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Credits:<\/strong> Dall-E<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
In the ever-evolving world of Swift, we developers are constantly bombarded with choices. With the introduction of Combine<\/a> in recent years and the long-standing use of Closures<\/a>, the debate has become heated, also in my current assignment ….: Which approach should we adopt for handling asynchronous operations? Having had my hands deep in both tools, I felt it was time for a comprehensive breakdown.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In my current assignment, we’ve leaned heavily into closures, employing them extensively to manage our asynchronous tasks. Their prevalence in our project got me pondering: When is it apt to use closures over Combine, or vice versa?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n Join me as I try to venture into the realms of Combine and Closures, dissecting their nuances and guiding you to make an informed decision for your next project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Combine: The Swift Way of Reactive Programming<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n When Combine made its debut1<\/a><\/sup>, it was clear that Apple was taking a serious shot at functional reactive programming, trying to catch up with RXSwift<\/a> . The core elements of Combine are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n With Combine, you’re embracing a declarative approach. No more messy callback code using delegates; just clean, chainable operations. For instance, to fetch data and subsequently update the UI, you might employ Combine in this fashion:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Closures: Swift’s Trusty Old Companions<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Closures, the self-contained chunks of logic, have been with us since the dawn of Swift. They capture and store references, making them incredibly versatile:<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n\n Combine vs. Closures: Drawing the Battle Lines<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n While both tools serve asynchronous needs, they each have their distinct flair:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n
import Combine\n\nlet dataPublisher = SomeAPI.fetchData()\n .map(\\.processedData)\n .receive(on: DispatchQueue.main)\n .eraseToAnyPublisher()\n\nvar cancellable: AnyCancellable?\n\ncancellable = dataPublisher\n .sink(receiveCompletion: { completion in\n print(\"Data fetch status: \\(completion)\")\n }, receiveValue: { data in\n refreshUI(with: data)\n })<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\nlet fetchDataClosure = { (completion: @escaping (Data?, Error?) -> Void) in\n SomeAPI.fetchData { data, error in\n completion(data, error)\n }\n}\n\nfetchDataClosure { data, error in\n guard let data = data else {\n print(\"Error: \\(error)\")\n return\n }\n refreshUI(with: data)\n}<\/code><\/pre>\n\n\n\n