A Swift library that simplifies JSON parsing with a concise arrow operator, eliminating boilerplate code.
Arrow is a Swift library that simplifies JSON parsing by introducing a concise arrow operator (<--) to map JSON data to Swift models. It eliminates the need for verbose optional unwrapping, type casting, and nil checks, making JSON handling more elegant and less error-prone. The library is part of the freshOS iOS toolset and is designed to keep model code clean and maintainable.
iOS and macOS developers working with JSON APIs in Swift, particularly those tired of writing repetitive and error-prone manual parsing code. It's ideal for Swift developers who value clean, concise code and want to reduce boilerplate in their data layer.
Developers choose Arrow because it dramatically reduces JSON parsing boilerplate with a simple, expressive syntax. Unlike manual parsing or other libraries, it offers built-in type inference, support for nested models, and flexible date handling—all while keeping models free of parsing logic.
🏹 Parse JSON with style
Open-Awesome is built by the community, for the community. Submit a project, suggest an awesome list, or help improve the catalog on GitHub.
The <-- operator dramatically reduces boilerplate code by eliminating verbose optional unwrapping and type casting, as shown in the README's before-and-after comparison of JSON mapping.
Automatically infers Swift types from JSON values, minimizing manual casting and reducing potential errors in mapping logic.
Handles complex nested objects and arrays through extensions, allowing deep JSON access with dot notation (e.g., json['nested.nestedValue']) for straightforward mapping.
Offers both global and per-key date formatting, simplifying date handling from various JSON formats like ISO strings or timestamps without extra code.
The non-standard arrow operator (<--) can confuse developers unfamiliar with it, potentially harming code readability and increasing onboarding time for teams.
As of version 5.1.2, only Swift Package Manager is officially supported, with Carthage and CocoaPods deprecated, which may alienate projects using legacy dependency managers.
By abstracting away optional checks, Arrow can mask parsing failures or type mismatches, making debugging more challenging in edge cases compared to manual parsing.