Implementing a Protocol Partially in Objective-C and Swift: Here’s How to Do It

Описание: Discover how to effectively implement UITableViewDataSource methods in both `Objective-C` and `Swift` without compilation errors. Learn the best practices to manage hybrid language projects in iOS development.
---
This video is based on the question https://stackoverflow.com/q/64722595/ asked by the user 'matt' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/390745/ ) and on the answer https://stackoverflow.com/a/64737179/ provided by the user 'Cristik' ( https://stackoverflow.com/u/1974224/ ) at 'Stack Overflow' website. Thanks to these great users and Stackexchange community for their contributions.

Visit these links for original content and any more details, such as alternate solutions, latest updates/developments on topic, comments, revision history etc. For example, the original title of the Question was: Implement protocol partially in Objective C and partially in Swift

Also, Content (except music) licensed under CC BY-SA https://meta.stackexchange.com/help/l...
The original Question post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license, and the original Answer post is licensed under the 'CC BY-SA 4.0' ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/... ) license.

If anything seems off to you, please feel free to write me at vlogize [AT] gmail [DOT] com.
---
Implementing a Protocol Partially in Objective-C and Swift: Here’s How to Do It

When dealing with an iOS project that utilizes both Objective-C and Swift, developers often encounter the challenge of how to implement protocols using a mixture of both languages. One common scenario is wanting to implement a method in Swift while keeping other methods in Objective-C. This post will guide you through the issue and provide viable solutions to avoid compilation errors.

The Problem: Protocol Conflicts

Imagine you have a class written primarily in Objective-C that implements the UITableViewDataSource protocol. In many cases, developers want to gradually migrate certain methods to Swift. However, this can lead to conflicts during compilation.

Example Class Declaration

Consider the following Objective-C class declaration:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

In your implementation file (.m), you have some methods defined:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

Now, you attempt to move one of the methods out of the Objective-C file into a Swift extension:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

However, an error occurs stating that there's a conflict because the UITableViewDataSource methods already exist as part of the protocol.

Understanding the Compilation Process

The error arises during the compilation process, specifically after the bridging header is processed but before the compilation of Objective-C files. Here’s a brief overview of the order of operations:

Bridging Header - This allows Swift to access Objective-C code.

Swift Files Compilation - Swift code is compiled next.

Objective-C Files Compilation - Finally, Objective-C code is compiled.

At step 2, the compiler notes that SetupViewController conforms to the UITableViewDataSource protocol and expects certain methods to be implemented. Because it finds conflicting implementations from both languages, it throws an error.

The Solution: Single Language Implementation

To resolve this issue, it’s crucial to fully implement the methods of the protocol in one language. Here are a couple of approaches you can consider:

1. Move Protocol Conformance to Swift

One way to handle this conflict is to move the conformance of UITableViewDataSource entirely to Swift. Here’s how:

Remove <UITableViewDataSource> from the .h file.

Declare the protocol conformance in your Swift extension:

[[See Video to Reveal this Text or Code Snippet]]

2. Implement All Methods in Objective-C

If moving to Swift is not an option, the alternative is to simply implement all UITableViewDataSource methods in Objective-C. This simplifies the process but may require rewriting code initially created in Swift.

Conclusion

Working with both Objective-C and Swift in the same project can present unique challenges, particularly when implementing protocol methods. The key takeaway is to ensure that all non-optional protocol methods are definitively implemented in either one language or the other, or potentially refactored to avoid conflict. With this strategy, you can maintain clarity and avoid compilation headaches as you mix the two languages in your iOS development projects.

By applying these methods, your dual-language project can run smoothly, and you can progressively adopt Swift while still leaning on your existing Objective-C code.