SwiftUI: TextField placeholder vs title when used in Form - swiftui

I am using a TextField with the following code:
struct ContentView: View
{
#State var field: String = "Test"
var body: some View
{
Form
{
HStack
{
TextField("", text: $field)
.border(.blue)
}
.border(.red)
}
}
}
My problems that when using the TextField within a form it is introducing some space at the beginning of the text field for a title:
Sure enough if I change the "" to "Description" it fills in the space with the word Description.
According to what I have read I thought the first parameter of TextField was supposed to be a placeholder?
This seems like a very basic question and I'm embarrassed that I haven't been able to find the answer myself. How do I get rid of the space at the beginning of the TextField?

OK I found the problem. It turns out that the Form command is not absolutely necessary like with would be with HTML. When you use it, its purpose appears to be to pad the title column to be the same width so the TextFields align themselves consistently. Removing the Form command puts the behaviour of TextField back to using placeholder and removes the spacing at the front of the TextField.

Related

SwiftUI clear TextField placeholder on focus is working only in a certain way

I am trying to remove the placeholder from a textfield in SwiftUI when user taps on the textfield. So as suggested in stackoverflow i used the following code.
import Foundation
import SwiftUI
import ApplicationCore
struct StartUpScreen: View {
#State var password = ""
#State var passwordPlaceholder = "Enter Password"
var body: some View {
TextField(self.$passwordPlaceholder.wrappedValue, text: $password, onEditingChanged: { (changed) in
print("Password onEditingChanged - \(changed)")
switch changed {
case true:
self.$passwordPlaceholder.wrappedValue
= self.$password.wrappedValue
self.$password.wrappedValue = ""
case false:
break
}
})
}
}
But when i run it nothing happens. The placeholder remains as it is when the user taps on the TextField box. So i just changed this line
self.$password.wrappedValue = ""
to this
self.$password.wrappedValue = " "
and it worked. So the answer i found in stackoverflow was wrong although everyone voted up for it so i thought it should work for me as well. Moreover the weird thing is that although i enter a space to work i do not see any spaces in my TextField and everything works great.
...but i want to understand what is going on behind the scenes.
Is there any logic explanation behind all this? Any help appreciated.

How can I update/save a Property Change for Child Item from a Hierarchical List View of Items

