Passing Data with Delegates - swift

Im having a hard time understanding data passing with delegates, I have looked but I get confused by the answers as I'm usually trying to do the opposite of what needs to be done for mine.
What I am trying to do is pass a PFObject from my main viewController (a UITableView) to a PopOverViewController.
I have done this successfully, but I need to pass the object. What would be the best way to pass from the mainController (SOITableViewController) to the popover (DetailPopViewController)?
Where should the protocol go? Where should the Delegate method be placed, etc.
Thank you!

PrepareForSegue, NSUserDefault and Singleton
You have a few possible options to pass your data to other views depending how you want that data to be handled, I will explain each for you and you can choose which one best fit your need.
prepareForSegue: Method
I recommend this method if you want to hold your data for 1 segue transition, it's a good cause to pass this again to another view afterward you need to create another prepareForSegue within the new view. here is an example on how to do this:
First, you create 2 variables in both views, 1 to send (currentViewController.swift) and 1 to receive (toViewyourGoingController.swift).
currentViewController.swift var dataToSend: AnyObject?
ViewYourGoingController.swift var dataToReceive: AnyObject?
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
//Check your segue, this way you can transfer different data to different view. also make sure the identifier match your segue.
if segue.identifier == "toViewYourGoing" {
//Initial your second view data control
let ExchangeViewData = segue.destinationViewController as! toViewyourGoingController
//Send your data with segue
ExchangeViewData.dataToReceive = dataToSend
}
}
NSUserDefault
Now this method is good if you want to keep your data live as long as the app is installed, once the app is removed this will reset automatically. You also have the option to update the value of the key if you wish, here is how you do NSUserDefault:
I always like to register my NSUserDeafult to default setting, a lot of people just continue with the second step without registering.
Register NSUserDefault in AppDelgate.swift
NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().registerDefaults(["valueName": AnyObject])
Set Value to your NSUserDefault, this depends on what type of data you're storing, should match the one with your registration if you did register. (Example of Boolean data type below)
NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().setBool(true, forKey: "valueName") //Bool Data Type
Make sure you synchronize once you set the value to the NSUserDefault, this way it will update instantly, otherwise it will update when it get a chance.
NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().synchronize()
Receive Value: this will receive boolean value since we set boolean and register boolean.
let Variable: Bool! = NSUserDefaults.standardUserDefaults().boolForKey("valueName")
Singleton
Now singleton is basically a global variable that you can use them in any views, but some developers experience some bugs and difficulties, use it at your own risk, I recommend this method when you're definite that you will use that data a lot (STILL RISKY), but this method is like goddess of data handling :).
Create a NSObject subclass and call it DataManager.swift (I call it data manager cause it handle data.) as following:
import UIKit
class DataManager: NSObject {
//Store Data Globally
static var someData: Boo! //This Boolean, you can choose whatever you want.
}
the static is what keep your data live.
Now you can store and receive someData from anywhere like you handle any data type like this.
//Store
DataManager.someData = true
//Receive
print(DataManager.someData)
Challenges:
You can also use
Keychain
Sergey Kargopolov will walk you through how to use a third party to use swift keychain. Otherwise, you can take even harder challenge and create one yourself :P .
Key-Value Data in iCloud

The best way to do this would be to pass it over when you do the prepare for segue method. So to do this make a variable in your detailPopViewController. In this case your pop over segue in storyboard will have the segue identifier detailView. Also tblSearchResults is your tableView outlet (you can name it whatever you want). Is that what you were looking for?
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
if segue.identifier == "detailView" {
if let detailViewController = segue.destinationViewController as? PopOverViewController{
if let indexPath = self.tblSearchResults.indexPathForCell(sender as! SOITTableViewController) {
detailViewController.objectInSecondVC = objectFromFirstVC[indexPath.row]
}
}
}
}

