Linker

Lightweight way to handle internal and external URLs in Swift for iOS.


Keywords
closure, deeplinks, ios-developer-tools, ios-swift, linker, scheme, swift-library
License
MIT
Install
pod try Linker

Documentation

Linker

Lightweight way to handle internal and external deeplinks in Swift for iOS.


Installation

Dependency Managers

CocoaPods

CocoaPods is a dependency manager for Cocoa projects. You can install it with the following command:

$ gem install cocoapods

To integrate Linker into your Xcode project using CocoaPods, specify it in your Podfile:

source 'https://github.com/CocoaPods/Specs.git'
platform :ios, '8.0'
use_frameworks!

pod 'Linker'

Then, run the following command:

$ pod install
Carthage

Carthage is a decentralized dependency manager that automates the process of adding frameworks to your Cocoa application.

You can install Carthage with Homebrew using the following command:

$ brew update
$ brew install carthage

To integrate Linker into your Xcode project using Carthage, specify it in your Cartfile:

github "Linker/Linker"

Usage

(see sample Xcode project Demo)

The main thought of this framework is useful and convenient handling of external and internal URLs in your iOS application. Linker provides only one function to install your own handler to specific URL. A dependency between specific URL and your closure is based on scheme and host of each URL. That is you can configure miscellaneous behavior for different components of specific URL. You can split handling by query with different parameters and/or by path, fragment.

Realization details On start of your application occurs swizzling methods in `UIApplication` and `UIApplicationDelegate` of your application. Original implementation exchanged on Linker's implementation, where occur handle process. If Linker can't handle specific URL, original implementation of this method will be called.

Swizzled functions:

UIApplication.shared - openURL:options:completionHandler:

UIApplication.shared - openURL: (deprecated since iOS 10.0)

UIApplication.shared.delegate - application:openURL:options:

UIApplication.shared.delegate - application:openURL:sourceApplication:annotation: (deprecated since iOS 9.0)

UIApplication.shared.delegate - application:handleOpenURL: (deprecated since iOS 9.0)

For complience with URL style, use format:

linker://inapp_am/buy_subscription?type=subscription&productID=com.yourLLC.yourapp.7days_trial#test

where:

scheme - linker,

host - inapp_am,

query - type=subscription&productID=com.yourLLC.yourapp.7days_trial

path - buy_subscription

fragment - test

If you don't need configuration with complexed behavior, you can use URL just with host:

linker://inapp_am

One special case - handle external URLs when app isn't launched. After installation closure to specific URL you should call any func from UIAppication or UIApplicationDelegate, which process URLs. For example, function openURL:options:completionHandler: in UIApplication.

func application(_ application: UIApplication, didFinishLaunchingWithOptions launchOptions: [UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey: Any]?) -> Bool {
        
        if let launchURL = launchOptions?[UIApplicationLaunchOptionsKey.url] as? URL {
            Linker.handle(launchURL, closure: { url in
                print("Your URL has been handle!")
            })
            _ = [UIApplication.shared.open(launchURL, options: [:], completionHandler: nil)]
        }
        return true
    }

In other cases of usage you should set your handle closure for special URl before calling its from somewhere.

(!) Notice: Only the last sent closure for a unique URL (scheme + host) will be executed.
class ViewController: UIViewController {
    
    let sourceURL = URL(string: "linker://viewcontroller?title=ExampleAlert&description=ExampleDescriptionAlert")!

    @IBAction func action(_ sender: Any) {
        UIApplication.shared.open(sourceURL, options: [:], completionHandler: nil)
    }
    
    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        Linker.handle(sourceURL) { url in
        
            guard let queryItems = URLComponents(url: url, resolvingAgainstBaseURL: true)?.queryItems! else {
                return }
            var title : String? = nil
            var description: String? = nil
            
            for item in queryItems {
                if item.name == "title" {
                    title = item.value
                }
                if item.name == "description" {
                    description = item.value;
                }
            }
            
            if let name = title, let message = description {
                let alertVC = UIAlertController(title: name, message: message, preferredStyle: UIAlertControllerStyle.alert)
                alertVC.addAction(UIAlertAction(title: "Cancel", style: UIAlertActionStyle.cancel, handler: {action in
                    alertVC.dismiss(animated: true, completion: nil)
                }))
                self.present(alertVC, animated: false, completion: nil)
            }
        }
    }
}

Contributing

Issues and pull requests are welcome!

Author

Maksim Kurpa - @maksim_kurpa

License

This code is distributed under the terms and conditions of the MIT license.