<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=utf-8"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space;" class="">Hi All.<div class=""><br class=""></div><div class="">In the code below, I have the method</div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">public</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">class</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">func</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> sortDescriptorsFromString(sortString :</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(112, 61, 170);" class="">String</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">) </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">throws</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> -> [</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(112, 61, 170);" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">]</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><font face="Menlo" class=""><span style="font-size: 11px;" class="">In order to make life easier, I would like to make sortString optional, but then I would have to make the return type optional to to be able to return nil if the argument is nil. To get around this, I’ve added a stub method</span></font></div><div class=""><font face="Menlo" class=""><span style="font-size: 11px;" class=""><br class=""></span></font></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">public</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">class</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">func</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> sortDescriptorsFromString(sortString :</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(112, 61, 170);" class="">String</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">?) </span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(187, 44, 162);" class="">throws</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""> -> [</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: rgb(112, 61, 170);" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">]?</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">that declares the argument to be optional and the return type to be optional.</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">I get the feeling that there is a way to not have to write a stub method every time I want to do this. I also get the feeling that I should be able to accomplish it through generics. But I do not know how to write the declaration for such a method. Can anyone help?</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">Thanks!</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class="">-Kenny</span></div><div class=""><span style="font-family: Menlo; font-size: 11px; font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures;" class=""><br class=""></span></div><div class=""><br class=""></div><div class=""><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; color: rgb(112, 61, 170);" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">extension</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #000000" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #000000" class=""> {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">public</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">class</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">func</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> sortDescriptorsFromString(sortString :</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #703daa" class="">String</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">) </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">throws</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> -> [</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #703daa" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">] {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">var</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptors = [NSSortDescriptor]()</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">let</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> components = sortString.split(</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #d12f1b" class="">"[, ]+"</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">for</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> i </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">in</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #272ad8" class="">0</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">.stride(to: components.count, by: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #272ad8" class="">2</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">let</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> key = components[i]</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">let</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> direction = components[i + </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #272ad8" class="">1</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">]</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">var</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor :</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #703daa" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">?</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_STRINGS_ASCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">true</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_STRINGS_DESCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">false</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_STRINGS_CASEINSENSITIVE_ASCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">true</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">, selector: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #d12f1b" class="">"caseInsensitiveCompare:"</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">);</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_STRINGS_CASEINSENSITIVE_DESCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">false</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">, selector: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #d12f1b" class="">"caseInsensitiveCompare:"</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">);</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_DATE_ASCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">true</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">, selector: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #d12f1b" class="">"compare:"</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">);</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> SORT_DATE_DESCENDING.contains(direction) {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptor = NSSortDescriptor(key: key, ascending: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">false</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">, selector: </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #d12f1b" class="">"compare:"</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">);</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> }</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">if</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">let</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> nnDescriptor = descriptor {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptors.append(nnDescriptor)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> } </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">throw</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> NSSortDescriptorError.UnsupportedSortDirection</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> }</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> }</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">return</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> descriptors</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> }</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">public</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">class</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">func</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> sortDescriptorsFromString(sortString :</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #703daa" class="">String</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">?) </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">throws</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> -> [</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #703daa" class="">NSSortDescriptor</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">]? {</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">guard</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">let</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> sortString = sortString </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">else</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> {</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">return</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">nil</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">}</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">return</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">try</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> </span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures; color: #bb2ca2" class="">self</span><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">.sortDescriptorsFromString(sortString)</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""> }</span></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo; min-height: 13px;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""></span><br class=""></div><div style="margin: 0px; font-size: 11px; line-height: normal; font-family: Menlo;" class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class="">}</span></div></div><div class=""><span style="font-variant-ligatures: no-common-ligatures" class=""><br class=""></span></div></body></html>