Related

strange optional error in Swift

Okay, so basically I am following a tutorial on udemy on how to create a chat with Backendless and Firebase. However, I prefer not to use Backendless, because I don't want to rely on 2 providers - so I want to stick to Firebase only. Therefore, I am currently converting my code to Firebase.
I have a view controller that displays a unique page for each UID - from a database that I have. The UID is stored as a String, and is assigned upon a segue from another table view controller (this works fine). After that, I fetch the data that I want from the user, with the UID. I have a "Start Chat" button that is supposed to create a new chat.
In this tutorial, the tutor has set a protocol (delegate) that is triggering another function from another view controller. This is what it looks like:
protocol ChooseUserDelegate {
func createChatroom(withUser: String)
}
var delegate: ChooseUserDelegate!
and in my chat #IBAction, I have this code:
#IBAction func StartChat(sender: AnyObject) {
let userID = uid
if let theId = userID as? String {
delegate.createChat(String(theId))
}
}
(The code above is all in the same VC.).
In another view controller, where the createChat() function is stored, is the following code:
class AnotherVC UIViewController, UITableViewDelegate, UITableViewDataSource, ChooseUserDelegate{
func createChat(withUser: String) {
print(withUser)
}
}
The problem is that I can't get to call createChat(), because of an optional error (unwrapping) on the delegate.createChat(String(theId)).
Edit: Even with a "" input, I get an error. I am really confused now. Is it something wrong with my delegate?
The only part of your code that is optional is delegate (because you correctly unwrapped userID). Therefore, the error must be due to delegate being nil. Make sure that you set delegate before calling StartChat().
The line var delegate: ChooseUserDelegate! does not initialize a delegate. When you write ChooseUserDelegate! you are only defining the type of the delegate variable. It is automatically set to nil. To initialize a new instance of ChooseUserDelegate you would need to write something like:
var delegate: ChooseUserDelegate! = ChooseUserDelegate()
There are a few other ways you could clean up your code. Method names should be llamaCase, not CamelCase, so you should rename StartChat() to startChat() (be sure to reconnect in interface builder). The body of that method has three different names for the same variable, uid. See how simple it could be:
#IBAction func startChat(sender: AnyObject) {
if let uid = uid as? String {
delegate.createChat(uid)
}
}
if let theId = userID {
delegate.createChat(String(theId))
}

Passing Core Data objects from UITableViewCell to another View Controller

Currently I have the application loading up the data in a tableview presented to the user that I want them to select the object they wish to view further details about. From their I want to be able to read out the data in the object to the user in various forms either labels or a tableview dependent on the data.
I have been reading around and trying to understand this stuff but it is all still new to me! I had another guy on here help me out with saving the data and passing the data around to store but reading it out is a seemingly different thing. Any examples in swift language would lead me down the right path I know that I need to use the didselectrow method and call a segue and also that I need a prepare for segue but I am not quite sure how it should look.
I have read multiple posts and some do actually attempt to pass objects but not in the manner in which I am trying to..Are you able to pass whole objects after they have been have been selected in a tableview to another view controller to present all data related to that object or are you only able to pass information from that object to the next viewcontroller? I have examples of prepareforsegue and perform segue before not sure what else I am missing but I am currently not able to pass any information between the tableview and the viewcontroller.
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject!) {
if (segue.identifier == "decktoRecord") {
var detailVC: StatWidgetViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! StatWidgetViewController
detailVC.deckRecord = decktoPass
}
}
func tableView(tableView: UITableView, didSelectRowAtIndexPath indexPath: NSIndexPath) {
let indexPath = tableView.indexPathForSelectedRow()
let selectedCell = tableView.cellForRowAtIndexPath(indexPath!) as UITableViewCell?
self.performSegueWithIdentifier("decktoRecord", sender: indexPath);
}
decktoPass is just a variable that contains the type of data entity that is the primary entity of the object.
A little confused by what you're asking but from what I understand, once the user clicks on a cell you want to segue to another view controller where they can edit the the details?
To add an exception breakpoint, open up your left panel with all your files/viewcontrollers, at the very top of it should be a small panel with a few icons, the first one is a folder, click on the second last one (the one that looks like a tag)
click on the plus in the bottom right and click add exception breakpoint, this should let you know where the problem in your code is occurring
Okay to edit the details in another View controller start by preparing the segue from the original view controller
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
if segue.identifier == "showTaskDetail" {
let detailVC: TaskDetailViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! TaskDetailViewController
let indexPath = self.tableView.indexPathForSelectedRow()
let thisTask = fetchedResultsController.objectAtIndexPath(indexPath!) as! TaskModel
detailVC.detailTaskModel = thisTask
detailVC.delegate = self
}
else if segue.identifier == "showTaskAdd" {
let addTaskVC:AddTaskViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! AddTaskViewController
addTaskVC.delegate = self
}
}
okay so like the code is showing above, I have a segue called showTaskDetail which shows the details of whatever it is, in my case its a simple task. You said you want to edit this information in another view controller when a user clicks on the row, well you need to be able to get this information in the other view controller.
So create a variable in the other viewcontroller that will hold these values, for me i called it detailTaskModel
var detailTaskModel: TaskModel!
Incase you're confused about what TaskModel is, I'm using CoreData to store my data, and TaskModel is a NSMangedObject class.
let detailVC: TaskDetailViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! TaskDetailViewController
this line you're just specifying what your other view controller is, replace TaskDetailViewController with your swift class.
let detailVC: TaskDetailViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! TaskDetailViewController
this line fetches the data from the row selected
Now you should be able to pass your information into the other view controller and edit it using the detailTaskModel, do you need help with that as well?

