iOS Coding Guidelines_Swift

Correctness 2
Naming 2
Prose 2
Delegates 2
Use Type Inferred Context 3
Generics 3
Language 3
Code Organization 4
Protocol Conformance 4
Unused Code 4
Minimal Imports 5
Spacing 5
Comments 6
Use of Self 6
Computed Properties 7
Function Declarations 7
Closure Expressions 7
Types 8
Constants 8
Static Methods and Variable Type Properties 9
Optionals 9
Lazy Initialization 10
Type Inference 10
Syntactic Sugar 11
Functions vs Methods 11
Memory Management 12
Extending object lifetime 12
Control Flow 12
Golden Path 13
Failing Guards 14
Semicolons 14
Parentheses 15
Organization and Bundle Identifier 15
Copyright Statement 15
References 15

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Correctness
Strive to make your code compile without warnings. This rule informs many style decisions such
as using #selector types instead of string literals.
Naming
Descriptive and consistent naming makes software easier to read and understand. Use the Swift
naming conventions described in the API Design Guidelines. Some key takeaways include:

• Each function/method should aim to perform one action/task that reflects it's name
• using camel case (not snake case)
• using uppercase for types (and protocols), lowercase for everything else
• including all needed words while omitting needless words
• using names based on roles, not types
• sometimes compensating for weak type information
• beginning factory methods with make
• naming methods for their side effects
◦ verb methods follow the -ed, -ing rule for the non-mutating version
◦ noun methods follow the formX rule for the mutating version
◦ boolean types should read like assertions
◦ protocols that describe what something is should read as nouns
◦ protocols that describe a capability should end in -able or -ible
• using terms that don't surprise experts or confuse beginners
• generally avoiding abbreviations
• using precedent for names
• preferring methods and properties to free functions
• casing acronyms and initialisms uniformly up or down
• giving the same base name to methods that share the same meaning
• avoiding overloads on return type
• choosing good parameter names that serve as documentation
• labeling closure and tuple parameters
• taking advantage of default parameters

Prose
When referring to methods in prose, being unambiguous is critical. To refer to a method name,
use the simplest form possible.
1. Write the method name with no parameters.
Example: addTarget.
2. Write the method name with argument labels.
Example: addTarget(_:action:).
3. Write the full method name with argument labels and types.
Example: addTarget(_: Any?, action: Selector?).

Delegates
When creating custom delegate methods, an unnamed first parameter should be the delegate
source. (UIKit contains numerous examples of this.)

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**Preferred**
func datePickerView(_ datePickerView: DatePickerView, didSelectName name: String)
func datePickerViewShouldReload(_ datePickerView: DatePickerView) -> Bool

**Not Preferred**
func didSelectName(datePicker: DatePickerViewController, name: String)
func datePickerShouldReload() -> Bool

Use Type Inferred Context

Use compiler inferred context to write shorter, clear code.

**Preferred**
let selector = #selector(viewDidLoad)
view.backgroundColor = .red
let toView = context.view(forKey: .to)
let view = UIView(frame: .zero)

**Not Preferred**
let selector = #selector(ViewController.viewDidLoad)
view.backgroundColor = UIColor.red
let toView = context.view(forKey: UITransitionContextViewKey.to)
let view = UIView(frame: CGRect.zero)

Generics
Generic type parameters should be descriptive, upper camel case names. When a type name
doesn't have a meaningful relationship or role, use a traditional single uppercase letter such as T.

**Preferred**
struct Stack<Element> { ... }
func write<Target: OutputStream>(to target: inout Target)
func swap<T>(_ a: inout T, _ b: inout T)

**Not Preferred**
struct Stack<T> { ... }
func write<target: OutputStream>(to target: inout target)
func swap<Thing>(_ a: inout Thing, _ b: inout Thing)

Language
Use US English spelling to match Apple's API.

**Preferred**
let color = "red"

**Not Preferred**
let colour = "red"

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Code Organization
Use extensions to organize your code into logical blocks of functionality. Each extension should
be set off with a // MARK: - comment to keep things well-organized.

Protocol Conformance
In particular, when adding protocol conformance to a model, prefer adding a separate extension
for the protocol methods. This keeps the related methods grouped together with the protocol and
can simplify instructions to add a protocol to a class with its associated methods.

**Preferred**
class MyViewController: UIViewController {
// class stuff here
}

// MARK: - UITableViewDataSource
extension MyViewController: UITableViewDataSource {
// table view data source methods
}

// MARK: - UIScrollViewDelegate
extension MyViewController: UIScrollViewDelegate {
// scroll view delegate methods
}

**Not Preferred**
class MyViewController: UIViewController, UITableViewDataSource, UIScrollViewDelegate {
// all methods
}

Since the compiler does not allow you to re-declare protocol conformance in a derived class, it is
not always required to replicate the extension groups of the base class. This is especially true if
the derived class is a terminal class and a small number of methods are being overridden. When
to preserve the extension groups is left to the discretion of the author.
For UIKit view controllers, consider grouping lifecycle, custom accessors, and IBAction in
separate class extensions.

