Sample CodeiOS, iPadOS, Mac CatalystReviewed 2026-07-21View on Apple Developer

Displaying overlays on a map

At a glance

Item Summary
Purpose Add regions of layered content to a map view.
App architecture A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegateOverlayViewControllerPeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRendererMapKit APIs.
Main patterns View-controller organization, Delegate or data-source callbacks
Project style 19 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries.

Project structure

Source bundle/
└── MapKitOverlays/
    ├── Supporting Files/
    │   ├── AppDelegate.swift
    │   └── SceneDelegate.swift
    ├── OverlayViewController.swift
    ├── PrimaryColumnTableViewController.swift
    ├── Custom Renderer/
    │   ├── PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer.swift
    │   ├── GridGeometry.swift
    │   └── PeakGroundAccelerationGrid.swift
    ├── MultiPolygon/
    │   ├── EventAnnotationView.swift
    │   └── EventDataSource.swift
    ├── LocationData.swift
    └── Map Tiles/
        ├── CustomLoadingTileOverlay.swift
        └── TileCoordinateOverlay.swift

Structure observations

  • Architecturally prominent files are ranked from entry points and role-named declarations; resource-only paths are omitted.
  • Primary languages: Swift.
  • The verified tree contains 9 project/configuration file(s) and 16 source declaration(s).

Overall architecture

Reference code

MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/AppDelegate.swift:10 — architecture anchor

@main
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {

}

Interpretation

The arrows summarize the source-visible entry, role-named types or folders, and framework direction; when nodes come from structural folders, the sequence is a high-level interpretation rather than proof that every adjacent node calls the next. Ownership is claimed only where the next section cites a stored property or assignment. The diagram is intentionally limited to the dominant path into MapKit.

Ownership and state

Ownership evidence

MapKitOverlays/OverlayViewController.swift:37 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor

    var currentExample: ExampleOverlay?
    
    @IBOutlet weak var mapView: MKMapView!
    @IBOutlet weak var layerMenuButton: UIBarButtonItem!
    
    /// The standard amount to inset an overlay from the map edge when displaying it.
    let standardPadding = UIEdgeInsets(top: 20, left: 20, bottom: 20, right: 20)
Owner Object or state Relationship Mutation authority
OverlayViewController ExampleOverlay (currentExample) stores or receives App/module collaborators
OverlayViewController MKMapView (mapView) holds a non-owning reference The referenced object’s lifecycle is owned elsewhere
OverlayViewController UIBarButtonItem (layerMenuButton) holds a non-owning reference The referenced object’s lifecycle is owned elsewhere
OverlayViewController UIEdgeInsets (standardPadding) creates and retains Initialized by the owner; the binding is immutable

Composition arrows indicate a source-visible construction expression or locally owned value state; aggregation means the owner stores or receives a dependency without proving exclusive lifetime ownership.

Class and protocol design

MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/AppDelegate.swift:11 — representative type boundary

class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate {

}
Type Responsibility Depends on or conforms to
AppDelegate Receives callback-driven events UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate
OverlayViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UIViewController
PrimaryColumnTableViewController View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination UITableViewController
PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer Owns drawing, GPU, or presentation processing MKOverlayRenderer
EventAnnotationView User-interface presentation and input forwarding MKAnnotationView
EventDataSource Supplies data through a callback contract Concrete collaborators/imported frameworks
SceneDelegate Receives callback-driven events UIResponder, UIWindowSceneDelegate
ExampleOverlay Defines a closed set of feature states or choices String, RawRepresentable
SplitViewDetailSegue Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle UIStoryboardSegue
GridCoordinate Represents a feature value or composable behavior Hashable

No local protocol conformance is claimed as protocol-oriented design; external framework conformances are listed only as dependencies.

Access control

Symbol Access Verified effect Likely rationale
createAndDisplayBlendModeMapOverlays (MapKitOverlays/BlendModeExample.swift:40) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: hide an implementation step that is not part of the collaboration surface.
gridDegreeConversionFactor (MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/GridGeometry.swift:84) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
boundingGridRect (MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/PeakGroundAccelerationGrid.swift:22) private Use is restricted to the lexical declaration and same-file extensions allowed by Swift. Inference: keep state mutation or dependency lifetime inside the owning implementation.
gridSpacing (MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/PeakGroundAccelerationGrid.swift:25) private(set) Read access follows the declaration; writes remain in the private scope. Inference: allow observation while reserving invariant-changing writes for the owner.

Reference code

MapKitOverlays/BlendModeExample.swift:40 — representative boundary

    private func createAndDisplayBlendModeMapOverlays(includeDesaturationMask: Bool = true, includeColorBurn: Bool = true) {
        // ...
    }

Swift declarations without a modifier are internal; explicit private, fileprivate, private(set), public, or open entries above are interpreted by language semantics. Objective-C/C samples instead rely on header and implementation boundaries, which are not equivalent to Swift lexical privacy.

Logic ownership and placement

Logic Owning type or file Placement rationale
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination OverlayViewController, PrimaryColumnTableViewController The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit.
Supplies data through a callback contract EventDataSource The source’s DataSource suffix makes this role explicit.
Receives callback-driven events AppDelegate, SceneDelegate The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit.
Owns drawing, GPU, or presentation processing PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer The source’s Renderer suffix makes this role explicit.
User-interface presentation and input forwarding EventAnnotationView The source’s View suffix makes this role explicit.

Design patterns

Pattern Source evidence Purpose or tradeoff
View-controller organization MapKitOverlays/OverlayViewController.swift:11 A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present.
Delegate or data-source callbacks MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/AppDelegate.swift:11 Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner.

Naming conventions

  • Types: Controller: OverlayViewController, PrimaryColumnTableViewController; DataSource: EventDataSource; Delegate: AppDelegate, SceneDelegate; Renderer: PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer; View: EventAnnotationView.
  • Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
  • Methods: viewDidLoad, viewDidAppear, traitCollectionDidChange, displayExample, removeOverlays, setupStandardMenu, mapView, prepare.
  • Files: MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/AppDelegate.swift, MapKitOverlays/OverlayViewController.swift, MapKitOverlays/PrimaryColumnTableViewController.swift, MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer.swift, MapKitOverlays/MultiPolygon/EventAnnotationView.swift, MapKitOverlays/MultiPolygon/EventDataSource.swift.

Architecture takeaways

  • AppDelegate is the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.
  • Framework work reaches MapKit, UIKit, CoreLocation through a deliberately small high-level chain; the detailed API graph remains inside the cited implementation files.
  • Stored-property evidence identifies lifecycle collaboration; it does not by itself prove exclusive object ownership.
  • Access-control conclusions separate verified language visibility from the likely design rationale.
  • The source does not justify labeling the design protocol-oriented.

Source map

Source file Relevant symbols
MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/AppDelegate.swift AppDelegate
MapKitOverlays/OverlayViewController.swift OverlayViewController, ExampleOverlay
MapKitOverlays/PrimaryColumnTableViewController.swift PrimaryColumnTableViewController, SplitViewDetailSegue
MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer.swift PeakGroundAccelerationOverlayRenderer
MapKitOverlays/MultiPolygon/EventAnnotationView.swift EventAnnotationView
MapKitOverlays/MultiPolygon/EventDataSource.swift EventDataSource
MapKitOverlays/Supporting Files/SceneDelegate.swift SceneDelegate
MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/GridGeometry.swift GridCoordinate, OutsetDirection, GridRect
MapKitOverlays/Custom Renderer/PeakGroundAccelerationGrid.swift PeakGroundAccelerationGrid
MapKitOverlays/LocationData.swift LocationData