Check email with NSDataDetector - iphone

Question

I have a string coming from server and want to check whether it contains expressions like phone numbers, mail address and email. I got success in case of phone number and mail address, but not email. I am using NSDataDetector for this purpose. eg
NSString *string = sourceNode.label; //coming from server
//Phone number
NSDataDetector *phoneDetector = [NSDataDetector dataDetectorWithTypes:NSTextCheckingTypePhoneNumber error:nil];
NSArray *phoneMatches = [phoneDetector matchesInString:string options:0 range:NSMakeRange(0, [string length])];
for (NSTextCheckingResult *match in phoneMatches) {
if ([match resultType] == NSTextCheckingTypePhoneNumber) {
NSString *matchingStringPhone = [match description];
NSLog(#"found URL: %#", matchingStringPhone);
}
}
But how to do the same for email?

Answer 1

if (result.resultType == NSTextCheckingTypeLink)
{
if ([result.URL.scheme.locaseString isEqualToString:#"mailto"])
{
// email link
}
else
{
// url
}
}
Email address falls into NSTextCheckingTypeLink. Simply look for "mailto:" in the URL found and you will know it is an email or URL.

Answer 2

EDIT:
my answer has been accepted in 2012 and is pretty outdated. Please read please this one instead.
Original post:
In apple documentation, it seems that recognised types does not include email :
http://developer.apple.com/library/IOs/#documentation/AppKit/Reference/NSTextCheckingResult_Class/Reference/Reference.html#//apple_ref/c/tdef/NSTextCheckingType
So I suggest you to use a Regexp.
It would be like :
NSString* pattern = #"[A-Z0-9a-z._%+-]+#[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\\.[A-Za-z]+";
NSPredicate* predicate = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:#"SELF MATCHES %#", pattern];
if ([predicate evaluateWithObject:#"johndoe#example.com"] == YES) {
// Okay
} else {
// Not found
}

Answer 3

Try following code, see if it works for you :
NSString * mail = so#so.com
NSDataDetector * dataDetector = [NSDataDetector dataDetectorWithTypes:NSTextCheckingTypeLink error:nil];
NSTextCheckingResult * firstMatch = [dataDetector firstMatchInString:mail options:0 range:NSMakeRange(0, [mail length])];
BOOL result = [firstMatch.URL isKindOfClass:[NSURL class]] && [firstMatch.URL.scheme isEqualToString:#"mailto"];

Answer 4

Here's a clean Swift version.
extension String {
func isValidEmail() -> Bool {
guard !self.lowercaseString.hasPrefix("mailto:") else { return false }
guard let emailDetector = try? NSDataDetector(types: NSTextCheckingType.Link.rawValue) else { return false }
let matches = emailDetector.matchesInString(self, options: NSMatchingOptions.Anchored, range: NSRange(location: 0, length: self.characters.count))
guard matches.count == 1 else { return false }
return matches[0].URL?.absoluteString == "mailto:\(self)"
}
}
Swift 3.0 Version:
extension String {
func isValidEmail() -> Bool {
guard !self.lowercased().hasPrefix("mailto:") else { return false }
guard let emailDetector = try? NSDataDetector(types: NSTextCheckingResult.CheckingType.link.rawValue) else { return false }
let matches = emailDetector.matches(in: self, options: NSRegularExpression.MatchingOptions.anchored, range: NSRange(location: 0, length: self.characters.count))
guard matches.count == 1 else { return false }
return matches[0].url?.absoluteString == "mailto:\(self)"
}
}
Objective-C:
#implementation NSString (EmailValidator)
- (BOOL)isValidEmail {
if ([self.lowercaseString hasPrefix:#"mailto:"]) { return NO; }
NSDataDetector* dataDetector = [NSDataDetector dataDetectorWithTypes:NSTextCheckingTypeLink error:nil];
if (dataDetector == nil) { return NO; }
NSArray* matches = [dataDetector matchesInString:self options:NSMatchingAnchored range:NSMakeRange(0, [self length])];
if (matches.count != 1) { return NO; }
NSTextCheckingResult* match = [matches firstObject];
return match.resultType == NSTextCheckingTypeLink && [match.URL.absoluteString isEqualToString:[NSString stringWithFormat:#"mailto:%#", self]];
}
#end

Answer 5

Here's an up to date playground compatible version that builds on top of Dave Wood's and mkto's answer:
import Foundation
func isValid(email: String) -> Bool {
do {
let detector = try NSDataDetector(types: NSTextCheckingResult.CheckingType.link.rawValue)
let range = NSRange(location: 0, length: email.count)
let matches = detector.matches(in: email, options: .anchored, range: range)
guard matches.count == 1 else { return false }
return matches[0].url?.scheme == "mailto"
} catch {
return false
}
}
extension String {
var isValidEmail: Bool {
isValid(email: self)
}
}
let email = "test#mail.com"
isValid(email: email) // prints 'true'
email.isValidEmail // prints 'true'

Answer 6

It seems detector now works for email?
let types = [NSTextCheckingType.Link, NSTextCheckingType.PhoneNumber] as NSTextCheckingType
responseAttributedLabel.enabledTextCheckingTypes = types.rawValue
And I am able to click on emails. I am using the TTTAttributedLabel though.

Answer 7

Here's an email example in Swift 1.2. Might not check all edge cases, but it's a good place to start.
func isEmail(emailString : String)->Bool {
// need optional - will be nil if successful
var error : NSError?
// use countElements() with Swift 1.1
var textRange = NSMakeRange(0, count(emailString))
// Link type includes email (mailto)
var detector : NSDataDetector = NSDataDetector(types: NSTextCheckingType.Link.rawValue, error: &error)!
if error == nil {
// options value is ignored for this method, but still required!
var result = detector.firstMatchInString(emailString, options: NSMatchingOptions.Anchored, range: textRange)
if result != nil {
// check range to make sure a substring was not detected
return result!.URL!.scheme! == "mailto" && (result!.range.location == textRange.location) && (result!.range.length == textRange.length)
}
} else {
// handle error
}
return false
}
let validEmail = isEmail("someone#site.com") // returns true