Overcoat is a lightweight networking library for iOS and macOS, designed to simplify API requests and object mapping. It is built on top of AFNetworking and ObjectMapper, providing a convenient and flexible way to communicate with RESTful APIs.
Installation
There are several ways to install Overcoat:
- Using CocoaPods
- Manually incorporating the source files
CocoaPods
To install Overcoat using CocoaPods, add the following line to your Podfile:
pod 'Overcoat'
Then, run the pod install
command from Terminal.
Manually
To manually incorporate the source files into your Xcode project, follow these steps:
- Download the latest version from the release page.
- Unzip the downloaded file.
- Drag the
Overcoat
folder into your project. - Make sure to check the “Copy items if needed” option.
- Add the necessary frameworks to your project:
Frameworks
In order to use Overcoat, you’ll need to include the following frameworks in your project:
- AFNetworking
- Overcoat
- ObjectMapper
Getting Started
To get started with Overcoat, follow these steps:
- Create a subclass of
MTLModel
that represents the data model for the API response. - Create a subclass of
OVCHTTPSessionManager
that configures your API.
(Provide the base URL, serializer, and response class for ObjectMapper mapping) - Implement API methods inside your session manager subclass by creating methods and mapping them to URL paths and HTTP methods.
- Use the session manager’s methods to communicate with your API and automatically map responses to your defined data model.
Example Usage
Here’s an example showing how to make a GET request to fetch a list of users:
// Define the data model for the API response
class User: MTLModel, Mappable {
var id: Int?
var name: String?
var email: String?
required init?(map: Map) {}
func mapping(map: Map) {
id <- map["id"]
name <- map["name"]
email <- map["email"]
}
}
// Define a session manager subclass
class MyAPIClient: OVCHTTPSessionManager {
init() {
let baseURL = URL(string: "https://api.example.com")
super.init(baseURL: baseURL,
andSessionConfiguration: URLSessionConfiguration.default)
requestSerializer = AFJSONRequestSerializer()
responseSerializer = AFJSONResponseSerializer(readingOptions: .mutableContainers)
registerResponseClass(User.self) // Register the data model class
}
func getUsers(completion: @escaping ([User]?, Error?) -> Void) {
// Use the GET method to retrieve the list of users
GET("users", parameters: nil,
completion: { (response: OVCHTTPResponse?, error: Error?) in
guard let usersResponse = response?.result as? [User] else {
completion(nil, error)
return
}
completion(usersResponse, nil)
})
}
}
// Make API requests
let apiClient = MyAPIClient()
apiClient.getUsers { (users, error) in
if let users = users {
print("Retrieved \(users.count) users.")
} else if let error = error {
print("Error: \(error.localizedDescription)")
}
}
Conclusion
Overcoat simplifies the process of making API requests and mapping responses to data models using AFNetworking and ObjectMapper. By following the steps outlined in this guide, you can quickly integrate Overcoat into your iOS or macOS project and enhance your networking capabilities.