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Add some DocC documentation
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We'll see whether it'll build :-)
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helje5 committed Oct 10, 2023
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5 changes: 5 additions & 0 deletions .spi.yml
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version: 1
builder:
configs:
- documentation_targets: [ ManagedModels ]

150 changes: 150 additions & 0 deletions Sources/ManagedModels/Documentation.docc/DifferencesToSwiftData.md
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# Differences to SwiftData

ManagedObjects tries to provide an API that is very close to SwiftData,
but it is not exactly the same API.

## Differences

The key difference when converting SwiftData projects:
- Import `ManagedModels` instead of `SwiftData`.
- Let the models inherit from the CoreData
[`NSManagedObject`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata/nsmanagedobject).
- Use the CoreData
[`@FetchRequest`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/fetchrequest)
instead of SwiftData's
[`@Query`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftdata/query).


### Explicit Superclass

ManagedModels classes must explicitly inherit from the CoreData
[`NSManagedObject`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata/nsmanagedobject).
Instead of just this in SwiftData:
```swift
@Model class Contact {}
```
the superclass has to be specified w/ ManagedModels:
```swift
@Model class Contact: NSManagedObject {}
```

> That is due to a limitation of
> [Swift Macros](https://docs.swift.org/swift-book/documentation/the-swift-programming-language/macros/).
> A macro can add protocol conformances, but it cannot add a superclass to a
> type.

### CoreData @FetchRequest instead of SwiftData @Query

Instead of using the new SwiftUI
[`@Query`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftdata/query)
wrapper, the already available
[`@FetchRequest`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftui/fetchrequest)
property wrapper is used.

SwiftData:
```swift
@Query var contacts : [ Contact ]
```
ManagedModels:
```swift
@FetchRequest var contacts: FetchedResults<Contact>
```

### Properties

The properties work quite similar.

Like SwiftData, ManagedModels provides implementations of the
[`@Attribute`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftdata/attribute(_:originalname:hashmodifier:)),
`@Relationship` and
[`@Transient`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/swiftdata/transient())
macros.

#### Compound Properties
More complex Swift types are always stored as JSON by ManagedModels, e.g.
```swift
@Model class Person: NSManagedObject {

struct Address: Codable {
var street : String?
var city : String?
}

var privateAddress : Address
var businessAddress : Address
}
```

SwiftData decomposes those structures in the database.


#### RawRepresentable Properties

Those end up working the same like in SwiftData, but are implemented
differently.
If a type is RawRepresentable by a CoreData base type (like `Int` or `String`),
they get mapped to the same base type in the model.

Example:
```swift
enum Color: String {
case red, green, blue
}

enum Priority: Int {
case high = 5, medium = 3, low = 1
}
```


### Initializers

A CoreData object has to be initialized through some
[very specific initializer](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata/nsmanagedobject/1506357-init),
while a SwiftData model class _must have_ an explicit `init`,
but is otherwise pretty regular.

The ManagedModels `@Model` macro generates a set of helper inits to deal with
that.
But the general recommendation is to use a `convenience init` like so:
```swift
convenience init(title: String, age: Int = 50) {
self.init()
title = title
age = age
}
```
If the own init prefilles _all_ properties (i.e. can be called w/o arguments),
the default `init` helper is not generated anymore, another one has to be used:
```swift
convenience init(title: String = "", age: Int = 50) {
self.init(context: nil)
title = title
age = age
}
```
The same `init(context:)` can be used to insert into a specific context.
Often necessary when setting up relationships (to make sure that they
live in the same
[`NSManagedObjectContext`](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata/nsmanagedobjectcontext)).


### Migration

Regular CoreData migration mechanisms have to be used.
SwiftData specific migration APIs might be
[added later](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels/issues/6).


## Implementation Differences

SwiftData completely wraps CoreData and doesn't expose the CoreData APIs.

SwiftData relies on the
[Observation](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/observation)
framework (which requires iOS 17+).
ManagedModels uses CoreData, which makes models conform to
[ObservableObject](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/combine/observableobject)
to integrate w/ SwiftUI.
69 changes: 69 additions & 0 deletions Sources/ManagedModels/Documentation.docc/Documentation.md
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# ``ManagedModels``

SwiftData like declarative schemas for CoreData.

