How to pause and resume downloads with Digger?

Digger supports breakpoint downloading automatically; pauses are handled by interrupting tasks, and resuming occurs when restarted. However, manual pause/resume controls aren't explicitly detailed in the README, requiring reliance on system-level management.

Digger vs Alamofire download: which should I use?

Choose Digger for lightweight, specialized download tasks with minimal code; it's built on URLSession and focuses solely on downloads. Alamofire offers broader networking features but may be overkill if you only need simple file downloading with progress tracking.

Can Digger handle background downloads on iOS?

Yes, Digger includes background resilience, allowing downloads to continue even when the app is force-closed, as mentioned in the README. However, it relies on URLSession's background capabilities, so ensure proper iOS configuration for long-running tasks.

How to cancel a download in Digger?

The README doesn't specify direct cancellation methods, but since it's based on URLSession, you might need to manage tasks manually through DiggerManager or rely on system cleanup when the app terminates.

Does Digger support download authentication?

The README doesn't mention authentication features; it focuses on basic download functionality, so for authenticated downloads, you'd likely need to extend it with custom URLSession configurations or use a more comprehensive library.

What's the performance impact of multi-thread download in Digger?

Multi-thread downloading can improve speed for large files, but Digger's implementation may add overhead for small files or in low-memory scenarios. Configuring concurrency via `maxConcurrentTasksCount` helps balance this, but test on target devices for optimal settings.

Open-Awesome

Digger

MITSwift

A lightweight Swift download framework for iOS that handles file downloads with just one line of code.

GitHub

546 stars72 forks0 contributors

What is Digger?

Digger is a lightweight download framework for iOS that simplifies file downloading with a minimal code footprint. It provides a clean Swift API built on URLSession that handles complex download tasks like breakpoint resumption, progress tracking, and concurrent downloads with just one line of code. The framework solves the problem of implementing robust download functionality without writing extensive boilerplate code.

Target Audience

iOS developers who need to implement file downloading functionality in their apps, particularly those working with large files or requiring reliable download management with progress tracking.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Digger for its extreme simplicity—requiring only one line of code for basic downloads—combined with powerful features like breakpoint resumption, real-time progress tracking, and configurable concurrency. Its pure Swift implementation and clean chain syntax API make it both modern and easy to integrate.

Overview

Digger is a lightweight download framework that requires only one line of code to complete the file download task

Use Cases

Best For

Implementing file downloads in iOS apps with minimal code
Downloading large files with progress tracking
Handling downloads that need to survive app termination
Managing multiple concurrent download tasks
Adding breakpoint/resume functionality to downloads
Swift projects needing a lightweight alternative to complex download libraries

Not Ideal For

Cross-platform projects requiring downloads on Android or web platforms
Applications needing advanced download features like automatic retry with exponential backoff or custom authentication headers
Teams preferring all-in-one networking libraries over specialized download frameworks

Pros & Cons

Pros

Minimal Code Footprint

Allows downloading files with just one line of code, as demonstrated in the basic usage example `Digger.download(url)`, reducing boilerplate significantly.

Breakpoint Resumption

Automatically resumes interrupted downloads even when the app is force-closed, ensuring reliable handling of large files without manual intervention.

Real-time Tracking

Provides live progress and speed monitoring through chainable callbacks like `.progress` and `.speed`, making UI updates straightforward.

Configurable Concurrency

Supports setting maximum concurrent tasks via `DiggerManager.shared.maxConcurrentTasksCount`, allowing optimization for different network conditions.

Cons

iOS-Only Limitation

Built purely for iOS with Swift and URLSession, it cannot be used for cross-platform or server-side projects, limiting its scope.

Basic Error Handling

The completion callback only returns a simple `Result` enum with success or failure, lacking built-in retry logic or detailed error recovery strategies.

Limited Ecosystem Integration

As a standalone download library, it doesn't integrate with broader networking stacks like Alamofire, which might complicate projects using those tools.

Frequently Asked Questions

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