VDChain

VDChain is a Swift library that harnesses the power of @dynamicMemberLookup, KeyPath, and callAsFunction to enable function chaining. This simplifies the modification of objects, allowing for cleaner and more concise code.

Features

• Intuitive syntax for object modification
• Improved readability and maintainability of Swift code
• Great for both beginners and advanced Swift developers

Requirements

• Swift 5.1+
• iOS 11.0+
• macOS 10.13+

Usage

Start by importing SwiftChain in the files where you want to use it:

import VDChain

You can then use function chaining to modify your objects. For example:

let label = UILabel().chain
  .text("Text")
  .textColor(.red)
  .font(.system(24))
  .apply()

In this example, UILabel properties text, textColor, and font are set through function chaining.

Chain Creation

There are three methods you can use to create a chain with VDChain:

1. Using the .chain property: VDChain provides the .chain property on any NSObject type. You can also add this property to your own types by implementing the Chainable protocol. This protocol provides both static and instance properties, allowing you to call .chain on your types directly.

   let label = UILabel().chain
     .text("Hello, World!")
     .textColor(.red)
     .apply()
   

2. Using the postfix operator ~: You can also create a chain using the ~ operator. This is a shorthand way to begin a chain on any value without calling the .chain property or implementing Chainable protocol.

   let button = UIButton()~
     .title("Click me")
     .titleColor(.blue)
     .apply()
   

3. Using EmptyChaining or TypeChaining: You can create an empty chain using the EmptyChaining class.

   let view = EmptyChaining(self).wrap()
     .backgroundColor(.green)
     .apply()
   

Every chain method returns a Chain<...> object. To retrieve the original object from the chain, simply end your chain with the apply() method.

Type and Instance Chaining

VDChain supports chaining on both types and instances. You can define a chain of methods on a type and later use this chain on an instance of that type:

// Create a chain on the UILabel type that sets the text color to black
let blackColorModifier = UILabel.chain
  .textColor(.black)
  .apply()

// Use the chain on an instance of UILabel
let label = UILabel().chain
  .modifier(blackColorModifier)
  .apply()

This allows you to define complex chains of modifications at the type level and easily apply them to instances as needed.

Real-world Usage Example

To see VDChain in action, check out my other library, VDLayout.

Installation

1. Swift Package Manager

Create a Package.swift file.

// swift-tools-version:5.0
import PackageDescription

let package = Package(
  name: "SomeProject",
  dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/dankinsoid/VDChain.git", from: "3.6.0")
  ],
  targets: [
    .target(name: "SomeProject", dependencies: ["VDChain"])
  ]
)

$ swift build

2. CocoaPods

Add the following line to your Podfile:

pod 'VDChain'

and run pod update from the podfile directory first.

Author

dankinsoid, [email protected]

License

VDChain is available under the MIT license. See the LICENSE file for more info.