What Is the Meaning of the '#' Mark in Swift Language

What is the meaning of the '#' mark in swift language

Update (Swift 3.*...)

the default behavior of the first parameter’s signature was changed drastically. To understand how argument labels (ex. “external parameters”) and parameter names (ex. “local parameters”) work, please read the chapter “Function Argument Labels and Parameter Names” from the Apple’s Swift-book.

Some examples:

func someFunction(parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(parameterName: 5) // argument label not specified

func someFunction(argumentLabel parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(argumentLabel: 5) // argument label specified

func someFunction(_ parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(5) // argument label omitted

There is no difference in this behavior between methods and functions.

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Update (Swift 2.*)

The feature described below was deprecated, one need to write the parameter name twice to get the same behavior as with hash symbol before.

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Update (examples)

For functions: when the function is called and purpose of some parameters is unclear, you provide external names for those parameters.

func someFunction(parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(5) // What is the meaning of "5"? 

func someFunction(externalParameterName parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(externalParameterName: 5) // Now it's clear.

But if external and local names are the same, you just write a hash symbol before the parameter name.

func someFunction(#parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
// It's actually like:
// func someFunction(parameterName parameterName: Int) { parameterName }
someFunction(parameterName: 5)

For methods: by default first parameter name is only local (like by functions), but second and subsequent parameter names are both local and external (like as you write a hash symbol before the parameter name, this # is implicitly there):

class SomeClass {
    func someMethodWith(firstParameter: Int, andSecondParameter: Int) { ... }
}
SomeClass().someMethodWith(5, andSecondParameter: 10)

You can use # (or add an explicit external name) for the first parameter of the method too, but it'll not match Objective-C-style calling.

class SomeClass {
    func someMethodWith(#firstParameter: Int, andSecondParameter: Int) { ... }
}
SomeClass().someMethodWith(firstParameter: 5, andSecondParameter: 10)

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Original answer

If you want to provide an external parameter name for a function
parameter, and the local parameter name is already an appropriate name
to use, you do not need to write the same name twice for that
parameter. Instead, write the name once, and prefix the name with a
hash symbol (#). This tells Swift to use that name as both the local
parameter name and the external parameter name.

Excerpt From: Apple Inc. “The Swift Programming Language.” iBooks. https://itunes.apple.com/ru/book/swift-programming-language/id881256329?l=en&mt=11

What does # means in Apple Swift?

Check out the Shorthand External Parameter Names section of this doc: https://developer.apple.com/library/prerelease/mac/documentation/Swift/Conceptual/Swift_Programming_Language/Functions.html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40014097-CH10-XID_256

Here is the excerpt in the event the above link does not work in the future:

Shorthand External Parameter Names

If you want to provide an external parameter name for a function parameter, and the local parameter name is already an appropriate name to use, you do not need to write the same name twice for that parameter. Instead, write the name once, and prefix the name with a hash symbol (#). This tells Swift to use that name as both the local parameter name and the external parameter name.

Is it safe to localize the # (pound sign, hashtag) as an ordinal indicator? (e.g. #1, #2)

"Is the pound sign universal for indicating the ordinal of a list item?"

No it is not. Many languages use N° or other symbols.

See:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Numero_sign
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Number_sign#Usage_in_North_America

"Is there a way in Swift/Foundation to correctly localize this ordinal listing?"

Maybe there is a NumberFormatter that does this correctly, but I am not sure.

Your best bet is likely to omit the symbol.

problems with set on swift language

From the docs on NSSet:

If mutable objects are stored in a set, either the hash method of the objects shouldn’t depend on the internal state of the mutable objects or the mutable objects shouldn’t be modified while they’re in the set.

I think that exactly covers this case. True, it's about Cocoa NSSet, but I would expect Swift Set to correspond to NSSet in this regard.

Just for the record, I was able to reproduce the behavior you describe, eliminating some of the skankier or more questionable code - not in a playground, with a legal implementation of == and using hashValue, and without the unnecessary call to a test function:

class Test: Equatable, Hashable, CustomStringConvertible {
    var s: String
    static func == (lhs: Test, rhs: Test) -> Bool {
        return lhs.s == rhs.s
    }
    var hashValue: Int {
        return s.hashValue
    }
    init(s: String) {
        self.s = s
    }
    var description: String {
        return "Test(\(s))"
    }
}

class ViewController: UIViewController {

    override func viewDidLoad() {
        super.viewDidLoad()

        var s: Set<Test> = []
        let u1 = Test(s: "a")
        s.insert(u1)
        let u2 = Test(s: "b")
        s.insert(u2)

        print(s.contains(u2))
        u2.s = "c"
        print(s.contains(u2))
    }
}

To test it, run the project over and over. Sometimes you'll get true true and sometimes you'll get true false. The inconsistency is the indication that you shouldn't be mutating an object in a set.

Getting hash values from object in swift

NSLog is probably showing you the GCController's debugDescription property whereas print and the likes will show you the description property.

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