Implementing Currency Selection

Oct 13, 2025 by wbrum.org 68 views

A home screen is the first thing users see when they open your app. It's essential to make a good impression and provide a seamless user experience. In this section, we'll explore how to create a home screen that displays a list of currency rates and allows users to select their preferred currency.

Displaying Currency Rates

To display a list of currency rates, we'll use a table view in SwiftUI. A table view is a versatile and powerful UI component that can display data in a variety of formats.

SwiftUI Implementation

In SwiftUI, we can create a table view using the List and ForEach views. Here's an example of how to display a list of currency rates:

import SwiftUI

struct CurrencyRate: Identifiable {
    let id = UUID()
    var currency: String
    var rate: Double
}

struct HomeScreen: View {
    @State private var currencyRates: [CurrencyRate] = [
        CurrencyRate(currency: "USD", rate: 1.0),
        CurrencyRate(currency: "EUR", rate: 0.88),
        CurrencyRate(currency: "GBP", rate: 0.76),
        CurrencyRate(currency: "JPY", rate: 109.0),
        CurrencyRate(currency: "CNY", rate: 6.5)
    ]

    var body: some View {
        List {
            ForEach(currencyRates) { rate in
                VStack(alignment: .leading) {
                    Text(rate.currency)
                        .font(.headline)
                    Text("\(rate.rate, specifier: "%.2f")")
                        .font(.subheadline)
                }
            }
        }
    }
}

In this example, we define a CurrencyRate struct to represent a single currency rate. We then create a HomeScreen view that displays a list of currency rates using a List and ForEach views.

UIKit Implementation

In UIKit, we can create a table view using the UITableView and UITableViewCell classes. Here's an example of how to display a list of currency rates:

import UIKit

class HomeScreenViewController: UIViewController, UITableViewDataSource, UITableViewDelegate {
    let currencyRates = [
        ["USD", 1.0],
        ["EUR", 0.88],
        ["GBP", 0.76],
        ["JPY", 109.0],
        ["CNY", 6.5]
    ]

    @IBOutlet weak var tableView: UITableView!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        tableView.dataSource = self
        tableView.delegate = self
    }

    func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, numberOfRowsInSection section: Int) -> Int {
        return currencyRates.count
    }

    func tableView(_ tableView: UITableView, cellForRowAt indexPath: IndexPath) -> UITableViewCell {
        let cell = tableView.dequeueReusableCell(withIdentifier: "Cell", for: indexPath)
        let rate = currencyRates[indexPath.row]
        cell.textLabel?.text = rate[0]
        cell.detailTextLabel?.text = "\(rate[1], specifier: "%.2f")"
        return cell
    }
}

In this example, we define a HomeScreenViewController class that conforms to the UITableViewDataSource and UITableViewDelegate protocols. We then create a table view and configure its data source and delegate.

Implementing Currency Selection

To allow users to select their preferred currency, we'll use a picker view in SwiftUI. A picker view is a UI component that allows users to select an item from a list of options.

SwiftUI Implementation

In SwiftUI, we can create a picker view using the Picker and Text views. Here's an example of how to implement currency selection:

import SwiftUI

struct HomeScreen: View {
    @State private var selectedCurrency: String = "USD"

    var body: some View {
        Picker("Select Currency", selection: $selectedCurrency) {
            Text("USD").tag("USD")
            Text("EUR").tag("EUR")
            Text("GBP").tag("GBP")
            Text("JPY").tag("JPY")
            Text("CNY").tag("CNY")
        }
        .pickerStyle(SegmentedPickerStyle())
    }
}

In this example, we define a HomeScreen view that displays a picker view with a list of currency options. We then use the @State property wrapper to store the selected currency.

UIKit Implementation

In UIKit, we can create a picker view using the UIPickerView class. Here's an example of how to implement currency selection:

import UIKit

class HomeScreenViewController: UIViewController, UIPickerViewDataSource, UIPickerViewDelegate {
    let currencyOptions = ["USD", "EUR", "GBP", "JPY", "CNY"]
    @IBOutlet weak var pickerView: UIPickerView!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        pickerView.dataSource = self
        pickerView.delegate = self
    }

    func numberOfComponents(in pickerView: UIPickerView) -> Int {
        return 1
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, numberOfRowsInComponent component: Int) -> Int {
        return currencyOptions.count
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, titleForRow row: Int, forComponent component: Int) -> String? {
        return currencyOptions[row]
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, didSelectRow row: Int, inComponent component: Int) {
        let selectedCurrency = currencyOptions[row]
        // Update the selected currency
    }
}

In this example, we define a HomeScreenViewController class that conforms to the UIPickerViewDataSource and UIPickerViewDelegate protocols. We then create a picker view and configure its data source and delegate.

