How to check if Data Type equals Generic Data Type and assign to Property if True?

Question

Context

I have a Generic Swift Class containing a component Property of the Generic Type. A few other Variables with different Data Types are passed through the Initializer, however, all of them are conforming to the Generic Protocol.

However, I get the following Compiler Error in Line 11:

'ComponentA' is not convertible to 'C'

---

Code

protocol Component { ... }

struct ComponentA: Component { ... }
struct ComponentB: Component { ... }

class Main<C: Component> {
    var component: C

    init(componentA: ComponentA, componentB: ComponentB) {
        // I am trying to check, whether componentA equals the Generic Data Type and assign it to the component Property if true.
        if case let safeComponent = componentA as C {
            self.component = safeComponent
        }
    }
}

---

Question

How can I achieve my goal of checking whether a Data Type equals the Generic Data Type and assign it to the component Property if true?

Answer 1

You have at least 3 possible approaches. All deal with the possibility that componentA can not be cast to C

protocol Component {  }

struct ComponentA: Component {  }
struct ComponentB: Component {  }

// optional `component`
class Main1<C: Component> {
    var component: C?

    init?(componentA: ComponentA, componentB: ComponentB) {
        if let safeComponent = componentA as? C {
            self.component = safeComponent
        }
    }
}

// init throws when precondtions not met
class Main2<C: Component> {

    enum Errors: Error {
        case preconditionsNotSatisfied
    }

    var component: C

    init(componentA: ComponentA, componentB: ComponentB) throws {
        if let safeComponent = componentA as? C {
            self.component = safeComponent
        } else {
            throw Errors.preconditionsNotSatisfied
        }
    }
}


// init can return nil
class Main3<C: Component> {
    var component: C

    init?(componentA: ComponentA, componentB: ComponentB) {
        if let safeComponent = componentA as? C {
            self.component = safeComponent
        } else {
            return nil
        }
    }
}