How to install Dollar in a Swift project using CocoaPods?

Add 'pod "Dollar"' to your Podfile, include 'use_frameworks!', and run pod install. The README provides a sample app for guidance, ensuring compatibility with iOS/macOS targets.

Does Dollar work with SwiftUI or is it only for UIKit?

Dollar is framework-agnostic and can be used with SwiftUI for data manipulation, but it doesn't provide UI components. It's best for backend logic or view model transformations.

What's the difference between Dollar and Swift's built-in array methods?

Dollar adds utilities not in Swift's standard library, like chunk, union, and compose, but for basic map/filter/reduce, Swift's native methods are sufficient and often more performant.

How do I chain multiple operations with Dollar like in Lodash?

Use Dollar.chain() to start a chain, then call methods like filter, map, and flatten, ending with .value to retrieve the result. The README shows examples with multi-step transformations.

Is Dollar still maintained for the latest Swift versions?

Yes, the README lists support up to Swift 5.1 with version 10.0.0 for Xcode 15, but check GitHub for updates as maintenance might slow with Swift's rapid evolution.

What are good alternatives to Dollar for functional programming in Swift?

Consider Swiftz for more advanced functional concepts, or rely on Swift's standard library enhancements. For Lodash-like utilities, Dollar is unique, but custom extensions might suffice for simple needs.

Open-Awesome

Dollar

MITSwift10.0.0

A functional tool-belt for Swift providing utility methods for arrays, dictionaries, and functions without extending built-in objects.

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4.2k stars361 forks0 contributors

What is Dollar?

Dollar is a Swift library that provides a functional tool-belt of utility methods for working with arrays, dictionaries, and functions. It solves the problem of repetitive data manipulation code by offering a comprehensive set of helper functions similar to those found in JavaScript libraries like Lo-Dash, but designed specifically for Swift's type system.

Target Audience

Swift developers who need efficient and expressive utilities for data transformation, functional programming enthusiasts, and those migrating from JavaScript who miss libraries like Lodash.

Value Proposition

Developers choose Dollar because it delivers a familiar functional programming experience without extending Swift's native types, ensuring compatibility and avoiding conflicts. Its extensive API covers common use cases with a clean, chainable interface.

Overview

A functional tool-belt for Swift Language similar to Lo-Dash or Underscore.js in Javascript

Use Cases

Best For

Manipulating and transforming arrays in Swift applications
Implementing functional programming patterns in Swift codebases
Simplifying dictionary merging, picking, and omitting operations
Creating reusable utility functions with currying and composition
Migrating JavaScript Lodash/Underscore logic to Swift
Performing common mathematical operations like GCD, LCM, and factorial

Not Ideal For

Swift projects that already rely extensively on Swift's native functional features like map, filter, and reduce, avoiding additional dependencies
Teams using SwiftUI or Combine frameworks, which integrate functional patterns natively and may render Dollar redundant
Applications with strict performance or size constraints where minimizing external library overhead is critical

Pros & Cons

Pros

Comprehensive Functional Toolkit

Offers over 50 utility functions for arrays, dictionaries, and functions, including niche operations like chunk, curry, and memoize, reducing boilerplate code.

Familiar API for Migrants

Directly mirrors JavaScript libraries like Lo-Dash and Underscore.js, easing the transition for developers moving from web to Swift ecosystems.

Non-Invasive Design Philosophy

Avoids extending Swift's built-in types, preventing conflicts and promoting modular, clean code organization as stated in the README.

Chainable Interface for Readability

Supports fluent method chaining via Dollar.chain(), enabling expressive data transformation pipelines similar to Lodash's flow.

Cons

Swift Version Fragmentation

The README requires matching specific library versions to Xcode and Swift releases (e.g., version 9.0.0 for Xcode 11), complicating upgrades and maintenance.

Redundant with Swift Evolution

As Swift's standard library grows, some utilities (e.g., flatMap) may become obsolete, risking unnecessary bloat in modern codebases.

Limited Ecosystem Integration

Focuses solely on functional utilities without support for newer Swift paradigms like async/await or SwiftUI, limiting its relevance in full-stack apps.

Open Source Alternative To

Dollar is an open-source alternative to the following products:

Underscore.js

Underscore.js is the same as Underscore, a JavaScript library offering utility functions for common programming tasks in a functional style.

Lo-Dash

Lo-Dash is a JavaScript utility library that provides modular methods for common programming tasks, offering performance optimizations and additional features compared to similar libraries.

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