1

Confused about getAsNSString from bullet point 5, used again in bullet
point 8 — the function wont compile for me:

Check whether a value is _ObjectiveCBridgeable to a class, or conversely,
that an object is _ObjectiveCBridgeable to a value type, and perform the
bridging conversion if so:

func getAsString<T>(value: T) -> String? {
  return value as? String
}func getAsNSString<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  return value as? NSString
}

getAsString(value: "string") // produces "string": String
getAsNSString(value: "string") // produces "string": NSString
let ns = NSString("nsstring")
getAsString(value: ns) // produces "nsstring": String
getAsNSString(value: ns) // produces "nsstring": NSString

Drill through Optionals. If an Optional contains some value, it is

extracted, and the cast is attempted on the contained value; the cast fails
if the source value is none and the result type is not optional:

var x: String? = "optional string"
getAsNSString(value: x) // produces "optional string": NSString
x = nilgetAsNSString(value: x) // fails

$ /Applications/Xcode-7D1010.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/swift

Welcome to Apple Swift version 2.2 (swiftlang-703.0.18.5
clang-703.0.31). Type :help for assistance.
  1> import Foundation
  2>
  3> func getAsNSString<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  4. return value as? NSString
  5. }
repl.swift:4:16: error: value of optional type 'NSString?' not
unwrapped; did you mean to use '!' or '?'?
  return value as? NSString
               ^
         ( )!

  3>

$ /Library/Developer/Toolchains/swift-DEVELOPMENT-SNAPSHOT-2016-04-12-a.xctoolchain/usr/bin/swift
Welcome to Apple Swift version 3.0-dev (LLVM 752e1430fc, Clang
3987718dae, Swift 36739f7b57). Type :help for assistance.
  1> import Foundation
  2>
  3> func getAsNSString<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  4. return value as? NSString
  5. }
error: repl.swift:4:16: error: value of optional type 'NSString?' not
unwrapped; did you mean to use '!' or '?'?
  return value as? NSString
               ^
         ( )!

I would think the function was meant to end -> NSString?, if not for the //
fails comment in bullet 8. Could you clarify?

– J.D. Healy

2

Confused about getAsNSString from bullet point 5, used again in bullet point 8 — the function wont compile for me:

There's a typo. getAsNSString needs to return an optional, `NSString?`, because the cast produces nil if it fails.

-Joe

···

On May 3, 2016, at 8:48 AM, J.D. Healy <jdhealy@gmail.com> wrote:

Check whether a value is _ObjectiveCBridgeable to a class, or conversely, that an object is _ObjectiveCBridgeable to a value type, and perform the bridging conversion if so:
func getAsString
<T>(value: T) -> String? {
  
return value as
? String
}

func getAsNSString
<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  
return value as
? NSString
}

getAsString(value:
"string") // produces "string": String

getAsNSString(value:
"string") // produces "string": NSString

let ns = NSString("nsstring"
)
getAsString(value: ns)
// produces "nsstring": String

getAsNSString(value: ns)
// produces "nsstring": NSString

Drill through Optionals. If an Optional contains some value, it is extracted, and the cast is attempted on the contained value; the cast fails if the source value is none and the result type is not optional:

var x: String? = "optional string"

getAsNSString(
value: x) // produces "optional string": NSString

x = nil

getAsNSString(value: x) // fails
$ /Applications/Xcode-7D1010.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/bin/swift
Welcome to Apple Swift version 2.2 (swiftlang-703.0.18.5 clang-703.0.31). Type :help for assistance.
  1> import Foundation
  2>
  3> func getAsNSString<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  4. return value as? NSString
  5. }
repl.swift:4:16: error: value of optional type 'NSString?' not unwrapped; did you mean to use '!' or '?'?
  return value as? NSString
               ^
         ( )!

  3>

$ /Library/Developer/Toolchains/swift-DEVELOPMENT-SNAPSHOT-2016-04-12-a.xctoolchain/usr/bin/swift
Welcome to Apple Swift version 3.0-dev (LLVM 752e1430fc, Clang 3987718dae, Swift 36739f7b57). Type :help for assistance.
  1> import Foundation
  2>
  3> func getAsNSString<T>(value: T) -> NSString {
  4. return value as? NSString
  5. }
error: repl.swift:4:16: error: value of optional type 'NSString?' not unwrapped; did you mean to use '!' or '?'?
  return value as? NSString
               ^
         ( )!

I would think the function was meant to end -> NSString?, if not for the // fails comment in bullet 8. Could you clarify?

– J.D. Healy