Property value prints but when assigned to label it shows nil - ios

Question

Currently working with two view controllers and a swift file dealing with the details of a store such as the phone number. There is a main ViewController and a DetailsViewController.
I currently acquire data from google places api and am able to successfully store the values in a PlaceDetails Class. Testing out the data - I am able to print to the console. However, when I try to assign a value taken from the API to a UILabel the application crashes and shows that the value of the property is nil. I am not sure why this is the case. I feel in the two view controllers I am instantiating the PlaceDetails class correctly and accessing it's properties correctly but there is something I am not aware of that is going wrong.
class ViewController: UIViewController
{
let placeDetails = PlaceDetails()
let detailsVC = DetailsViewController()
func tapLabel( sender: UITapGestureRecognizer )
{
// print statement successfully prints out the stored value as - Optional("1 888-555-5555")
print(placeDetails.phoneNumber)
// assigning value to label causes a crash stating value is nil
detailsVC.phoneNumberLabel.text = placeDetails.phoneNumber!
self.performSegueWithIdentifier("showDetailsVC", sender: self)
}
}
class DetailsViewController: UIViewController
{
#IBOutlet weak var phoneNumberLabel : UILabel!
let placeDetails = PlaceDetails()
override func viewDidLoad()
{
super.viewDidLoad()
//This approach does not cause a crash but outputs nil to the console for both the print statement and the assignment statement
print(placeDetails.phoneNumber)
phoneNumberLabel.text = placeDetails.phoneNumber!
}
}
class PlaceDetails
{
override init()
{
super.init()
}
var phoneNumber : String? //viewcontroller actions give this class property its value
}

Answer 1

You need to assign placeDetails to your destination view controller in prepareForSegue. I know you aren't doing this as you have created placeDetails as a let constant rather than a variable so it can't ever change from the empty PlaceDetails you originally assign.
You should declare it as an optional variable and then unwrap it properly when you use it;
class ViewController: UIViewController
{
let placeDetails = PlaceDetails()
func tapLabel( sender: UITapGestureRecognizer )
{
self.performSegueWithIdentifier("showDetailsVC", sender: self)
}
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject!) {
if (segue.identifier == "showDetailsVC") {
let destVC = segue.destinationViewController as! DetailsViewController
destVC.placeDetails = self.placeDetails
}
}
}
class DetailsViewController: UIViewController
{
#IBOutlet weak var phoneNumberLabel : UILabel!
var placeDetails: PlaceDetails?
override func viewWillAppear(animated: Bool)
{
super.viewWillAppear(animated)
if let placeDetails = self.placeDetails {
if let phoneNumber = placeDetails.phoneNumber {
self.phoneNumberLabel.text = phoneNumber
}
}
}
}
You can't use the value in viewDidLoad as this method will execute before the property has been set; the view controller is loaded before prepareForSegue is called, so viewWillAppear is a better place.

Answer 2

Try to cast your phoneNumber in a string.
detailsVC.phoneNumberLabel.text = String(placeDetails.phoneNumber!)
Also, the nil value could come from the encoding method of the response of the API.
EDIT
I think you have to set the text of your UILabel in the viewDidLoad() method of your showDetailsVC. Declare a string variable in showDetailVC, and then pass your placeDetails.phoneNumber variable to the string you just declare. (Instead of directly set the text in the tapLabel() method). Then in your
showDetailVC set the text to your UILabel in the viewDidLoad()