Hey there, Swift aficionados! Ready to dive into the world of Swift collections? Buckle up, because we’re about to embark on a journey through the data structures that make Swift such a powerful language. We’ll explore how to wrangle your data like a pro using Swift’s built-in collection types.

Swift’s Core Collections

Swift gives us three main types of collections to play with. Let’s break them down:

1. Arrays: The ordered party line
2. Sets: The unique guest list
3. Dictionaries: The key-value pair dance

Arrays

Arrays are the workhorses of Swift collections. They’re ordered, can contain duplicates, and are perfect for when you need to maintain a specific sequence.

var swiftVersions = [5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5]
swiftVersions.append(5.6)
print(swiftVersions[2]) 
// Outputs: 5.2

Pro tip: Use map, filter, and reduce to transform your arrays with style!

let doubledVersions = swiftVersions.map { $0 * 2 }
print(doubledVersions) 
// Outputs: [10.0, 10.2, 10.4, 10.6, 10.8, 11.0, 11.2]

let majorVersions = swiftVersions.filter {     
    $0.truncatingRemainder(dividingBy: 1) == 0 
}
print(majorVersions) 
// Outputs: [5.0]

SETS

When you need a collection of unique items and don’t care about order, Sets are your go-to.

var swiftFeatures: Set = ["Optionals", "Generics", "Protocols"]
swiftFeatures.insert("Macros")
print(swiftFeatures.contains("Optionals")) 
// Outputs: true

Sets are great for quick lookups and removing duplicates:

let numbers = [1, 2, 2, 3, 3, 3, 4, 5]
let uniqueNumbers = Set(numbers)
print(uniqueNumbers) 
// Outputs: [5, 2, 3, 1, 4] (order may vary)

DICTIONARIES

Dictionaries are perfect when you need to associate values with unique keys.

var swiftVersionDates = [
    5.0: "September 2018",
    5.1: "September 2019",
    5.2: "March 2020"
]
swiftVersionDates[5.3] = "September 2020"
print(swiftVersionDates[5.1, default: "Unknown"]) 
// Outputs: September 2019

TUPLES

While not a collection in the traditional sense, tuples are worth mentioning as they allow you to group multiple values:

let httpStatus = (code: 200, message: "OK")
print(httpStatus.code) 
// Outputs: 200
print(httpStatus.message) 
// Outputs: OK

Collection Operations

Swift provides powerful operations that work across collection types:

Iteration

for version in swiftVersions {
    print("Swift \(version)")
}

for (version, date) in swiftVersionDates {
    print("Swift \(version) was released in \(date)")
}

Sorting

let sortedVersions = swiftVersions.sorted()
print(sortedVersions) 
// Outputs: [5.0, 5.1, 5.2, 5.3, 5.4, 5.5, 5.6]

Combining Collections

let moreFeatures: Set = ["Closures", "Extensions"]
let allFeatures = swiftFeatures.union(moreFeatures)
print(allFeatures) 
// Outputs all features (order may vary)

Wrapping Up

Whether you’re sorting, searching, or transforming, there’s a collection type that’s perfect for the job. As you level up your Swift skills, make sure to explore the full potential of these data structures.

Remember, choosing the right collection can make your code not just functional, but elegant and efficient. So go forth and collect responsibly!

Happy coding, Swift enthusiasts! 🚀