Unused Code
Unused (dead) code, including Xcode template code and placeholder comments should be
removed. An exception is when your tutorial or book instructs the user to use the commented
code.
Aspirational methods not directly associated with the tutorial whose implementation simply calls
the superclass should also be removed. This includes any empty/unused UIApplicationDelegate
methods.

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**Preferred**
override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int
{
return Database.contacts.count
}

**Not Preferred**
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}

override func numberOfSections(in tableView: UITableView) -> Int {

// #warning Incomplete implementation, return the number of sections
return 1
}

override func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int
{
// #warning Incomplete implementation, return the number of rows
return Database.contacts.count
}

Minimal Imports
Keep imports minimal. For example, don't import UIKit when importing Foundation will suffice.

Spacing
• Indent using 2 spaces rather than tabs to conserve space and help prevent line wrapping.
Be sure to set this preference in Xcode and in the Project settings as shown below:
• Method braces and other braces (if/else/switch/while etc.) always open on the same line
as the statement but close on a new line.
• Tip: You can re-indent by selecting some code (or ⌘A to select all) and then Control-I (or
Editor\Structure\Re-Indent in the menu). Some of the Xcode template code will have 4-
space tabs hard coded, so this is a good way to fix that.

**Preferred**
if user.isHappy {
// Do something
} else {
// Do something else
}

**Not Preferred**

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if user.isHappy
{
// Do something
}
else {
// Do something else
}

• There should be exactly one blank line between methods to aid in visual clarity and
organization. Whitespace within methods should separate functionality, but having too
many sections in a method often means you should refactor into several methods.

• Colons always have no space on the left and one space on the right. Exceptions are the
ternary operator ? :, empty dictionary [:] and #selector syntax for unnamed
parameters (_:).

**Preferred**
class TestDatabase: Database {
var data: [String: CGFloat] = ["A": 1.2, "B": 3.2]
}

**Not Preferred**
class TestDatabase : Database {
var data :[String:CGFloat] = ["A" : 1.2, "B":3.2]
}
• Long lines should be wrapped at around 70 characters. A hard limit is intentionally not
specified.

• Avoid trailing whitespaces at the ends of lines.

• Add a single newline character at the end of each file.

Comments
When they are needed, use comments to explain why a particular piece of code does something.
Comments must be kept up-to-date or deleted.
Avoid block comments inline with code, as the code should be as self-documenting as
possible. Exception: This does not apply to those comments used to generate documentation.

Use of Self
For conciseness, avoid using self since Swift does not require it to access an object's properties
or invoke its methods.
Use self only when required by the compiler (in @escaping closures, or in initializers to
disambiguate properties from arguments). In other words, if it compiles without self then omit it.

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 Computed Properties
For conciseness, if a computed property is read-only, omit the get clause. The get clause is
required only when a set clause is provided.

**Preferred**
var diameter: Double {
return radius * 2
}

**Not Preferred**
var diameter: Double {
get {
return radius * 2
}
}

Function Declarations
Keep short function declarations on one line including the opening brace:
func reticulateSplines(spline: [Double]) -> Bool {
// reticulate code goes here
}
For functions with long signatures, add line breaks at appropriate points and add an extra indent
on subsequent lines:
func reticulateSplines(spline: [Double], adjustmentFactor: Double,
translateConstant: Int, comment: String) -> Bool {
// reticulate code goes here
}

Closure Expressions
Use trailing closure syntax only if there's a single closure expression parameter at the end of the
argument list. Give the closure parameters descriptive names.

**Preferred**
UIView.animate(withDuration: 1.0) {
self.myView.alpha = 0
}

UIView.animate(withDuration: 1.0, animations: {

self.myView.alpha = 0
}, completion: { finished in
self.myView.removeFromSuperview()
})

**Not Preferred**
UIView.animate(withDuration: 1.0, animations: {

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 self.myView.alpha = 0
})

UIView.animate(withDuration: 1.0, animations: {

self.myView.alpha = 0
}) { f in
self.myView.removeFromSuperview()
}
For single-expression closures where the context is clear, use implicit returns:
attendeeList.sort { a, b in
a>b
}
Chained methods using trailing closures should be clear and easy to read in context. Decisions on
spacing, line breaks, and when to use named versus anonymous arguments is left to the
discretion of the author. Examples:
let value = numbers.map { $0 * 2 }.filter { $0 % 3 == 0 }.index(of: 90)

let value = numbers

.map {$0 * 2}
.filter {$0 > 50}
.map {$0 + 10}

Types
Always use Swift's native types when available. Swift offers bridging to Objective-C so you can
still use the full set of methods as needed.

