iOS16 - How to navigate through hidden links with an optional value? - swiftui-navigationlink

Question

I previously used an optional value to click a hidden link to navigate in my app. Something like this example in Hacking With Swift:
#State private var selection: String? = nil
var body: some View {
....
NavigationLink(destination: Text("View A"), tag: "A", selection: $selection) { EmptyView() }
NavigationLink(destination: Text("View B"), tag: "B", selection: $selection) { EmptyView() }
Button("Tap to show A") {
selection = "A"
}
Button("Tap to show B") {
selection = "B"
}
With iOS 16 this is deprecated. I am currently setting an optional value and when it's not nil I want a link to open. I can't figure out how to do it with the new NavigationLink/Value/Destination combination. Has anyone else figured out how to do it?
I created a new projects and switched ContentView to the following:
private enum Destinations: Hashable {
case empty
case general
case myQuestionView(String)
}
struct ContentView: View {
#State private var selection: Destinations?
#State private var mySelectedString: String?
var body: some View {
NavigationSplitView {
List(selection: $selection) {
NavigationLink(value: Destinations.general) {
Text("Example")
}
if mySelectedString != nil {
NavigationLink(value: Destinations.myQuestionView(mySelectedString!)) {
Text("String: \(mySelectedString ?? "no name")")
}
}
Button(action: {
mySelectedString = "A Name"
}, label: {
Text("Set the value")
})
}
} detail: {
NavigationStack {
switch selection ?? .empty {
case .empty: Text("Please select an option to continue.")
case .general: Text("Result of this option")
case .myQuestionView(let aString): Text("Hello \(aString)")
}
}
}
}
}
Here the Set the value button sets the selectedString which makes the link appear but I can't make it automatically navigate AND, ideally, it would never appear and would navigate when the value is set.

Answer 1

Okay... the answer is super simple and leaving the question and this answer up in case it helps someone else.
You don't need to have an invisible NavigationLink. You just need to set the selection to the new destination: selection = .myQuestionView("this name instead"). Or, if I was using the navigation path NavigationStack(path: $myPath) I'd just append it.
So in this specific example ContentView would now be:
private enum Destinations: Hashable {
case empty
case general
case myQuestionView(String)
}
struct ContentView: View {
#State private var selection: Destinations?
var body: some View {
NavigationSplitView {
List(selection: $selection) {
NavigationLink(value: Destinations.general) {
Text("Example")
}
Button(action: {
selection = .myQuestionView("this name instead")
}, label: {
Text("Set the value")
})
}
} detail: {
NavigationStack {
switch selection ?? .empty {
case .empty: Text("Please select an option to continue.")
case .general: Text("Result of this option")
case .myQuestionView(let aString): Text("Hello \(aString)")
}
}
}
}
}