retendo/ios-freshstart

Some thoughts about starting an iOS Project.
Partly unfiltered/unsorted.
Note to self: Maybe I could put that into real sentences and make a blog post for iOS beginners.

Clean start:
http://stackoverflow.com/questions/25783282/how-to-create-an-empty-application-in-xcode-6-without-storyboard

• New Single Page Application

• init git

• init/clean install cocoapods

• install xcproj, so cocoa pods doesn't mess up your project file (or clean it yourself after installing pods with xcproj touch)

• add gitignore

• • .ignore plugin for appcode works fine

• delete storyboard & launchimage.xib

• • delete references in info.plist as well

• Add launch image & dashboard icon asset bundle

• • create dummy logo

• use Asset Catalog Creator to create launch images and icons

• put asset bundle in images.xcassets

• Add window creation code in appDidFinishLaunching

• • init with screen bounds

• make key and visible

• set on app delegate property

• set root view controller of window

• Add Classes directory

• • Put AppDelegate and view controller in there

• Setup basic MVVM app structure in Classes folder

• • View (incl. view controllers)

• Model

• ViewModel

• Service (* that communicates with external stuff. API, GPS...)

• Util (single purpose computing stuff, categories on non-views...)

ViewController:

• custom mandatory initWithViewModel

• • override designated superclass initializer initWithNibName...

• return self initWithViewModel:nil in it

• in custom initializer

• • call super designated initializer

• NSParameterAssert(viewModel != nil) to make sure the view model is set

• set viewModel parameter on private property

• would not crash with nil view model but MVVM view controller is useless without it

• With ReactiveCocoa

• • Subscribe to signal properties from viewmodel

ViewModel:

• Expose signals instead of value properties -> composition takes place in view model instead of view -> good

Databinding:

• No Databinding

• • view controller passes one update block to view model that gets called, when anything changes

• in the block every view gets re-rendered only based on view model state (react style)

• should have some kind of diff algorithm for determining what changed in the view model (virtual dom style)

• maybe with react native or the other components lib from facebook if it ever gets open sourced

• Self implemented block based "data binding" without KVO seems to be too much to implement

• • ViewModel
• • exposing public subscribeToXXX methods which take update blocks

• declaring update blocks as private properties

• override setters of private value properties to always call the appropriate update blocks

• could use KVO internally instead of overriding setter - still too much to implement

• View

• • could become difficult if it is just block based and there is a combination of value changes that should make certain changes in the UI

• ReactiveCocoa

• • Let’s try that tomorrow, seems to be a good match ;)

• Less code required

• Logic more centralized in init

• Less private methods -> less code navigation

• But: -> Readability is something you have to get use to, depends on how familiar you are with FRP and stuff like that

Model:

• Depends on the amount of persistence you need.
• Options to consider:
• • JSONModel
• Mantle
• Realm.io
• Some SQLLite wrapper
• CoreData / RestKit

Service:

• Similar to ViewModel in that it exposes Signals as properties or return values of methods
• If you implement a mock service first, use a protocol that declares all public methods. Use mock service as id<Prototol> type so you can easily switch it out later