Browsing and Modifying Photo Albums
At a glance
| Item | Summary |
|---|---|
| Purpose | Help users organize their photos into albums and browse photo collections in a grid-based layout using PhotoKit. |
| App architecture | A Swift sample with the source-visible chain AppDelegate → AssetGridViewController → UIKit / Photos APIs. |
| Main patterns | View-controller organization, Delegate or data-source callbacks |
| Project style | 5 scanned source file(s) across Swift, organized around ranked entry, type, and file boundaries. |
Project structure
Source bundle/
├── Shared/
│ ├── MainViewController.swift
│ ├── AppDelegate.swift
│ ├── AssetGridViewController.swift
│ ├── AssetViewController.swift
│ └── GridViewCell.swift
├── Configuration/
│ └── SampleCode.xcconfig
├── PhotoBrowse.xcodeproj/
│ ├── .xcodesamplecode.plist
│ └── project.pbxproj
├── iOS/
│ ├── Base.lproj/
│ │ ├── LaunchScreen.storyboard
│ │ └── Main.storyboard
│ └── Info.plist
└── tvOS/
└── Base.lproj/
└── Main.storyboard
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 8 project/configuration file(s) and 8 source declaration(s).
Overall architecture
flowchart LR
N1["AppDelegate"]
N2["AssetGridViewController"]
N3["UIKit / Photos APIs"]
N1 --> N2
N2 --> N3
Reference code
Shared/AppDelegate.swift:11 — architecture anchor
@UIApplicationMain
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate, UISplitViewControllerDelegate {
// ...
}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 PhotoKit.
Ownership and state
classDiagram
MainViewController o-- PHFetchResult : allPhotos
MainViewController o-- PHFetchResult : smartAlbums
MainViewController o-- PHFetchResult : userCollections
MainViewController o-- Sectionlocalizedtitles : sectionLocalizedTitles
Ownership evidence
Shared/MainViewController.swift:32 — stored dependency or nearest verified ownership anchor
class MainViewController: UITableViewController {
// ...
var allPhotos: PHFetchResult<PHAsset>!
// ...
}| Owner | Object or state | Relationship | Mutation authority |
|---|---|---|---|
MainViewController |
PHFetchResult (allPhotos) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
MainViewController |
PHFetchResult (smartAlbums) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
MainViewController |
PHFetchResult (userCollections) |
stores or receives | App/module collaborators |
MainViewController |
Sectionlocalizedtitles (sectionLocalizedTitles) |
stores or receives | 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
Shared/AppDelegate.swift:12 — representative type boundary
class AppDelegate: UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate, UISplitViewControllerDelegate {
// ...
}| Type | Responsibility | Depends on or conforms to |
|---|---|---|
AppDelegate |
Receives callback-driven events | UIResponder, UIApplicationDelegate, UISplitViewControllerDelegate |
MainViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UITableViewController |
AssetGridViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UICollectionViewController |
AssetViewController |
View lifecycle, callbacks, and feature coordination | UIViewController |
Section |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | Int |
CellIdentifier |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | String |
SegueIdentifier |
Defines a closed set of feature states or choices | String |
GridViewCell |
Owns feature behavior and collaborator lifecycle | UICollectionViewCell |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
imageManager (Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:28) |
fileprivate |
Use is restricted to this source file. | Inference: share with same-file helpers or extensions without exposing the symbol module-wide. |
thumbnailSize (Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:29) |
fileprivate |
Use is restricted to this source file. | Inference: share with same-file helpers or extensions without exposing the symbol module-wide. |
previousPreheatRect (Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:30) |
fileprivate |
Use is restricted to this source file. | Inference: share with same-file helpers or extensions without exposing the symbol module-wide. |
resetCachedAssets (Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:132) |
fileprivate |
Use is restricted to this source file. | Inference: share with same-file helpers or extensions without exposing the symbol module-wide. |
Reference code
Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:28 — representative boundary
class AssetGridViewController: UICollectionViewController {
// ...
fileprivate let imageManager = PHCachingImageManager()
// ...
}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 | AssetGridViewController, AssetViewController, MainViewController |
The source’s Controller suffix makes this role explicit. |
| Receives callback-driven events | AppDelegate |
The source’s Delegate suffix makes this role explicit. |
Design patterns
| Pattern | Source evidence | Purpose or tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| View-controller organization | Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift:19 |
A controller is the verified coordination boundary; this is MVC-style only where a separate model is present. |
| Delegate or data-source callbacks | Shared/AppDelegate.swift:12 |
Callback protocols invert event delivery back into the sample’s owner. |
Naming conventions
- Types: Controller: AssetGridViewController, AssetViewController, MainViewController; Delegate: AppDelegate.
- Protocols: no local protocol declaration in the scanned source.
- Methods:
viewDidLoad,viewWillAppear,addAlbum,prepare,numberOfSections,tableView,photoLibraryDidChange,application. - Files:
Shared/MainViewController.swift,Shared/AppDelegate.swift,Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift,Shared/AssetViewController.swift,Shared/GridViewCell.swift.
Architecture takeaways
AppDelegateis the main source-visible entry or composition anchor for this sample.- Framework work reaches UIKit, Photos, PhotosUI 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 |
|---|---|
Shared/MainViewController.swift |
MainViewController, Section, CellIdentifier, SegueIdentifier |
Shared/AppDelegate.swift |
AppDelegate |
Shared/AssetGridViewController.swift |
AssetGridViewController |
Shared/AssetViewController.swift |
AssetViewController |
Shared/GridViewCell.swift |
GridViewCell |