How to call a block of code in #selector? [duplicate] - ios

Question

I want to make a selector argument of my method refer to a closure property, both of them exist in the same scope. For example,
func backgroundChange() {
self.view.backgroundColor = UIColor.blackColor()
self.view.alpha = 0.55
let backToOriginalBackground = {
self.view.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
self.view.alpha = 1.0
}
NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(0.5, target: self, selector: #selector(backToOriginalBackground), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
}
However, this shows an error: Argument of #selector cannot refer to a property.
Of course I can define a new, separate method and move the implementation of the closure to it, but I want to keep it frugal for such a small implementation.
Is it possible to set a closure to #selector argument?

Answer 1

Not directly, but some workarounds are possible. Take a look at the following example.
/// Target-Action helper.
final class Action: NSObject {
private let _action: () -> ()
init(action: #escaping () -> ()) {
_action = action
super.init()
}
#objc func action() {
_action()
}
}
let action1 = Action { print("action1 triggered") }
let button = UIButton()
button.addTarget(action1, action: #selector(action1.action), forControlEvents: .TouchUpInside)

Answer 2

I tried this for UIBarButtonItem at least:
private var actionKey: Void?
extension UIBarButtonItem {
private var _action: () -> () {
get {
return objc_getAssociatedObject(self, &actionKey) as! () -> ()
}
set {
objc_setAssociatedObject(self, &actionKey, newValue, objc_AssociationPolicy.OBJC_ASSOCIATION_RETAIN_NONATOMIC)
}
}
convenience init(title: String?, style: UIBarButtonItemStyle, action: #escaping () -> ()) {
self.init(title: title, style: style, target: nil, action: #selector(pressed))
self.target = self
self._action = action
}
#objc private func pressed(sender: UIBarButtonItem) {
_action()
}
}
Then you can do this:
navigationItem.leftBarButtonItem = UIBarButtonItem(title: "Test", style: .plain, action: {
print("Hello World!")
})

Answer 3

As #gnasher729 notes, this is not possible because selectors are just names of methods, not methods themselves. In the general case, I'd use dispatch_after here, but in this particular case, the better tool IMO is UIView.animateWithDuration, because it's exactly what that function is for, and it's very easy to tweak the transition:
UIView.animateWithDuration(0, delay: 0.5, options: [], animations: {
self.view.backgroundColor = UIColor.whiteColor()
self.view.alpha = 1.0
}, completion: nil)

Answer 4

It is now possible. I've created a gist for block-based selectors in Swift 4.
https://gist.github.com/cprovatas/98ff940140c8744c4d1f3bcce7ba4543
Usage:
UIButton().addTarget(Selector, action: Selector { debugPrint("my code here") }, for: .touchUpInside)`

Answer 5

You can use ActionClosurable which support UIControl, UIButton, UIRefreshControl, UIGestureRecognizer and UIBarButtonItem.
https://github.com/takasek/ActionClosurable
Bellow show example of UIBarButtonItem
// UIBarButtonItem
let barButtonItem = UIBarButtonItem(title: "title", style: .plain) { _ in
print("barButtonItem title")
}

Answer 6

#werediver's answer is excellent. Here's an update that allows you to call it as a function.
import Foundation
public extension Selector {
/// Wraps a closure in a `Selector`.
/// - Note: Callable as a function.
final class Perform: NSObject {
public init(_ perform: #escaping () -> Void) {
self.perform = perform
super.init()
}
private let perform: () -> Void
}
}
//MARK: public
public extension Selector.Perform {
#objc func callAsFunction() { perform() }
var selector: Selector { #selector(callAsFunction) }
}
You need to manage strong references to Selector.Performs. One way to do that is to subclass UIKit classes that were designed to work with target-action:
/// A `UITapGestureRecognizer` that wraps a closure.
public final class TapGestureRecognizer: UITapGestureRecognizer {
public init(_ perform: #escaping () -> Void) {
self.perform = .init(perform)
super.init(target: self.perform, action: self.perform.selector)
}
public let perform: Selector.Perform
}
let tapRecognizer = TapGestureRecognizer { print("🍔🐈") }
tapRecognizer.perform() // "🍔🐈"

Answer 7

No, #selector refers to an Objective-C method.
You can do something much better though: Add an extension to NSTimer that lets you create a scheduled timer not with a target and selector, but with a closure.

