How to download file in swift?
I just started learning apple swift programming for iOS coming from android. I basically can now read and manipulate swift code and also learned some common classes used in iOS swift programming but still having some confusion with the syntax and everything.
I'm trying to download file. Like, lets just say coming from this URL
var url = "http://www.mywebsite.com/myfile.pdf"
in a button click. Maybe with visual progress too
Through searching here in stackoverflow, I stumbled upon Alamofire. I might try it but I'm not sure if this is the best way for me to do it.
So, I would like to ask how and what are my options (iOS7 and iOS8) in achieving my goal. Also, pros and cons would be awesome!
Example downloader class without Alamofire:
class Downloader {
class func load(URL: NSURL) {
let sessionConfig = NSURLSessionConfiguration.defaultSessionConfiguration()
let session = NSURLSession(configuration: sessionConfig, delegate: nil, delegateQueue: nil)
let request = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: URL)
request.HTTPMethod = "GET"
let task = session.dataTaskWithRequest(request, completionHandler: { (data: NSData!, response: NSURLResponse!, error: NSError!) -> Void in
if (error == nil) {
// Success
let statusCode = (response as NSHTTPURLResponse).statusCode
println("Success: \(statusCode)")
// This is your file-variable:
// data
}
else {
// Failure
println("Failure: %@", error.localizedDescription);
}
})
task.resume()
}
}
This is how to use it in your own code:
class Foo {
func bar() {
if var URL = NSURL(string: "http://www.mywebsite.com/myfile.pdf") {
Downloader.load(URL)
}
}
}
Swift 3 Version
Also note to download large files on disk instead instead in memory. see `downloadTask:
class Downloader {
class func load(url: URL, to localUrl: URL, completion: @escaping () -> ()) {
let sessionConfig = URLSessionConfiguration.default
let session = URLSession(configuration: sessionConfig)
let request = try! URLRequest(url: url, method: .get)
let task = session.downloadTask(with: request) { (tempLocalUrl, response, error) in
if let tempLocalUrl = tempLocalUrl, error == nil {
// Success
if let statusCode = (response as? HTTPURLResponse)?.statusCode {
print("Success: \(statusCode)")
}
do {
try FileManager.default.copyItem(at: tempLocalUrl, to: localUrl)
completion()
} catch (let writeError) {
print("error writing file \(localUrl) : \(writeError)")
}
} else {
print("Failure: %@", error?.localizedDescription);
}
}
task.resume()
}
}
Swift 4 and Swift 5 Version if Anyone still needs this
import Foundation
class FileDownloader {
static func loadFileSync(url: URL, completion: @escaping (String?, Error?) -> Void)
{
let documentsUrl = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask).first!
let destinationUrl = documentsUrl.appendingPathComponent(url.lastPathComponent)
if FileManager().fileExists(atPath: destinationUrl.path)
{
print("File already exists [\(destinationUrl.path)]")
completion(destinationUrl.path, nil)
}
else if let dataFromURL = NSData(contentsOf: url)
{
if dataFromURL.write(to: destinationUrl, atomically: true)
{
print("file saved [\(destinationUrl.path)]")
completion(destinationUrl.path, nil)
}
else
{
print("error saving file")
let error = NSError(domain:"Error saving file", code:1001, userInfo:nil)
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
}
else
{
let error = NSError(domain:"Error downloading file", code:1002, userInfo:nil)
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
}
static func loadFileAsync(url: URL, completion: @escaping (String?, Error?) -> Void)
{
let documentsUrl = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask).first!
let destinationUrl = documentsUrl.appendingPathComponent(url.lastPathComponent)
if FileManager().fileExists(atPath: destinationUrl.path)
{
print("File already exists [\(destinationUrl.path)]")
completion(destinationUrl.path, nil)
}
else
{
let session = URLSession(configuration: URLSessionConfiguration.default, delegate: nil, delegateQueue: nil)
var request = URLRequest(url: url)
request.httpMethod = "GET"
let task = session.dataTask(with: request, completionHandler:
{
data, response, error in
if error == nil
{
if let response = response as? HTTPURLResponse
{
if response.statusCode == 200
{
if let data = data
{
if let _ = try? data.write(to: destinationUrl, options: Data.WritingOptions.atomic)
{
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
else
{
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
}
else
{
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
}
}
}
else
{
completion(destinationUrl.path, error)
}
})
task.resume()
}
}
}
Here is how to call this method :-
let url = URL(string: "http://www.filedownloader.com/mydemofile.pdf")
FileDownloader.loadFileAsync(url: url!) { (path, error) in
print("PDF File downloaded to : \(path!)")
}
Here's an example that shows how to do sync & async.
import Foundation
class HttpDownloader {
class func loadFileSync(url: NSURL, completion:(path:String, error:NSError!) -> Void) {
let documentsUrl = NSFileManager.defaultManager().URLsForDirectory(.DocumentDirectory, inDomains: .UserDomainMask).first as! NSURL
let destinationUrl = documentsUrl.URLByAppendingPathComponent(url.lastPathComponent!)
if NSFileManager().fileExistsAtPath(destinationUrl.path!) {
println("file already exists [\(destinationUrl.path!)]")
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:nil)
} else if let dataFromURL = NSData(contentsOfURL: url){
if dataFromURL.writeToURL(destinationUrl, atomically: true) {
println("file saved [\(destinationUrl.path!)]")
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:nil)
} else {
println("error saving file")
let error = NSError(domain:"Error saving file", code:1001, userInfo:nil)
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:error)
}
} else {
let error = NSError(domain:"Error downloading file", code:1002, userInfo:nil)
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:error)
}
}
class func loadFileAsync(url: NSURL, completion:(path:String, error:NSError!) -> Void) {
let documentsUrl = NSFileManager.defaultManager().URLsForDirectory(.DocumentDirectory, inDomains: .UserDomainMask).first as! NSURL
let destinationUrl = documentsUrl.URLByAppendingPathComponent(url.lastPathComponent!)
if NSFileManager().fileExistsAtPath(destinationUrl.path!) {
println("file already exists [\(destinationUrl.path!)]")
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:nil)
} else {
let sessionConfig = NSURLSessionConfiguration.defaultSessionConfiguration()
let session = NSURLSession(configuration: sessionConfig, delegate: nil, delegateQueue: nil)
let request = NSMutableURLRequest(URL: url)
request.HTTPMethod = "GET"
let task = session.dataTaskWithRequest(request, completionHandler: { (data: NSData!, response: NSURLResponse!, error: NSError!) -> Void in
if (error == nil) {
if let response = response as? NSHTTPURLResponse {
println("response=\(response)")
if response.statusCode == 200 {
if data.writeToURL(destinationUrl, atomically: true) {
println("file saved [\(destinationUrl.path!)]")
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:error)
} else {
println("error saving file")
let error = NSError(domain:"Error saving file", code:1001, userInfo:nil)
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:error)
}
}
}
}
else {
println("Failure: \(error.localizedDescription)");
completion(path: destinationUrl.path!, error:error)
}
})
task.resume()
}
}
}
Here's how to use it in your code:
let url = NSURL(string: "http://www.mywebsite.com/myfile.pdf")
HttpDownloader.loadFileAsync(url, completion:{(path:String, error:NSError!) in
println("pdf downloaded to: \(path)")
})