"Mutable dictionary"
} else if let dict=example[1] as? NSDictionary {
"Immutable dictionary" // < THIS will be printed as a result
} else {
"Other"
}
Your model is pretty confusing - I would recommend classes/types that wrap your data and give you a better idea of what you're dealing with at each level.
It is possible to create this structure in such a way that the layered dictionaries are mutable, but it's a pain, and neither easy to read nor deal with.