How to check object is nil or not in swift?

Solution 1:

If abc is an optional, then the usual way to do this would be to attempt to unwrap it in an if statement:

if let variableName = abc { // If casting, use, eg, if let var = abc as? NSString
    // variableName will be abc, unwrapped
} else {
    // abc is nil
}

However, to answer your actual question, your problem is that you're typing the variable such that it can never be optional.

Remember that in Swift, nil is a value which can only apply to optionals.

Since you've declared your variable as:

var abc: NSString ...

it is not optional, and cannot be nil.

Try declaring it as:

var abc: NSString? ...

or alternatively letting the compiler infer the type.

Solution 2:

The case of if abc == nil is used when you are declaring a var and want to force unwrap and then check for null. Here you know this can be nil and you can check if != nil use the NSString functions from foundation.

In case of String? you are not aware what is wrapped at runtime and hence you have to use if-let and perform the check.

You were doing following but without "!". Hope this clears it.

From apple docs look at this:

let assumedString: String! = "An implicitly unwrapped optional string."

You can still treat an implicitly unwrapped optional like a normal optional, to check if it contains a value:

if assumedString != nil {
    println(assumedString)
}
// prints "An implicitly unwrapped optional string."

Solution 3:

The null check is really done nice with guard keyword in swift. It improves the code readability and the scope of the variables are still available after the nil checks if you want to use them.

func setXYX -> Void{

     guard a != nil  else {
        return;
    }

    guard  b != nil else {
        return;
    }

    print (" a and b is not null");
}

Solution 4:

I ended up writing utility function for nil check

func isObjectNotNil(object:AnyObject!) -> Bool
{
    if let _:AnyObject = object
    {
        return true
    }

    return false
}

Does the same job & code looks clean!

Usage

var someVar:NSNumber? 

if isObjectNotNil(someVar)
{
   print("Object is NOT nil")
}
else
{
   print("Object is nil")
}

Solution 5:

func isObjectValid(someObject: Any?) -> Any? {
    if someObject is String {
        if let someObject = someObject as? String {
            return someObject
        }else {
            return ""
        }
    }else if someObject is Array<Any> {
        if let someObject = someObject as? Array<Any> {
            return someObject
        }else {
            return []
        }
    }else if someObject is Dictionary<AnyHashable, Any> {
        if let someObject = someObject as? Dictionary<String, Any> {
            return someObject
        }else {
            return [:]
        }
    }else if someObject is Data {
        if let someObject = someObject as? Data {
            return someObject
        }else {
            return Data()
        }
    }else if someObject is NSNumber {
        if let someObject = someObject as? NSNumber{
            return someObject
        }else {
            return NSNumber.init(booleanLiteral: false)
        }
    }else if someObject is UIImage {
        if let someObject = someObject as? UIImage {
            return someObject
        }else {
            return UIImage()
        }
    }
    else {
        return "InValid Object"
    }
}

This function checks any kind of object and return's default value of the kind of object, if object is invalid.