**Preferred**
let width = 120.0 // Double
let widthString = (width as NSNumber).stringValue // String

**Not Preferred**
let width: NSNumber = 120.0 // NSNumber
let widthString: NSString = width.stringValue // NSString

Constants
Constants are defined using the let keyword, and variables with the var keyword. Always
use let instead of var if the value of the variable will not change.
Tip: A good technique is to define everything using let and only change it to var if the compiler
complains!
You can define constants on a type rather than on an instance of that type using type properties.
To declare a type property as a constant simply use static let. Type properties declared in this way
are generally preferred over global constants because they are easier to distinguish from instance
properties.

**Preferred**
enum Math {

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 static let e = 2.718281828459045235360287
static let root2 = 1.41421356237309504880168872
}

let hypotenuse = side * Math.root2

Note: The advantage of using a case-less enumeration is that it can't accidentally be instantiated
and works as a pure namespace.

**Not Preferred**
let e = 2.718281828459045235360287 // pollutes global namespace
let root2 = 1.41421356237309504880168872

let hypotenuse = side * root2 // what is root2?

Static Methods and Variable Type Properties

Static methods and type properties work similarly to global functions and global variables and
should be used sparingly. They are useful when functionality is scoped to a particular type or
when Objective-C interoperability is required.

Optionals
Declare variables and function return types as optional with ? where a nil value is acceptable.
Use implicitly unwrapped types declared with ! only for instance variables that you know will be
initialized later before use, such as subviews that will be set up in viewDidLoad.

When accessing an optional value, use optional chaining if the value is only accessed once or if
there are many optionals in the chain
Example
self.textContainer?.textLabel?.setNeedsDisplay()

Use optional binding when it's more convenient to unwrap once and perform multiple operations:

if let textContainer = self.textContainer {

// do many things with textContainer
}

When naming optional variables and properties, avoid naming them

like optionalString or maybeView since their optional-ness is already in the type declaration.
For optional binding, shadow the original name when appropriate rather than using names
like unwrappedView or actualLabel.

**Preferred**
var subview: UIView?
var volume: Double?

// later on...
if let subview = subview, let volume = volume {

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 // do something with unwrapped subview and volume
}

**Not Preferred**
var optionalSubview: UIView?
var volume: Double?

if let unwrappedSubview = optionalSubview {

if let realVolume = volume {
// do something with unwrappedSubview and realVolume
}
}

Lazy Initialization
Consider using lazy initialization for finer grain control over object lifetime. This is especially
true for UIViewController that loads views lazily. You can either use a closure that is
immediately called { }() or call a private factory method.
Example
lazy var locationManager: CLLocationManager = self.makeLocationManager()

private func makeLocationManager() -> CLLocationManager {

let manager = CLLocationManager()
manager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest
manager.delegate = self
manager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
return manager
}
Notes:
• [unowned self] is not required here. A retain cycle is not created.
• Location manager has a side-effect for popping up UI to ask the user for permission so
fine grain control makes sense here.

Type Inference
Prefer compact code and let the compiler infer the type for constants or variables of single
instances. Type inference is also appropriate for small (non-empty) arrays and dictionaries. When
required, specify the specific type such as CGFloat or Int16.

**Preferred**
let message = "Click the button"
let currentBounds = computeViewBounds()
var names = ["Mic", "Sam", "Christine"]
let maximumWidth: CGFloat = 106.5

**Not Preferred**
let message: String = "Click the button"
let currentBounds: CGRect = computeViewBounds()

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let names = [String]()

Type Annotation for Empty Arrays and Dictionaries

For empty arrays and dictionaries, use type annotation. (For an array or dictionary assigned to a
large, multi-line literal, use type annotation.)

**Preferred**
var names: [String] = []
var lookup: [String: Int] = [:]

**Not Preferred**
var names = [String]()
var lookup = [String: Int]()

Syntactic Sugar
Prefer the shortcut versions of type declarations over the full generics syntax.

**Preferred**
var deviceModels: [String]
var employees: [Int: String]
var faxNumber: Int?

**Not Preferred**
var deviceModels: Array<String>
var employees: Dictionary<Int, String>
var faxNumber: Optional<Int>

Functions vs Methods
Free functions, which aren't attached to a class or type, should be used sparingly. When possible,
prefer to use a method instead of a free function. This aids in readability and discoverability.
Free functions are most appropriate when they aren't associated with any particular type or
instance.

