Swift's "if let" equivalent in Objective C - objective-c

Question

What would be "if let" equivalent in Objective C? The example snippet I want to convert to Objective C is below;
if let pfobjects = images as? [PFObject] {
if pfobjects.count > 0 {
var imageView: PFImageView = PFImageView()
imageView.file = pfobjects[0] as! PFFile
imageView.loadInBackground()
}
}

Answer 1

There's no direct equivalent to if let in Objective-C, because if let does Swift-specific things (unwrapping optionals and rebinding identifiers) that don't have direct equivalents in Objective-C.
Here's a nearly equivalent of your Swift code:
if (images != nil) {
NSArray<PFObject *> *pfobjects = (id)images;
if (pfobjects.count > 0) {
PFImageView *imageView = [[PFImageView alloc] init];
assert([pfobjects[0] isKindOfClass:[PFFile class]]);
imageView.file = (PFFile *)pfobjects[0];
[imageView loadInBackground];
}
}
But this Objective-C code won't verify that images only contains instances of PFObject, and should successfully create an image view as long as pfobjects[0] is a PFFile. Your Swift code will do nothing (create no image view) if images contains any non-PFObject elements.

Answer 2

You can use NSPredicate to verify the array contains only instances of PFObject:
NSPredicate *p = [NSPredicate predicateWithFormat:#"self isKindOfClass: %#", [PFObject class]];
NSInteger numberThatArePFObjects = [images filteredArrayUsingPredicate:p].count;
if(numberThatArePFObjects && numberThatArePFObjects == images.count){
// certain that images only contains instances of PFObject.
}
If however you weren't working with an array but a single object then it is simpler:
if([image isKindOfClass:[PFObject class]]){
// certain that image is a valid PFObject.
}
Or if you wanted a new variable:
PFObject* obj = nil;
if([image isKindOfClass:[PFObject class]] && (obj = image)){
// certain that obj is a valid PFObject.
}

Answer 3

You can use something like this:
NSArray<PFObject *> *pfobjects;
if ([images isKindOfClass: [NSArray<PFObject> class]] && (pfobjects = images)) {
// your code here
}

Answer 4

You want three things simultaneously. Let's split them:
variable as? OtherType is possible, but erases type, because it returns id. Implementation is as easy as a category on NSObject class, so it becomes NSArray *array = [jsonDict[#"objects"] ifKindOfClass:NSArray.class].
Implementation
#interface NSObject (OptionalDowncast)
- (id)ifKindOfClass:(__unsafe_unretained Class)clazz;
#end
#implementation NSObject (OptionalDowncast)
- (id)ifKindOfClass:(__unsafe_unretained Class)clazz {
return [self isKindOfClass:clazz] ? self : nil;
}
#end
if let is also possible in Objective-C if type is known, so it cannot be combined with previous thing. Easiest way is: for(NSArray *array = [self getItems]; array != nil; array = nil) { ... }, but if you want to use else branch, it gets a bit more complex. I have made SwiftyObjC pod for that, please take a look
Check generic template is not possible during type cast in Objective-C, thus you can cast to NSArray, but you can't cast to NSArray<PFObject>
I don't see iterations over your array: With all that being said, I think best example is (assuming images is an array already):
for(PFFile *file = [images.firstObject ifKindOfClass:PFFile.class]; file != nil; file = nil) {
imageView.file = file;
[imageView loadInBackground];
}
If you need to also iterate over it:
for(id object in images) {
for(PFFile *file = [object ifKindOfClass:PFFile.class]; file != nil; file = nil) {
//operate on file
}
}

Answer 5

You can use Objective-C++ in place of Objective-C. In this you can use the next define:
#define let const auto
Note: it is not the same exactly (Swift has wrapped values, ...) but it makes the work easier.
And through of this define you can use it of this way:
if (let pfobjects = images) {
if (pfobjects.count > 0 {
let imageView = [[PFImageView alloc] init];
imageView.file = pfobjects[0];
imageView loadInBackground();
}
}
To convert your Objective-C class in Objective-C++ class you only must change the extension of implementation file of .m to .mm