How to store objects in memory

I come from JavaScript and I'm used to fetching data through an API once and then using it throughout the app (as long as I don't need to do a page reload). For example, if I write var user = $.get('/get/user'), I can then use the user variable everywhere, even if I load a new view/page.
As I understand it, each View Controller is like a new page. Therefore, how can I get, for example, my user when the app starts and use it throughout the app without storing it in Core Data or somewhere similar?
Can I instantiate a class when the application starts that gets all the initial values and then stores them for use everywhere? If so, how?
You can follow the singleton pattern. This is an object that holds a static reference to itself and this instance is accessed using a class method.
class YourSingletonClass {
static let sharedInstance = YourSingletonClass()
func someMethod() -> Void {
}
}
// Other part of the app
YourSingletonClass.sharedInstance.someMethod()
The other approach is to create an object (instance of a class), populate the variables with the data you require to persist in memory and then pass this instance from View Controller to View Controller.
var myVar = YourClassForMemory()
myVar.value = 1
myVar.otherValue = 2
You can then create a property on other View Controllers of type YourClassForMemory, and set it with this object when you initialise the View Controller and pass the object around. This can be done in prepareForSegue, if using Storyboard segues, or as an init method, or just a public property on the class.
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
if segue.identifier == "mySegue" {
var myVar = YourClassForMemory()
myVar.value = 1
myVar.otherValue = 2
(segue.destinationViewController as! SomeViewController).myVar = myVar
}
}