Conclusion

In the previous section, we explored how to create a home screen that displays a list of currency rates and allows users to select their preferred currency. However, we know that there are many questions and concerns that developers may have when implementing this feature. In this section, we'll answer some of the most frequently asked questions about creating a home screen with currency rates and selection.

Q: What are the benefits of displaying currency rates on a home screen?

A: Displaying currency rates on a home screen can provide several benefits, including:

Convenience: Users can quickly and easily view the current exchange rates for different currencies.
Relevance: By displaying currency rates on the home screen, you can provide users with relevant and timely information that is relevant to their financial needs.
Engagement: Displaying currency rates can help to engage users and encourage them to explore other features of your app.

Q: How do I handle currency rate updates in my app?

A: There are several ways to handle currency rate updates in your app, including:

API Integration: You can use APIs such as ExchangeRate-API or Xignite to retrieve up-to-date currency rates.
Scheduled Updates: You can schedule updates to occur at regular intervals, such as daily or weekly.
User-Triggered Updates: You can allow users to trigger updates manually, such as when they select a new currency.

Q: How do I implement a picker view in SwiftUI?

A: Implementing a picker view in SwiftUI is relatively straightforward. You can use the Picker and Text views to create a picker view with a list of options. Here's an example of how to implement a picker view in SwiftUI:

import SwiftUI

struct HomeScreen: View {
    @State private var selectedCurrency: String = "USD"

    var body: some View {
        Picker("Select Currency", selection: $selectedCurrency) {
            Text("USD").tag("USD")
            Text("EUR").tag("EUR")
            Text("GBP").tag("GBP")
            Text("JPY").tag("JPY")
            Text("CNY").tag("CNY")
        }
        .pickerStyle(SegmentedPickerStyle())
    }
}

Q: How do I implement a picker view in UIKit?

A: Implementing a picker view in UIKit is also relatively straightforward. You can use the UIPickerView class to create a picker view with a list of options. Here's an example of how to implement a picker view in UIKit:

import UIKit

class HomeScreenViewController: UIViewController, UIPickerViewDataSource, UIPickerViewDelegate {
    let currencyOptions = ["USD", "EUR", "GBP", "JPY", "CNY"]
    @IBOutlet weak var pickerView: UIPickerView!

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()
        pickerView.dataSource = self
        pickerView.delegate = self
    }

    func numberOfComponents(in pickerView: UIPickerView) -> Int {
        return 1
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, numberOfRowsInComponent component: Int) -> Int {
        return currencyOptions.count
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, titleForRow row: Int, forComponent component: Int) -> String? {
        return currencyOptions[row]
    }

    func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, didSelectRow row: Int, inComponent component: Int) {
        let selectedCurrency = currencyOptions[row]
        // Update the selected currency
    }
}

Q: How do I handle user input in a picker view?

A: Handling user input in a picker view is relatively straightforward. You can use the pickerView(_:didSelectRow:inComponent:) method to handle user input. Here's an example of how to handle user input in a picker view:

func pickerView(_ pickerView: UIPickerView, didSelectRow row: Int, inComponent component: Int) {
    let selectedCurrency = currencyOptions[row]
    // Update the selected currency
}

Q: How do I optimize the performance of my picker view?

A: Optimizing the performance of your picker view is crucial to ensure a smooth user experience. Here are some tips to optimize the performance of your picker view:

Use a segmented picker style: A segmented picker style can improve the performance of your picker view by reducing the number of components.
Use a custom picker view: A custom picker view can improve the performance of your picker view by allowing you to optimize the layout and rendering of the picker view.
Use a lazy loading approach: A lazy loading approach can improve the performance of your picker view by loading the data only when it is needed.

Conclusion

In this section, we answered some of the most frequently asked questions about creating a home screen with currency rates and selection. We covered topics such as handling currency rate updates, implementing a picker view in SwiftUI and UIKit, handling user input, and optimizing the performance of the picker view. By following these tips and best practices, you can create a home screen that provides a seamless user experience for your app.