Answer 8

If you change the scope of block to a class scope rather than function and hold a reference to closure there.
You could invoke that closure with a function. in the class. So that way you can invoke that closure as a selector.
Something like this:
class Test: NSObject {
let backToOriginalBackground = {
}
func backgroundChange() {
NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(0.5, target: self, selector: #selector(test), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
}
func test() {
self.backToOriginalBackground()
}
}

Answer 9

My solution was to create a class block variable like:
let completionBlock: () -> () = nil
Create a method which calls this completionBlock:
func completed(){
self.completionBlock!()
}
And inside where I want to put my selector like a block I did:
func myFunc(){
self.completionBlock = {//what I want to be done}
NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval(0.5, target: self, selector: #selector(Myclass.completed), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
}

Answer 10

So my answer to having a selector be assigned to a closure in a swift like manner is similar to some of the answers already, but I thought I would share a real life example of how I did it within a UIViewController extension.
fileprivate class BarButtonItem: UIBarButtonItem {
var actionCallback: ( () -> Void )?
func buttonAction() {
actionCallback?()
}
}
fileprivate extension Selector {
static let onBarButtonAction = #selector(BarButtonItem.buttonAction)
}
extension UIViewController {
func createBarButtonItem(title: String, action: #escaping () -> Void ) -> UIBarButtonItem {
let button = BarButtonItem(title: title, style: .plain, target nil, action: nil)
button.actionCallback = action
button.action = .onBarButtonAction
return button
}
}
// Example where button is inside a method of a UIViewController
// and added to the navigationItem of the UINavigationController
let button = createBarButtonItem(title: "Done"){
print("Do something when done")
}
navigationItem.setLeftbarButtonItems([button], animated: false)

Answer 11

Swift 5.2.x
First of all, you need to declare an "easy to use" typealias for your block:
typealias Completion = () -> ()
Then, you must declare private var to use "as a gate" for your function:
private var action: Completion?
After that, you should create a function that can be called by your Selector (it accept only string format) and to call private completion:
#objc func didAction() {
self.action?()
}
Finally you can re-write your function (using the new swift syntax) like:
Timer.scheduledTimer(timeInterval: 0.5, target: self, selector: #selector(didAction), userInfo: nil, repeats: false)
self.action = backToOriginalBackground
P.S.: Remember that your variable (or parameter if you embed it to a function) must be of the same of type declared to your typeAlias so, in our case:
var backToOriginalBackground: () -> ()
or also:
var backToOriginalBackground: Completion

Answer 12

It has been several years since this question was asked, and it is worth noting that in those years, Apple has added variants of many selector-using methods that take closures instead.
The original question asks about NSTimer.scheduledTimerWithTimeInterval. That method is now spelled Timer.scheduledTimer and has a version that takes a closure. So the function in the original question can be rewritten thus:
extension UIViewController {
func changeBackground() {
self.view.backgroundColor = .black
self.view.alpha = 0.55
Timer.scheduledTimer(withTimeInterval: 0.5, repeats: false) { _ in
self.view.backgroundColor = .white
self.view.alpha = 1.0
}
}
}
Here are some other common cases where, as of May 2016, a selector was required, but which can now use a closure:
UIControl now has an addAction method that takes a UIAction, and UIAction takes a closure. Subclasses of UIControl include UIButton, UISwitch, and UITextField.
UIBarButtonItem has an initializer that takes a UIAction.
NotificationCenter now has an addObserver method that takes a closure. It also supports Combine (the publisher method) and async/await (the notifications method).
RunLoop now has a perform method that takes a closure.