Swift Delegation

I'm having trouble wrapping my head around delegation in Swift. After reading some guides, I was able to set it up delegation between two ViewControllers, but I'm not understanding how it works. In my first view controller, I have a a label that displays what has been entered in the second view controller which contains a text field and a button (that returns to the first view controller). Here is the code for the first view controller:
#IBOutlet weak var labelText: UILabel!
func userDidEnterInformation(info: String) {
labelText.text = info;
}
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
if(segue.identifier == "transition"){
let secondVC: SecondViewController = segue.destinationViewController as! SecondViewController;
secondVC.delegate = self;
}
}
Here's the code for the second view controller:
protocol DataEnteredDelegate{
func userDidEnterInformation(info: String);
}
#IBOutlet weak var userText: UITextField!
var delegate: DataEnteredDelegate? = nil;
#IBAction func buttonPressed(sender: AnyObject) {
let information = userText.text!;
delegate!.userDidEnterInformation(information);
self.navigationController?.popToRootViewControllerAnimated(true);
}
My understanding is that in the text inside the text field gets stored in the information constant, then the userDidEnterInformation method from the protocol is called, with the method being defined inside the first view controller. This method then changes the label inside the first view controller. The thing is, I'm not sure what is happening in the prepareForSegue function. Specifically, I'm not sure what's the purpose of secondVC.delegate = self.
I would appreciate any sort of clarity on delegation.
The diagram is simple but can help you understand what's going on.
FirstViewController must conform to the DataEnteredDelegate protocol you have defined (see Sumit's answer). When using secondVC.delegate = self, you are saying that for the segue transition with the destination being a SecondViewController, the attribute delegate of that SecondViewController instance will be set to this instance of FirstViewController, thus delegating things from SecondViewController to your FirstViewController as made possible by the DataEnteredDelegate protocol.
The protocol you created in second viewcontroller is an Interface. You must implement your first view controller with the DataEnteredDelegate protocol.
class FirstViewController:UIViewController, DataEnteredDelegate{
func userDidEnterInformation(info: String) {
//stub
}
}
If the delegate of the second VC is not set in prepareForSegue() it remains nil. The second VC is then unable to call the first VC.
On a side note, if the delegate is nil your code will crash because delegate! is trying to unwrap an optional binding with the value of nil. It's better to first unwrap the delegate variable:
if let handler = delegate {
handler.userDidEnterInformation(information)
}
Alternatively, you could use Swift's Optional Chaining, calling userDidEnterInformation only if delegate is not nil.
delegate?.userDidEnterInformation(information);
In addition it is recommended to declare the delegate weak, to prevent retain cycles:
weak var delegate: DataEnteredDelegate?
Delegates and Protocols
Do not try to figure out how the dictionary definition of “delegate” fits with the concept of delegation in Swift. It doesn't.
Delegation in Swift is an agreement between two players—a sensing object and a requesting object. The “delegate” is the “requesting object.” Just think “asker” or “requester” every time you see “delegate” and it will make a lot more sense. Here is their agreement...
The Sensing Object (Second View Controller):
I have data from some event that took place. I will publish instructions (a protocol) on how you may access that data. If you want it, you must do three things.
You must declare in your class type that your class abides by my protocol.
You must write the functions that I describe in my protocol. I don't care what those functions do but the function type must match what I publish.
In YOUR code, you must set MY “delegate” (think “asker”) property to point to you. {secondVC.delegate = self} That way I can call one of YOUR functions to deliver the data.
After that, when I get some data, I will call one of the functions in your object that I told you to write. My call to your function will contain the data you are looking for as one of the arguments. {delegate!.userDidEnterInformation(information)} Note: delegate! (asker!) is YOU.
The Delegate (Requesting) Object (First View Controller):
O.K. You've got a deal.

performSegue after completion handler

ANSWER BELOW
Im facing a little issue that you may help me with.
the app Im working on allows you to request for content based on your location.
the first ViewController is somewhat a form that grab your location / a specified location + some other information to target specific answers.
I need to perform a segue to pass the "question" variables to my second ViewController where I load "answers" with a query based on the question details.
What is causing me trouble is that, whenever the question is geolocalized, I can't retrieve the information using prepareForSegue because it doesn't wait for the geoPoint to be made (completed).The second controller display my latitude and longitude as nil.
I see that I can call the "prepareForSegue" method using "perfomSegueWithIdentifier", and retrieve the information in my second view controller but it perform the segue twice... How can I trigger the segue only when Im ready but using the prepareForSegue data parameter I need to preserve?
Is there a way to pass variable from one controller to another using performSegue?
Any help would be awesome.
Also, while I don't think the code is relevant for my question, here is the code I use.
geoPointing method
#IBAction func doPostQuestion(sender: UIButton) {
var thereQ:PFObject = PFObject(className: "tquestion")
if(somewhereLabel.text == "my location"){
println("Location is geolocalized")
PFGeoPoint.geoPointForCurrentLocationInBackground {
(geoPoint: PFGeoPoint!, error: NSError!) -> Void in
if error == nil {
self.geoLati = geoPoint.latitude as Double
self.geoLong = geoPoint.longitude as Double
self.performSegueWithIdentifier("goto_results", sender:self) // call prepareForSegue when ready but implies to have a segue done on click... (performed twiced)
}
}
}
self.navigationController?.popToRootViewControllerAnimated(true)
}
prepareForSegue
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?) {
if(segue.identifier == "goto_results"){
// Get Label
let theDestination = (segue.destinationViewController as displayAnswersViewController)
theDestination.lat = self.geoLati
theDestination.lng = self.geoLong
}
}
ANSWER SOLUTION:
As suggested, to solve this problem you just need to create your segue from your viewController1 to your viewController2 and not from a button. This way you can trigger prepareForSegue programatically using the "performSegue" method that will call prepareForSegue anyway.
To solve this problem you just need to create your segue from your viewController1 to your viewController2 and not from a button. This way you can trigger prepareForSegue programatically using the "performSegue" method that will call prepareForSegue anyway.