Swift - properties

Properties

Properties associate a value with a particular class, structure or enumeration.

• Stored properties store constant and variable values as part of an instance.
• computed properties calculate (rather than store) a value.

Stored Properties

A stored property is a constant or variable that’s stored as part of an instance of a particular class or structure. Stored properties can be either variable stored properties (introduced by the var keyword) or constant stored properties (introduced by the let keyword).

You can provide a default value for a stored property as part of its definition. You can also set and modify the initial value for a stored property during initialization. This is true even for constant stored properties,

struct FixedLengthRange {
    var firstValue: Int
    let length: Int
}
var rangeOfThreeItems = FixedLengthRange(firstValue: 0, length: 3)
// the range represents integer values 0, 1, and 2
rangeOfThreeItems.firstValue = 6
// the range now represents integer values 6, 7, and 8

lazy stored properties

A lazy stored property is a property where initial value isn't calculated until the first value is used.

• lazy properties are useful when the initial value for a property is dependent on outside factors whose values aren't known until after an instance initialisation is complete.

class DataImporter {
    var filename = "data.txt"
}

class DataManager {
    lazy var importer = DataImporter()
    var data: [String] = []
}

let manager = DataManager()
manager.data.append("Some data")
manager.data.append("Some more data")
// the DataImporter instance for the importer property hasn't yet been created

Computed properties

In addition to stored properties, classes, structure and enumeration can define computed properties, which don't actually store a value .Instead, they provide a getter and an optional setter to retrieve and set other properties and values indirectly .

struct Point {
    var x = 0.0, y = 0.0
}
struct Size {
    var width = 0.0, height = 0.0
}
struct Rect {
    var origin = Point()
    var size = Size()
    var center: Point {
        get {
            let centerX = origin.x + (size.width / 2)
            let centerY = origin.y + (size.height / 2)
            return Point(x: centerX, y: centerY)
        }
        set(newCenter) {
            origin.x = newCenter.x - (size.width / 2)
            origin.y = newCenter.y - (size.height / 2)
        }
    }
}
var square = Rect(origin: Point(x: 0.0, y: 0.0),
                  size: Size(width: 10.0, height: 10.0))
let initialSquareCenter = square.center
square.center = Point(x: 15.0, y: 15.0)
print("square.origin is now at (\(square.origin.x), \(square.origin.y))")
// Prints "square.origin is now at (10.0, 10.0)"

Read-only computed properties

A computed property with a getter but no setter is known as read-only computed property

Property observer

Property observers observes and respond to changes in a property value.

we can add property observer in following places

• Stored property that you define
• Stored property that you inherit
• computed property that you inherit

You have the option to define either or both of these observers on a property:

• willSet is called just before the value is stored.
• didSet is called immediately after the new value is stored.

class StepCounter {
    var totalSteps: Int = 0 {
        willSet(newTotalSteps) {
            print("About to set totalSteps to \(newTotalSteps)")
        }
        didSet {
            if totalSteps > oldValue  {
                print("Added \(totalSteps - oldValue) steps")
            }
        }
    }
}
let stepCounter = StepCounter()
stepCounter.totalSteps = 200
// About to set totalSteps to 200
// Added 200 steps

Property wrappers

A property wrapper adds a layer of separation between code that manages how a property is stored and the code that defines a property.

To define a property wrapper, you make a structure, enumeration, or class that defines a wrappedValue property.

@propertyWrapper
struct TwelveOrLess {
    private var number = 0
    var wrappedValue: Int {
        get { return number }
        set { number = min(newValue, 12) }
    }
}
//setter ensures that new value is less than 12

You apply a wrapper to a property by writing the wrapper’s name before the property as an attribute.

struct SmallRectangle {
    @TwelveOrLess var height: Int
    @TwelveOrLess var width: Int
}