How to call a function from a different function? - ios

Question

I'm trying to make a simple app that counts the characters of a textfield, but when the user inputs the text, the function that converts the user-inputed string into a var and the function that counts the characters are executed at once. Here's the code:
import UIKit
class ViewController: UIViewController {
#IBOutlet var myTextField : UITextField
#IBOutlet var userTextField : UITextField
override func viewDidLoad() {
super.viewDidLoad()
// Do any additional setup after loading the view, typically from a nib.
myTextField.text = fullConstant
}
override func didReceiveMemoryWarning() {
super.didReceiveMemoryWarning()
// Dispose of any resources that can be recreated.
}
#IBAction func modifyMyVariable(sender : AnyObject) {
myVariable = userTextField.text
}
#IBAction func clickMe(sender : AnyObject) {
countCharacters(&fullConstant)
println(fullConstant)
myTextField.text = fullConstant
}
}
And here's the "OtherFile.swift" where the functions are located:
import Foundation
var fullConstant = "Type something!"
var myVariable = ""
func modifyMyVariable() {
println()
}
func countCharacters(inout fullConstant: String) {
let FirstPart = "There are "
let LastPart = " characters"
var numberOfCharacters = countElements(myVariable)
switch numberOfCharacters {
case 0 :
fullConstant = "There isn't any character yet"
case 1 :
fullConstant = "There is just one character"
default :
fullConstant = FirstPart + String(numberOfCharacters) + LastPart
}
}
Both functions execute as soon the userTextField is edited, but if the user inputs one character, the countCharacters function takes the var myVariable before it's modified by the function modifyMyvariable, so it doesn't count the last character added.
To solve this, I've thought that I could call the function countCharacters from the function modifyMyVariable, so the variable myVariable has already changed when it counts the characters.

Answer 1

Change the following and see if it's then easier to fix your problem.
You should always only link each event to one IBAction. Your IBActions shouldn't be named after what you're trying to do in them; they should be named after the event that triggers them. For example, "modifyMyVariable" should be called "textEdited" or similar.
In that "textEdited" method, do all the work you need to do. If you need to call another function, call it from there instead of linking to two IBActions.
Put code in your "OtherFile" inside a
class OtherFile {
}
block, and hold an instance to that class as a variable in your view controller. You want to avoid declaring global functions outside of classes.
Not related, but name your constants using camelCase with first letter lower case, just like your variables. So FirstPart should be firstPart.
Avoid using 'inout' as much as possible. Each language has it's conventions; in ObjC and Swift, pass in values needed to do work, and return values that result from that work. So:
func countCharacters(text: String) -> (String)
Putting it all together, your 'modifyMyVariable' function (which should really be called 'textEdited') will look something like this:
myVariable = userTextField.text
let characterCount = self.myOtherFileInstance.countCharacters(myVariable)
myTextField.text = characterCount
and the other function (clickMe) should be deleted.