Swift - Subscripts

• Subscripts shortcut for accessing the member elements in a collection, list, or sequence. Implement subscripts in the most appropriate way for your particular class or structure’s functionality.

• Subscripts to set and retrieve values by index without needing separate methods for setting and retrieval.

• subscripts can be read-write or read-only.

• implement subscript using subscript keyword.

syntax :

subscript(index: Int) -> Int {
    get {
        // Return an appropriate subscript value here.
    }
    set(newValue) {
        // Perform a suitable setting action here.
    }
}

example :

struct TimesTable {
    let multiplier: Int
    subscript(index: Int) -> Int {
        return multiplier * index
    }
}
let threeTimesTable = TimesTable(multiplier: 3)
print("six times three is \(threeTimesTable[6])")

• subscripts can’t use in-out parameters.

• Multiple subscripts can be defined for a single type and subscripts can have multiple input parameters.

example :

struct Matrix {
    let rows: Int, columns: Int
    var grid: [Double]
    init(rows: Int, columns: Int) {
        self.rows = rows
        self.columns = columns
        grid = Array(repeating: 0.0, count: rows * columns)
    }
    func indexIsValid(row: Int, column: Int) -> Bool {
        return row >= 0 && row < rows && column >= 0 && column < columns
    }
    subscript(row: Int, column: Int) -> Double {
        get {
            assert(indexIsValid(row: row, column: column), "Index out of range")
            return grid[(row * columns) + column]
        }
        set {
            assert(indexIsValid(row: row, column: column), "Index out of range")
            grid[(row * columns) + column] = newValue
        }
    }
}

• Type Subscripts - subscripts defined on the type itself. Use static for struct and enum, and class for class to enable overriding.

example :

enum Planet: Int {
    case mercury = 1, venus, earth, mars, jupiter, saturn, uranus, neptune
    static subscript(n: Int) -> Planet {
        return Planet(rawValue: n)!
    }
}
let mars = Planet[4]
print(mars)