See the following app screens:
Content View Screen:
Content View with hierarchical list children rows disclosed:
Parent Row Detail View:
Child Row Detail View:
Referencing the above views, here are the steps I do and the resulting problem I’m trying to solve:
Launch the app.
From the Functions (Content View) presented at launch, see that there is one item listed in a list view (1.0 Move Vessel)
Click the yellow (my app accent color) disclosure arrow at the right of the list item.
Two subordinate child list rows appear under the parent list item, 1.1 Move Position and 1.2 Hold Position.
When I tap the parent item (1.0 Move Vessel) in the hierarchy list, I'm successfully able to navigate to a detail view for that tapped item.
Edit the description of the 1.0 Move Vessel item (defaults to test) of the tapped item properties in the detail view using a TextEditor view.
Click yellow Save button at top left of detail view. The app navigates back to the parent Functions (Content View).
Click on the parent 1.0 Move Vessel row again.
See that description was successfully saved and now displayed from the change made in Step 5 and 6.
Repeat steps 5 through 8 again for 1.1 Move Position list row.
See that the edit/change made to the description was not saved and the default test1 description is displayed instead (not what is wanted).
Repeat steps 5 through 8 again for 1.2 Hold Position list row.
See that the edit/change made to the description was not saved and the default test2 description is displayed instead (not what is wanted).
I think I may have a problem in my save code logic and I'm trying to investigate.
Here are the swift files for the Detail View, the View Model, and the Model (I’ve not included the content view code because that code is working ok with the detail view. Again, I think the problem is in my save button and function call code for updating the view model.
NOTE: sorry that I can’t seem to figure out how to get all the code for a file contiguous in the code view. I seem to have some closing braces that don’t appear in the code view. I think you can still follow the code.
struct FunctionDetailView: View {
#State var vesselFunction: VesselFunction
#State var vesselFunctionDescription: String
#Environment(\.presentationMode) var presentationMode
#EnvironmentObject var functionViewModel : FunctionViewModel
var body: some View {
NavigationView {
Form {
Text("Enter description below")
TextEditor(text: $vesselFunctionDescription)
.frame(height: 200)
.toolbar {
Button {
//print(vesselFunction)
vesselFunction.funcDescription = vesselFunctionDescription
//print(vesselFunction)
functionViewModel.updateVesselFunction(vesselFunction: vesselFunction)
//print(vesselFunction)
presentationMode.wrappedValue.dismiss()
} label: {
Text("Save")
}
}
}
.padding()
.navigationTitle(vesselFunction.name)
.navigationBarTitleDisplayMode(.inline)
}
}
}
struct FunctionDetailView_Previews: PreviewProvider {
static var previews: some View {
FunctionDetailView(vesselFunction: VesselFunction(id: UUID(), name: "x.x Verb Noun", funcDescription: "Description", children: nil), vesselFunctionDescription: "placeholder")
.environmentObject(FunctionViewModel())
.preferredColorScheme(.dark)
}
}
FunctionViewModel.swift
#MainActor class FunctionViewModel: ObservableObject {
#Published private(set) var decomp : [VesselFunction] = [
VesselFunction(id: UUID(), name: "1.0 Move Vessel", funcDescription: "test", children: [
VesselFunction(id: UUID(), name: "1.1 Move Position", funcDescription: "test1", children: nil),
VesselFunction(id: UUID(), name: "1.2 Hold Position", funcDescription: "test2", children: nil)
])
]
func updateVesselFunction(vesselFunction: VesselFunction) {
/*
if let index = decomp.firstIndex(where: { (existingVesselFunction) -> Bool in
return existingVesselFunction.id == vesselFunction.id
}) {
//run this code
}
*/
// cleaner version of above
if let index = decomp.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == vesselFunction.id }) {
decomp[index] = vesselFunction.updateCompletion()
}
/*
else {
for item in decomp {
if item.children != nil {
if let index = item.children?.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == vesselFunction.id }) {
item.children![index] = vesselFunction.updateCompletion()
}
}
}
} */
}
}
FunctionModel.swift
struct VesselFunction: Identifiable {
let id : UUID
let name : String
var funcDescription : String
var children : [VesselFunction]?
init(id: UUID, name: String, funcDescription: String, children: [VesselFunction]?) {
self.id = id
self.name = name
self.funcDescription = funcDescription
self.children = children
}
func updateCompletion() -> VesselFunction {
return VesselFunction(id: id, name: name, funcDescription: funcDescription, children: children)
}
}
As you can see from the else and for-in loop code commented out at the bottom of the FunctionViewModel code, I was trying to see if I needed to do something like this code to access the children VesselFunction array entries of the decomp published property. With the if let index code that is not commented out, the save function works but only for the top-level decomp array VesselFunction elements, not the nested children arrays elements.
Any help would be appreciated so all decomp array elements, both parent and nested children, can be updated when the TextEditor field is changed and the Save button is pressed in the FunctionDetailView.
NOTE: I am only showing a 1 level deep nested array of children for the decomp property. I actually want to have multiple (at least 3) level of children arrays, so if you have any ideas how to make an updateVesselFunction function work for multiple children array elements, I would appreciate it.
In the main View use ForEach($model.items) { $item in so you get a write access to the model item. In the detail View change the #State to #Binding.
The issue isn't so much your code right now, as it is the architecture of the program. You really need to reorganize the app with MVVM concepts in mind. If you are not sure of them, study Apple’s SwiftUI Tutorials & Stanford’s CS193P. Without a proper architecture, you have gotten lost down a rabbit hole to the extent that I gave up trying to fix the code.
Also, given the structure of your data, I would give serious consideration to using Core Data to model it. Your VesselFunction struct contains an array of VesselFunction, and that it much better modeled as a relationship, rather than having a struct hold an array of the same struct which can hold an array of the same struct. It is a nightmare to deal with as a struct, instead of as a Core Data class.
I would also consider make your FunctionDetailView just display data, and have a separate editing view. This will keep your view separate and easier to manage.
Lastly, you have a lot of redundancy in your naming conventions. Theoretically, you could be trying to access a piece of data at functionViewModel.funcDescription (Not to mention: functionViewModel.children[index].children[subIndex].children[subSubIndex].funcDescription); this can get a bit unwieldy. The further you go down, the worse it will get.

Binding<String> action tried to update multiple times per frame in SwiftUI

I have a VM that is implemented as follows:
LoginViewModel
class LoginViewModel: ObservableObject {
var username: String = ""
var password: String = ""
}
In my ContentView, I use the VM as shown below:
#StateObject private var loginVM = LoginViewModel()
var body: some View {
NavigationView {
Form {
TextField("User name", text: $loginVM.username)
TextField("Password", text: $loginVM.password)
Every time I type something in the TextField it shows the following message in the output window:
Binding<String> action tried to update multiple times per frame.
Binding<String> action tried to update multiple times per frame.
Binding<String> action tried to update multiple times per frame.
It is a message and not an error.
If I decorate my username and password properties with #Published then the message goes away but the body is rendered each time I type in the TextField.
Any ideas what is going on and whether I should use #Published or not. I don't think I will gain anything from putting the #Published attribute since this is a one-way binding and I don't want to display anything on the view once the username changes.
If I decorate my username and password properties with #Published then the message goes away
This is the correct solution. You need to use #Published on those properties because that is how SwiftUI gets notified when the properties change.
the body is rendered each time I type in the TextField
That is fine. Your body method is not expensive to compute.
I don't think I will gain anything from putting the #Published attribute since this is a one-way binding
You cannot be sure SwiftUI will work correctly (now or in future releases) if you don't use #Published. SwiftUI expects to be notified when the value of a Binding changes, even when a built-in SwiftUI component like TextField causes the change.
For the simple case - the state is kept in the same view or in a ModelSupport class, consists of strings or other primitive types, and there's only one of each, #Published will work fine.
I got this error with a model class containing an array of structs and using a List, and every time you type inside a TextField inside a list (or every time you select an item in a list), the view gets refreshed, and the error gets triggered.
I am thus using a DelayedTextField:
struct DelayedTextField: View {
var title: String = ""
#Binding var text: String
#State private var tempText: String = ""
var body: some View {
TextField(title, text: $tempText, onEditingChanged: { editing in
if !editing {
$text.wrappedValue = tempText
}
})
.onAppear {
tempText = text
}
}
}
and the binding update error is no more.

