Category: Software

In Part 1, we created a basic SwiftUI Picker that was bound to an enum variable that included n possible values. When users pick a value from the picker, the app’s data model is aware of this change and the UI updates to reflect the user’s selection.

In this post we are going to extend this basic functionality.

Display Text for Sort Types

Life would be better if we could customize the display text for each of the different sort types. To do this we will add a function to our enum.

    func displayText() -> String {
        switch self {
        case .name:
            return NSLocalizedString("Name", comment: "display text for sort type: name")
        case .height:
            return NSLocalizedString("Height", comment: "display text for sort type: height")
        case .averageScore:
            return NSLocalizedString("Average Score", comment: "display text for sort type: averageScore")
        }
    }

In order to use this new function, replace rawValue calls with displayText() calls.

struct ContentView: View {
    @ObservedObject var settings = Settings.shared
    var body: some View {
        VStack {
            Picker(selection: $settings.sortType, label: Text("Sort Type")) {
                ForEach(SortType.allCases, id: \.self) { sortType in
                    Text("\(sortType.displayText())")
                }
            }
            Text("sort type is: \(settings.sortType.displayText())")
        }
    }
}

Persist Preferred Sort Type

In this section we will add code to remember a user’s previously selected sort type. So if the user closes the app and relaunches it, their preferred sort type will still be selected. To do this, we will write the sortType to UserDefaults, and then read this value when the app launches. These changes will be made in the Settings class.

class Settings: ObservableObject {
    static let shared = Settings()
    @Published var sortType: SortType {
        didSet {
            UserDefaults.standard.setValue(sortType.rawValue, forKey: "sortType")
        }
    }
    init() {
        sortType = SortType(rawValue: UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: "sortType") ?? "name") ?? .name
    }
}

I’m mildly pained by the need to include both a fallback value for the string read from UserDefaults and also a fallback value SortType(rawValue: ) return value. I guess this is just my way to demonstrate that I don’t like forced unwraps !

Add a New Sort Type

So what happens when end requirements change and now our data can also be sorted by…. let’s say Shoe Size? What needs to change in our example? In fact, very little needs to change. Basically just add the new enum case, and add a corresponding case to the displayText function

enum SortType: String, CaseIterable {
    case name
    case height
    case averageScore
    case shoeSize
    
    func displayText() -> String {
        switch self {
        case .name:
            return NSLocalizedString("Name", comment: "display text for sort type: name")
        case .height:
            return NSLocalizedString("Height", comment: "display text for sort type: height")
        case .averageScore:
            return NSLocalizedString("Average Score", comment: "display text for sort type: averageScore")
        case .shoeSize:
            return NSLocalizedString("Shoe Size", comment: "display text for sort type: shoeSize")
        }
    }
}