swift - sort an array of objects by their optional boolean property without force unwrapping - ios

Question

I can sort this array of store objects by their 'flagship' boolean property, but how can I safely unwrap the 'flagship' property first?
let flagshipStores = self.stores.sort {
$0.flagship! && !$1.flagship!
}

Answer 1

let flagshipStores = self.stores.sort {
guard let flagship0 = $0.flagship, let flagship1 = $1.flagship else { return false }
return flagship0 && !flagship1
}

Answer 2

One more approach: turn the Bool? into an Int, then compare the Ints. You get to specify how a nil value compares to non-nil values.
For instance, this sorts nil values before both false and true:
stores.sort { Int($0.flagship ?? -1) < Int($1.flagship ?? -1) }
This sorts nil values after both false and true:
stores.sort { Int($0.flagship ?? 2) < Int($1.flagship ?? 2) }
You can use the same pattern to make nil compare the same as true or the same as false. It's up to you.

Answer 3

Here's another approach.
You can use flatMap which will remove nil objects and unwrap those that are present. Then, the force unwrap will be safe to sort:
let flagshipStores = stores.flatMap({ return $0.flagship ? $0 : nil }).sort {
$0.flagship! && !$1.flagship!
}
This will remove stores with a nil flagship from the array.

Answer 4

How about:
$0.flagship == true && $1.flagship != true
The left side will succeed if the value is not nil and is true, the right side will succeed if the value is either nil or false.

Answer 5

As mr.Fixit pointed out on a comment, the accepted answer doesn't fully work because it doesn't take care of nils. Here is the correct answer with an extra string sample.
SWIFT 4
for a boolean sorting
let flagshipStores = self.stores.sorted(by: {
guard let flagship0 = $0.flagship, let flagship1 = $1.flagship else {
if $0.flagship == nil && $1.flagship == nil || $0.flagship != nil && $1.flagship == nil{
return true
}
else {
return false
}
}
return ($0.flagship == $1.flagship || $0.flagship == true && $1.flagship == false ? true : false)
})
for strings comparison sorting
let stores = self.stores.sorted(by: {
guard let store0 = $0.store, let store1 = $1.store else {
if $0.store == nil && $1.store == nil || $0.store != nil && $1.store == nil{
return true
}
else {
return false
}
}
return ( ($0.store)?.localizedStandardCompare($1.store!) == ComparisonResult.orderedAscending )
})

Answer 6

To filter nil values just use compactMap before sort
let flagshipStores = self.stores.compactMap { return $0.flagship }.sorted {
$0 && !$1
}

Answer 7

You could use this function to compare the Optional values without the need to unwrap.
func sortOptionalValues<T: Comparable>(lhs: T?, rhs: T?) -> Bool? {
switch (lhs != nil, rhs != nil) {
case (false, false):
return nil
case (true, false):
return true
case (false, true):
return false
case (true, true):
guard let lhs = lhs, let rhs = rhs else { return nil }
return lhs < rhs
}
}