JSON Codable - What to do with [Any]?

Question

I have a JSON with the following structure :

         "properties":[

            {

               "name":"Quality",
               "values":[],
               "displayMode":0,
               "type":6
            },
            {

               "name":"Armour",
               "values":[],
               "displayMode":0,
               "type":16
            },
            {

               "name":"Evasion Rating",
               "values":[],
               "displayMode":0,
               "type":17
            }
         ]

The API is always returning an array for "value" with first element being a String, and second element being an Int.

    "values":[

                  [
                     "+26%",
                     1
                  ]

               ],

Here’s how I mapped the JSON so far :

struct Properties: Codable {
    var name: String
    var values: [Any]
    var displayMode: Int
    var type: Int
}

At which point Xcode complains because Type 'Properties' does not conform to protocol 'Decodable'

So, I know that Any doesn't conform to codable but the thing is I don't how to convert this [Any] into something Swift can work with...

Can someone share a hint to the solution ?

Thank you very much :)

Answer 1

You need to use an unkeyed container for this when decoding in your custom init(from:).

If you know there is always one string followed by one integer you can define the struct for the values like this

struct Value: Decodable {
    let string: String?
    let integer: Int?

    init(from decoder: Decoder) throws {
        var container = try decoder.unkeyedContainer()
        string = try container.decodeIfPresent(String.self)
        integer = try container.decodeIfPresent(Int.self)
    }
 }

If there could be more elements you can use a loop instead

struct Value: Decodable {
    let strings: [String]
    let integers: [Int]

    init(from decoder: Decoder) throws {
        var container = try decoder.unkeyedContainer()
        var strings = [String]()
        var integers = [Int]()

        while !container.isAtEnd {
            do {
                let string = try container.decode(String.self)
                strings.append(string)
            } catch {
                let integer = try container.decode(Int.self)
                integers.append(integer)
            }
        }
        self.integers = integers
        self.strings = strings
    }
}