How to set default value in iOS Mantle model subclass

Question

@interface Entity ()
  @property (assign) int searchTotalPagesAll;
  @property (assign) int searchTotalPagesIdeas;
@end


@implementation Entity
  + (NSDictionary *)JSONKeyPathsByPropertyKey {
return @{
         @"Id": @"entity.id_entity",
         @"name": @"entity.name",
         @"coverage" : @"entity.coverage",
         @"id_city": @"entity.Id_City",
         @"cityName":@"entity.city",
         @"countryName":@"entity.country",
         @"stateName":@"entity.district",
         @"countryCode": @"entity.countrycode",
         @"keyword1": @"entity.key1",
      ... etc

Since mantle examples doesn't have a init method, where should I initialize those properties (searchTotalPagesAll, searchTotalPagesIdeas) for default values ? This model has internal methods that need this and several other properties.

Answer 1

Whether you create a Mantle model from JSON or otherwise, the model is initialised with [-initWithDictionary:error:]. In your model class, you can add your defaults to the values used to initialise the model:

- (instancetype)initWithDictionary:(NSDictionary *)dictionaryValue error:(NSError *__autoreleasing *)error {
    NSDictionary *defaults = @{
        @"searchTotalPagesAll" : @(10),
        @"searchTotalPagesIdeas" : @(5)
    };
    dictionaryValue = [defaults mtl_dictionaryByAddingEntriesFromDictionary:dictionaryValue];
    return [super initWithDictionary:dictionaryValue error:error];
}