Implementing Swift UI Picker

What is the correct way to implement a Picker component with specific logic within a Section element?
I would like to have each type displayed in a separate row.
var types = ["Books", "Films", "Music"]
var body: some View {
Form {
Section(header: Text("Type")) {
TextField("Type", text: $newCategoryType)
// Picker
}
}
}
First you must have a #State property that can be updated based on what selection the user makes, say in this case we have this
#State private var selectedType = "Books"
Then you will implement a Picker SwiftUI struct as follows
Picker("Please choose a type", selection: $selectedType) {
ForEach(types, id: \.self) {
Text($0)
}
}
Note that the \.self is really important for ForEach to distinguish between each element inside the list, without which the Picker won't perform the selection action correctly.
The above is enough for doing the job of displaying each option as a row since that is the default behaviour of ForEach
Additionally if you want to customise the look and feel of the picker
you would like to see .pickerStyle() view modifier, for which the docs and examples are mentioned
Also
Tip: Because pickers in forms have this navigation behavior, it’s important you present them in a NavigationView on iOS otherwise you’ll find that tapping them doesn’t work. This might be one you create directly around the form, or you could present the form from another view that itself was wrapped in a NavigationView.

Finding the accessibility(identifier:) of DatePicker() embedded in a Form in SwiftUI using an XCUIElementQuery

I have a SwiftUI view that has a Form that contains a DatePicker:
struct GettingUpTimeSettingView: View {
#State private var viewModel = GettingUpTimeSettingViewModel()
var body: some View {
VStack {
Form {
Spacer()
Text(viewModel.questionString)
.accessibility(identifier: "Question")
Spacer()
DatePicker("Alarm Time",
selection: $viewModel.gettingUpTime,
displayedComponents: .hourAndMinute)
.accessibility(identifier: "Time")
.animation(.easeInOut)
Spacer()
Text(viewModel.explanationString)
.accessibility(identifier: "Explanation")
}
}
}
}
And an XCTestCase class for UI Testing:
class SleepyGPIntroUITests: XCTestCase {
private var app: XCUIApplication!
override func setUp() {
continueAfterFailure = false
app = XCUIApplication()
app.launch()
greeting = app.staticTexts["Greeting"]
}
override func tearDown() {
app = nil
}
func test_InitialScreen_ChangesTo_GettingUpScreen_Automatically() {
//Given
let questionText = "What time do you want to get up?"
let explanationText = "This should be the same time every day, including at weekends and on days off. Our best chance of great sleep comes when we have a regular routine."
let timeText = "7:00am"
let question = app.staticTexts["Question"]
let explanation = app.staticTexts["Explanation"]
let time = app.staticTexts["Time"]
//When
_ = time.waitForExistence(timeout: 2)
//Then
XCTAssertFalse(greeting.exists)
XCTAssertEqual(question.label, questionText, "Should show question at top of view")
XCTAssertEqual(explanation.label, explanationText, "Should show explanation in view")
XCTAssertEqual(time.label, timeText, "Should show the correct default time")
}
When I run the test, it fails and gives me this message:
Failed to get matching snapshot: No matches found for Elements matching predicate '"Time" IN identifiers' from input {(
StaticText, identifier: 'Question', label: 'What time do you want to get up?',
StaticText, identifier: 'Explanation', label: 'This should be the same time every day, including at weekends and on days off. Our best chance of great sleep comes when we have a regular routine.'
)}
I'm not sure whether this is down to the DatePicker() being contained in a Form, or whether it's because I'm not using the correct XCUIElementQuery to find it?
When I move the DatePicker outside the Form, I can find it, but only by using its label, and not its accessibility identifier.
The accessibility identifiers are working fine for the Text objects.
I can also find it using
app.datePickers.firstMatch
when it's outside the form, but not when it's contained within it.
I've found this answer that describes some odd behaviour when SwiftUI objects are contained in forms, but still haven't managed to solve my problem.
Many thanks.
tl:dr Can't get XCUIElementQuery to return DatePicker element when UITesting if the DatePicker is contained in a SwiftUI Form.
I've found the answer, for anyone that's interested.
First of all, a piece of basic advice, if you're struggling to find out how to access an element when UI testing in XCode, just use the record function and access the element manually.
That's what I did, and it showed me that before a DatePicker() is tapped on in SwiftUI, it actually shows as a button, so to access it in the example above I used this code:
let alarmTimeButton = app.tables.buttons["Time"]