Exact reason of Why we need Delegates / - ios

Question

Delegates an important concept in ObjC/SWIFT or any other coding language. I know that delegates are used to pass messages from one class to another class especially when we want to pass message back to a view controller from where we have just moved to some other view controller.
I was searching for more technical answer and searched a lot about this, and here is what I got what I feel might be the exact answer -
By the rules of MVC, we need a method to return a value. Where in a
called instance can we go back to the class calling it? With an
encapsulated class we can’t. There is no way to send that revised
model back to the original controller without breaking encapsulation
or MVC. The new view controller does not know anything about the class
that called it. We look stuck. If we try to make a reference directly
to the calling controller, we may cause a reference loop that will
kill our memory. Simply put, we can’t send things backwards.
But the explanation says something about
Where in a
called instance can we go back to the class calling it? With an
encapsulated class we can’t. There is no way to send that revised
model back to the original controller without breaking encapsulation
or MVC.
So exactly what does this para mean. Can any one please explain this in a more simple way taking the following code as reference -
VC2 -
import UIKit
protocol myDelegate : class
{
func sendItems(name:NSString)
}
class EnterViewController: UIViewController
{
weak var delegate: myDelegate?
#IBOutlet weak var nameTextfield: UITextField!
override func viewDidLoad()
{
super.viewDidLoad()
// Do any additional setup after loading the view.
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning()
{
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
#IBAction func sendData(sender: AnyObject)
{
delegate?.sendItems(nameTextfield.text!)
self.navigationController?.popViewControllerAnimated(true)
}
VC2
import UIKit
class DisplayViewController: UIViewController,myDelegate
{
#IBOutlet weak var nameLabel: UILabel!
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
func sendItems(name: NSString) {
self.nameLabel.text = name as String
}
override func prepareForSegue(segue: UIStoryboardSegue, sender: AnyObject?)
{
let destinationVC = segue.destinationViewController as! EnterViewController
if segue.identifier == "enterDetail"
{
destinationVC.delegate = self
}
}
}
Thanks.

Answer 1

In simple terms, Delegate is a representative of Class which works on behalf of class. If we compare in real world, delegates to foreign countries go to represent their government and have all controls and powers. Similarly, here delegates has all the control that an object of class will have and working on behalf of Class.
Now delegate in specific is an object assigned by class to notify the event. This can be acheived by NSNotification too. But the difference is Delegates can intercept the event but NSNotification cant.
Here in your code:
You have assigned DestinationVC's delegate to DisplayViewController.
Now DisplayviewController will notify all the event whatever you want to notify to Class DestinationVC and also intercept in between event.
In your case you are calling sendItems of DestinationVC.
I am sorry for my bad explanation but I guess you would have get the basic idea.