Swift Class
Swift Class is a blueprint or template for an instance of that class. The term object is often used to refer to an instance of a class.
An instance of a class is traditionally known as an object. However, in Swift classes and structures are much closer in functionality than in other languages. Hence we use the words instance and objects interchangeably.
Swift Class Syntax
import Foundation
class TestClass {
var str = "Hello, playground"
var number = 1
}
Creating an instance of the class as shown below.
import Foundation
class TestClass { var str = "Hello, playground" var number = 1 } var obj = TestClass() print(obj.str) //prints Hello, playground print(obj.number) //prints 1
Swift Class Initializers
Unlike Structs(Swift Struct), Classes don’t have default Initializers. We’ll need to create our own initializers and assign values to the properties in them.
The code snippet below contains a class with an initializer.
import Foundation
class TestClass {
var str: String
var number: Int
init(str: String, number: Int) {
self.str = str
self.number = number
}
}
var obj = TestClass(str: "Hello World",number: 2)
print("Default String is \(obj.str) and Default number is \(obj.number)")
[quote font=”helvetica” font_style=”italic”]Note: A compiler error would occur if any of the declared properties aren’t initialized in a class.[/quote]
Declare multiple initializers in your class as shown below.
import Foundation
class TestClass {
var str: String
var number: Int
init(str: String, number: Int) {
self.str = str
self.number = number
}
init() {
str = "Declare as many initalisers as you want"
number = 0
}
}
var obj = TestClass(str: "Hello World",number: 2)
print("Default String is \(obj.str) and Default number is \(obj.number)")
var obj2 = TestClass()
print("Default String is \(obj2.str) and Default number is \(obj2.number)")
Swift Classes Inheritance
- Inheritance defines a relationship where a subclass can be defined in terms of a superclass.
- Classes support inheritance whereas Structures do not.
- Any class that does not inherit from another class is known as a base class.
- Subclassing is the act of basing a new class on an existing class. The subclass inherits characteristics from the existing class, which we can then refine as well as add new characteristics.
Let’s create a base class as shown below.
import Foundation
class Animal {
var isVeg: Bool
var eats: String
var numberOfLegs: Int
init(isVeg: Bool, eats: String, numberOfLegs: Int) {
self.isVeg = isVeg
self.eats = eats
self.numberOfLegs = numberOfLegs
}
func printProperties() {
print("Is Veg? \(isVeg). Eats: \(eats). Number of legs: \(numberOfLegs)")
}
}
So Animal is the base class that’ll be inherited by our subclasses. Before we get down to them, let’s try creating an instance of the above class and calling the instance method over it as shown below.
var anim = Animal(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4) anim.printProperties() //prints Is Veg? false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4
To extend the superclass in the subclass, we write the subclass name followed by a colon and then the superclass name as shown below.
class Tiger: Animal {
//Add class specific implementation
}
Without setting anything in the subclass, we can create an instance of Tiger class with the initializer of the superclass. To access the properties and functions of the superclass the dot operator is used.
var tiger = Tiger(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4) tiger.printProperties() //prints Is Veg? false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4
To override the functions of the superclass, we use the keyword override in the subclass as shown below.
class Tiger: Animal {
override func printProperties() {
super.printProperties()
print("This is Subclass Tiger")
}
}
var tiger = Tiger(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4)
tiger.printProperties()
//Is Veg?: false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4
//This is Subclass Tiger
To access properties/functions of the superclass inside the class we use the super keyword followed by the dot operator. If the function printProperties in the Animal class is set to final, it can’t be overridden and will lead to a compilation error.
import Foundation
class Animal {
var isVeg: Bool
var eats: String
var numberOfLegs: Int
init(isVeg: Bool, eats: String, numberOfLegs: Int) {
self.isVeg = isVeg
self.eats = eats
self.numberOfLegs = numberOfLegs
}
final func printProperties() {
print("Is Veg?: \(isVeg). Eats: \(eats). Number of legs: \(numberOfLegs)")
}
}
class Tiger: Animal {
//Error: Instance method overrides a 'final' instance method
override func printProperties() {
super.printProperties()
print("This is Subclass Tiger")
}
}
var tiger = Tiger(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4)
tiger.printProperties() //Error: Ambiguous use of 'printProperties()'
In the following code, we place properties inside a subclass and create it’s own init
import Foundation
class Animal {
var isVeg: Bool
var eats: String
var numberOfLegs: Int
init(isVeg: Bool, eats: String, numberOfLegs: Int) {
self.isVeg = isVeg
self.eats = eats
self.numberOfLegs = numberOfLegs
}
func printProperties() {
print("Is Veg?: \(isVeg). Eats: \(eats). Number of legs: \(numberOfLegs)")
}
}
class Tiger: Animal {
var color: String
init(isVeg: Bool, eats: String, numberOfLegs: Int, color: String) {
self.color = color
super.init(isVeg: isVeg, eats: eats, numberOfLegs: numberOfLegs)
}
override func printProperties() {
print("Is Veg? \(isVeg). Eats: \(eats). Number of legs: \(numberOfLegs). Color is \(color).")
}
}
var tiger = Tiger(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4, color: "White")
tiger.printProperties() //prints Is Veg? false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4. Color is White.
In the above code, we add another property color to the subclass. super.init is called to initalise the properties of the superclass once the subclass properties are initialised.
Swift Classes are Reference Types
Unlike Structs, Classes are passed by reference and not value. Let’s set the above tiger instance to another variable and change its properties.
var tiger = Tiger(isVeg: false, eats: "Can eat you", numberOfLegs: 4, color: "White") var tiger1 = tiger tiger1.color = "Yellow" tiger.printProperties() //Is Veg? false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4. Color is Yellow. tiger1.printProperties() //Is Veg? false. Eats: Can eat you. Number of legs: 4. Color is Yellow.
The output on printing the property color on both the tiger and tiger1 instances is the same because tiger1 is not a copy of the tiger. It is the same as tiger.
Convenience Initializers
Convenience Initializers act as supporting initializers for the main initializers of the class. These are primarily used to set default values in the main initializers. Convenience Initializers require the keyword convenience before init as shown below.
import Foundation
class TestClass {
var eyes: Int
var legs: Int
init(eyes: Int, legs: Int)
{
self.eyes = eyes
self.legs = legs
}
convenience init() {
self.init(eyes: 2, legs: 4)
}
}
var obj = TestClass()
print(obj.eyes) //prints 2
print(obj.legs) //prints 4
[quote font=”helvetica”]Note: Convenience initializers are only valid when a normal initializer was already declared in the class A convenience initializer must call another initializer from the same class.[/quote]
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