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Using Core Data in Swift

Using Core Data in Swift

Core Data is probably loved as much as it is shunned by iOS developers. No matter its pros and cons, it remains a popular choice for many iOS developers as Apple continues to invest in it. Core Data is a framework of great power that often comes with great frustration. When using Swift, we can make Core Data more powerful, and sometimes more frustrating. This talk presents practical strategies for moving away from an Objective-C model, the bugs you'll run into and how to work around them, how Swift can bring clarity to your model objects, and how to harness Swift features in your NSManagedObject subclasses.

Video:
https://realm.io/news/jesse-squires-core-data-swift/

GitHub project:
https://github.com/jessesquires/JSQCoreDataKit

Event:
https://www.meetup.com/swift-language/events/220612410/

Jesse Squires

April 15, 2015
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  1. The Core Data framework provides generalized and automated solutions to

    common tasks associated with object life-cycle and object graph management, including persistence. — Core Data Programming Guide
  2. Core Data is backed by a SQLite database. However, it

    is not a relational database or RDBMS.
  3. CORE DATA STACK: Managed objects NSMangedObject Managed object context NSManagedObjectContext

    Persistent Store Coordinator NSPersistentStoreCoordinator Persistent Store NSPersistentStore SQLite
  4. WHY USE CORE DATA? ▸ Provides featues you need ▸

    "Mature, unit tested, optimized" ▸ Part of iOS and OS X toolchain ▸ Apple continues to invest heavily in it ▸ Popular, tons of resources online
  5. CORE DATA STACK struct CoreDataModel { let name: String let

    bundle: NSBundle init(name: String, bundle: NSBundle) // other properties & methods }
  6. CORE DATA STACK class CoreDataStack { let model: CoreDataModel let

    managedObjectContext: NSManagedObjectContext let persistentStoreCoordinator: NSPersistentStoreCoordinator init(model: CoreDataModel, storeType: String, concurrencyType: NSManagedObjectContextConcurrencyType) // other properties and methods }
  7. CORE DATA STACK let model = CoreDataModel(name: "MyModel", bundle: myBundle)

    let stack = CoreDataStack(model: model, storeType: NSSQLiteStoreType, concurrencyType: .MainQueueConcurrencyType) // Use context stack.managedObjectContext
  8. CREATING MANAGED OBJECTS ▸ Xcode generated classes are terrible ▸

    mogenerator Swift support still experimental (Last release Sept 2014)
  9. OBJECTIVE-C @interface Employee : NSManagedObject @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString *

    address; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSDate * dateOfBirth; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * email; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSString * name; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSDecimalNumber * salary; @property (nonatomic, retain) NSNumber * status; @end
  10. SWIFT class Employee: NSManagedObject { @NSManaged var address: String? @NSManaged

    var dateOfBirth: NSDate @NSManaged var email: String? @NSManaged var name: String @NSManaged var salary: NSDecimalNumber @NSManaged var status: Int32 }
  11. OPTIONALS Xcode will generate String instead of String? @property (nonatomic,

    retain) NSString * address; @NSManaged var address: String?
  12. Xcode does not prefix classes automatically Must add prefix manually

    after generating classes No prefix means runtime crash, obscure errors
  13. THE OBJECTIVE-C WAY // "Person" NSString *name = [Person entityName];

    @implementation NSManagedObject (Helpers) + (NSString *)entityName { return NSStringFromClass([self class]); } @end
  14. THE OBJECTIVE-C WAY // Create new person Person *person =

    [Person insertNewObjectInContext:context]; @implementation NSManagedObject (Helpers) + (instancetype)insertNewObjectInContext:(NSManagedObjectContext *)context { return [NSEntityDescription insertNewObjectForEntityForName:[self entityName] inManagedObjectContext:context]; } @end
  15. THE SWIFT WAY? // "MyApp.Person" let fullName = NSStringFromClass(object_getClass(self)) extension

    NSManagedObject { class func entityName() -> String { let fullClassName = NSStringFromClass(object_getClass(self)) let nameComponents = split(fullClassName) { $0 == "." } return last(nameComponents)! } } // "Person" let entityName = Person.entityName()
  16. THE SWIFT WAY? // Create new person let person =

    Person(context: context) extension NSManagedObject { convenience init(context: NSManagedObjectContext) { let name = self.dynamicType.entityName() let entity = NSEntityDescription.entityForName(name, inManagedObjectContext: context)! self.init(entity: entity, insertIntoManagedObjectContext: context) } }
  17. THE SWIFT WAY? class Employee: NSManagedObject { init(context: NSManagedObjectContext) {

    let entity = NSEntityDescription.entityForName("Employee", inManagedObjectContext: context)! super.init(entity: entity, insertIntoManagedObjectContext: context) } }
  18. 1. Stored properties must be assigned initial value 2. Designated

    init fully initializes all properties 3. Convenience init are secondary 4. Convenience init must call designated init 5. Superclass initializers not inherited in subclasses by default
  19. class Employee: NSManagedObject { init(context: NSManagedObjectContext, name: String, dateOfBirth: NSDate,

    salary: NSDecimalNumber, employeeId: String = NSUUID().UUIDString, email: String? = nil, address: String? = nil) { // init } }
  20. TYPEALIAS typealias EmployeeId = String class Employee: NSManagedObject { @NSManaged

    var employeeId: EmployeeId } // Example let id: EmployeeId = "12345"
  21. ENUM enum Genre: String { case BlackMetal = "Black Metal"

    case DeathMetal = "Death Metal" case DoomMetal = "Doom Metal" case FolkMetal = "Folk Metal" case Grindcore = "Grindcore" case Hardcore = "Hardcore" case CrustPunk = "Crust Punk" case StreetPunk = "Street Punk" case Thrash = "Thrash" }
  22. ENUM public class Band: NSManagedObject { @NSManaged private var genreValue:

    String public var genre: Genre { get { return Genre(rawValue: self.genreValue)! } set { self.genreValue = newValue.rawValue } } }
  23. ENUM Unfortunately, must use private property for fetch requests let

    fetch = NSFetchRequest(entityName: "Band") fetch.predicate = NSPredicate(format: "genreValue == %@", genre)
  24. SAVING func saveContext(context:) -> (success: Bool, error: NSError?) // Example

    let result = saveContext(context) if !result.success { println("Error: \(result.error)") }
  25. FETCH REQUESTS var error: NSError? var results = context.executeFetchRequest(request, error:

    &error) // [AnyObject]? if results == nil { println("Error = \(error)") }
  26. FETCH REQUESTS // T is a phantom type class FetchRequest

    <T: NSManagedObject>: NSFetchRequest { init(entity: NSEntityDescription) { super.init() self.entity = entity } }
  27. FETCH REQUESTS typealias FetchResult = (success: Bool, objects: [T], error:

    NSError?) func fetch <T> (request: FetchRequest<T>, context: NSManagedObjectContext) -> FetchResult
  28. FETCH REQUESTS typealias FetchResult = (success: Bool, objects: [T], error:

    NSError?) func fetch <T>(request: FetchRequest<T>, context: NSManagedObjectContext) -> FetchResult { var error: NSError? if let results = context.executeFetchRequest(request, error: &error) { return (true, results as! [T], error) } return (false, [], error) }
  29. FETCH REQUESTS // Example let request = FetchRequest<Band>(entity: entityDescription) let

    results = fetch(request: request, inContext: context) if !results.success { println("Error = \(results.error)") } results.objects // [Band]