@Metadata {
@DisplayName("ManagedModels for CoreData")
}

## Overview

[ManagedModels](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels/) is a package
that provides a
[Swift 5.9](https://www.swift.org/blog/swift-5.9-released/)
macro similar to the SwiftData
[@Model](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/SwiftData/Model()).
It can generate CoreData
[ManagedObjectModel](https://developer.apple.com/library/archive/documentation/DataManagement/Devpedia-CoreData/managedObjectModel.html)'s
declaratively from Swift classes,
w/o having to use the Xcode "CoreData Modeler".

Unlike SwiftData it doesn't require iOS 17+ and works directly w/
[CoreData](https://developer.apple.com/documentation/coredata).
It is **not** a direct API replacement, but a look-a-like.
Example model class:
```swift
@Model
class ToDo: NSManagedObject {
var title: String
var isDone: Bool
var attachments: [ Attachment ]
}
```
Setting up a store in SwiftUI:
```swift
ContentView()
.modelContainer(for: ToDo.self)
```
Performing a query:
```swift
struct ToDoListView: View {
@FetchRequest(sort: \.isDone)
private var toDos: FetchedResults<ToDo>

var body: some View {
ForEach(toDos) { todo in
Text("\(todo.title)")
.foregroundColor(todo.isDone ? .green : .red)
}
}
}
```

- Swift package: [https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels.git](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels/)
- Example ToDo list app: [https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedToDosApp.git](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedToDosApp/)



## Topics

### Getting Started

- <doc:GettingStarted>
- <doc:DifferencesToSwiftData>

### Support

- <doc:FAQ>
- <doc:Links>
- <doc:Who>
77 changes: 77 additions & 0 deletions Sources/ManagedModels/Documentation.docc/FAQ.md
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# Frequently Asked Questions

A collection of questions and possible answers.

## Overview

Any question we should add: [info@zeezide.de](mailto:info@zeezide.de),
file a GitHub [Issue](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels/issues).
or submit a GitHub PR w/ the answer. Thank you!

## General

### Is the API the same like in SwiftData?

The API is very similar, but there are some significant differences:
<doc:DifferencesToSwiftData>.

### Is ManagedObjects a replacement for SwiftData?

It is not exactly the same but can be used as one, yes.
ManagedObjects allows deployment on earlier versions than iOS 17 or macOS 14
while still providing many of the SwiftData benefits.

It might be a sensible migration path towards using SwiftData directly in the
future.

### Which deployment versions does ManagedObjects support?

While it might be possible to backport further, ManagedObjects currently
supports:
- iOS 13+
- macOS 11+
- tvOS 13+
- watchOS 6+

### Does this require SwiftUI or can I use it in UIKit as well?

ManagedObjects works with both, SwiftUI and UIKit.

In a UIKit environment the ``ModelContainer`` (aka ``NSPersistentContainer``)
needs to be setup manually, e.g. in the `ApplicationDelegate`.

Example:
```swift
import ManagedModels

let schema = Schema([ Item.self ])
let container = try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: [])
```

### Are the `ModelContainer`, `Schema` classes subclasses of CoreData classes?

No, most of the SwiftData-like types provided by ManagedObjects are just
"typealiases" to the corresponding CoreData types, e.g.:
- ``ModelContainer`` == ``NSPersistentContainer``
- ``ModelContext`` == ``NSManagedObjectContext``
- ``Schema`` == ``NSManagedObjectModel``
- `Schema/Entity` == ``NSEntityDescription``

And so on. The CoreData type names can be used instead, but make a future
migration to SwiftData harder.

### Is it possible to use ManagedModels in SwiftUI Previews?

Yes! Attach an in-memory store to the preview-View, like so:
```swift
#Preview {
ContentView()
.modelContainer(for: Item.self, inMemory: true)
}
```

### Something isn't working right, how do I file a Radar?

Please file a GitHub
[Issue](https://github.com/Data-swift/ManagedModels/issues).
Thank you very much.
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