**Preferred**
let sorted = items.mergeSorted() // easily discoverable
rocket.launch() // acts on the model

**Not Preferred**
let sorted = mergeSort(items) // hard to discover
launch(&rocket)
Free Function Exceptions
let tuples = zip(a, b) // feels natural as a free function (symmetry)
let value = max(x, y, z) // another free function that feels natural

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 Memory Management
Code (even non-production, tutorial demo code) should not create reference cycles. Analyze your
object graph and prevent strong cycles with weak and unowned references. Alternatively, use
value types (struct, enum) to prevent cycles altogether.

Extending object lifetime

Extend object lifetime using the [weak self] and guard let strongSelf = self else
{ return } idiom. [weak self]is preferred to [unowned self] where it is not immediately obvious
that self outlives the closure. Explicitly extending lifetime is preferred to optional unwrapping.

**Preferred**
resource.request().onComplete { [weak self] response in
guard let strongSelf = self else {
return
}
let model = strongSelf.updateModel(response)
strongSelf.updateUI(model)
}

**Not Preferred**
// might crash if self is released before response returns
resource.request().onComplete { [unowned self] response in
let model = self.updateModel(response)
self.updateUI(model)
}

**Not Preferred**
// deallocate could happen between updating the model and updating UI
resource.request().onComplete { [weak self] response in
let model = self?.updateModel(response)
self?.updateUI(model)
}

Control Flow
Prefer the for-in style of for loop over the while-condition-increment style.

**Preferred**
for _ in 0..<3 {
print("Hello three times")
}

for (index, person) in attendeeList.enumerated() {

print("\(person) is at position #\(index)")
}

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for index in stride(from: 0, to: items.count, by: 2) {
print(index)
}

for index in (0...3).reversed() {

print(index)
}

**Not Preferred**
var i = 0
while i < 3 {
print("Hello three times")
i += 1
}

var i = 0
while i < attendeeList.count {
let person = attendeeList[i]
print("\(person) is at position #\(i)")
i += 1
}

Golden Path
When coding with conditionals, the left-hand margin of the code should be the "golden" or
"happy" path. That is, don't nest if statements. Multiple return statements are OK.
The guard statement is built for this.

**Preferred**
func computeFFT(context: Context?, inputData: InputData?) throws -> Frequencies {

guard let context = context else {

throw FFTError.noContext
}
guard let inputData = inputData else {
throw FFTError.noInputData
}

// use context and input to compute the frequencies

return frequencies
}

**Not Preferred**
func computeFFT(context: Context?, inputData: InputData?) throws -> Frequencies {

if let context = context {

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 if let inputData = inputData {
// use context and input to compute the frequencies

return frequencies
} else {
throw FFTError.noInputData
}
} else {
throw FFTError.noContext
}
}
When multiple optionals are unwrapped either with guard or if let, minimize nesting by using the
compound version when possible.

**Preferred**
guard let number1 = number1,
let number2 = number2,
let number3 = number3 else {
fatalError("impossible")
}
// do something with numbers

**Not Preferred**
if let number1 = number1 {
if let number2 = number2 {
if let number3 = number3 {
// do something with numbers
} else {
fatalError("impossible")
}
} else {
fatalError("impossible")
}
} else {
fatalError("impossible")
}
Failing Guards
Guard statements are required to exit in some way. Generally, this should be simple one line
statement such as return, throw, break, continue, and fatalError(). Large code blocks should be
avoided. If cleanup code is required for multiple exit points, consider using a defer block to
avoid cleanup code duplication.

Semicolons
Swift does not require a semicolon after each statement in your code. They are only required if
you wish to combine multiple statements on a single line.
Do not write multiple statements on a single line separated with semicolons.

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**Preferred**
let swift = "not a scripting language”

**Not Preferred**
let swift = "not a scripting language";

Parentheses
Parentheses around conditionals are not required and should be omitted.

**Preferred**
if name == "Hello" {
print("World")
}

**Not Preferred**
if (name == "Hello") {
print("World")
}
In larger expressions, optional parentheses can sometimes make code read more clearly.

**Preferred**
let playerMark = (player == current ? "X" : "O")

Organization and Bundle Identifier

Where an Xcode project is involved, the organization should be set to Innovapptive and the
Bundle Identifier set to com.innovapptive.appName where appName is the name of the project.

Copyright Statement
By default, use a Innovapptive copyright. There may be special circumstances where it should be
changed to a customer name.
// Copyright © 2018 Innovapptive. All rights reserved
Set the Organization in your .xcodeproj to override your default company name for new files that
are created. Select the project in File Navigator, then use the File Inspector (first button) in the
Utilities pane. Set the organization to Robots and Pencils Inc.

References
• The Swift API Design Guidelines
• The Swift Programming Language
• Using Swift with Cocoa and Objective-C
• Swift Standard Library Reference

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