Issues getting device/user location with iOS App, Swift - ios

Question

Setup:
Xcode 7.3 (7D175)
Swift 2
Device is an iPad with iOS 9.3.1
I have a Swift class called LocationUtility, I am using it like so in a ViewController:
let locationUtil = LocationUtility()
locationUtil.initLocationManager()
The initLocationManager() function sets the CLLocationManager.delegate to my LocationUtility class:
func initLocationManager() {
seenError = false
locationFixAchieved = false
locationManager = CLLocationManager()
locationManager.delegate = self
locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest
locationManager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
if CLLocationManager.locationServicesEnabled() {
locationManager.startUpdatingLocation()
}
}
The following delegate func is never being called:
func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager, didUpdateLocations locations: [CLLocation])
I have NSLocationAlwaysUsageDescription string set in my Info.plist
On my iPad, Privacy -> Location Services is Enabled.
My LocationUtility class is something a put together with, mostly code from other stackoverflow questions and answers about location functionality in Swift and iOS 8 and beyond. From my perspective I have all the right settings in my APP and on my device to be receiving location information.
Here is my complete LocationUtility class source code:
import UIKit
import Foundation
import CoreLocation
class LocationUtility: UIViewController, CLLocationManagerDelegate {
var locationStatus : NSString = "Not Started"
var locationManager: CLLocationManager!
var seenError : Bool = false
var locationFixAchieved : Bool = false
var currentLocation:CLLocation? = nil
func initLocationManager() {
seenError = false
locationFixAchieved = false
locationManager = CLLocationManager()
locationManager.delegate = self
locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyBest
locationManager.requestAlwaysAuthorization()
if CLLocationManager.locationServicesEnabled() {
//locationManager.delegate = self
//locationManager.desiredAccuracy = kCLLocationAccuracyNearestTenMeters
locationManager.startUpdatingLocation()
}
}
func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager, didFailWithError error: NSError) {
print("LocationUtility -> didFailWithError()")
locationManager.stopUpdatingLocation()
if (seenError == false) {
seenError = true
print(error)
}
}
func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager, didUpdateLocations locations: [CLLocation]) {
print("LocationUtility -> didUpdateLocations()")
if (locationFixAchieved == false) {
locationFixAchieved = true
//var locationArray = locations as NSArray
currentLocation = locations.last! as CLLocation
let coord = currentLocation!.coordinate
print("user current location")
print(coord.latitude)
print(coord.longitude)
}
}
// authorization status
func locationManager(manager: CLLocationManager, didChangeAuthorizationStatus status: CLAuthorizationStatus) {
print("LocationUtility -> didChangeAuthorizationStatus()!")
var shouldIAllow = false
switch status {
case CLAuthorizationStatus.Restricted:
locationStatus = "Restricted Access to location"
case CLAuthorizationStatus.Denied:
locationStatus = "User denied access to location"
case CLAuthorizationStatus.NotDetermined:
locationStatus = "Status not determined"
default:
locationStatus = "Allowed to location Access"
shouldIAllow = true
}
if (shouldIAllow == true) {
NSLog("Location to Allowed")
// Start location services
locationManager.startUpdatingLocation()
} else {
NSLog("Denied access: \(locationStatus)")
}
}
}

Answer 1

The symptoms you describe strongly suggest that your LocationUtility instance is getting deallocated, which deallocates the CLLocationManager and stops the entire process. It's not clear where you're instantiating LocationUtility but you need to make sure it's some place where the instance will remain "live" in memory while CLLocationManager does its things. If the view controller is deallocated, for example, then its instance vars will be deallocated, which looks like it probably includes your location manager.
Your question initially asked if the location manager had to be in the app delegate. It doesn't, of course, but it does have to be someplace that can prevent it from being deallocated while location updates are in progress.
If you're unsure when the LocationManager is getting deallocated, try implementing deinit on it and setting a breakpoint on that method.