Alamofire

Elegant HTTP Networking in Swift

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AFNetworking

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SwiftyJSON

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Quick Overview

Alamofire is a Swift-based HTTP networking library for iOS and macOS. It provides an elegant and composable interface to HTTP network requests, built on top of Apple's URL Loading System. Alamofire simplifies common networking tasks, making it easier to integrate RESTful APIs, download files, and handle various networking scenarios in Swift applications.

Pros

Easy to use and intuitive API design
Robust features including request/response serialization, authentication, and validation
Excellent documentation and community support
Supports modern Swift concurrency features (async/await)

Cons

May be overkill for simple networking tasks
Learning curve for advanced features
Dependency on a third-party library for core functionality
Potential performance overhead compared to native URLSession for basic operations

Code Examples

Simple GET request:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/data").responseDecodable(of: [User].self) { response in
    switch response.result {
    case .success(let users):
        print("Users: \(users)")
    case .failure(let error):
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

POST request with parameters:

let parameters: [String: Any] = ["name": "John Doe", "email": "john@example.com"]
AF.request("https://api.example.com/users", method: .post, parameters: parameters)
    .validate()
    .responseDecodable(of: User.self) { response in
        // Handle response
    }

Download file with progress tracking:

AF.download("https://example.com/file.zip")
    .downloadProgress { progress in
        print("Download Progress: \(progress.fractionCompleted)")
    }
    .responseData { response in
        if let data = response.value {
            // Handle downloaded data
        }
    }

Getting Started

Add Alamofire to your project using Swift Package Manager:

dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire.git", .upToNextMajor(from: "5.6.4"))
]

Import Alamofire in your Swift file:

import Alamofire

Make a simple request:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/data").responseJSON { response in
    debugPrint(response)
}

Competitor Comparisons

Moya

15,168

Network abstraction layer written in Swift.

Pros of Moya

Provides a higher level of abstraction, making API integration more organized and maintainable
Encourages separation of concerns by defining API endpoints as separate entities
Offers built-in support for testing and stubbing network requests

Cons of Moya

Steeper learning curve due to additional concepts and abstractions
May be overkill for simple API integrations or smaller projects
Requires more setup and configuration compared to Alamofire

Code Comparison

Alamofire example:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/users").responseJSON { response in
    switch response.result {
    case .success(let value):
        print("Success: \(value)")
    case .failure(let error):
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

Moya example:

provider.request(.getUsers) { result in
    switch result {
    case .success(let response):
        let users = try? JSONDecoder().decode([User].self, from: response.data)
        print("Users: \(users)")
    case .failure(let error):
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

Both Alamofire and Moya are popular networking libraries for Swift, with Alamofire providing a more direct approach to making network requests, while Moya offers a higher level of abstraction and organization. The choice between the two depends on project requirements, team preferences, and the complexity of the API integration.

AlamofireImage

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AlamofireImage is an image component library for Alamofire

Pros of AlamofireImage

Specialized for image downloading and caching
Provides advanced image processing features
Seamless integration with UIImageView

Cons of AlamofireImage

Limited to image-related tasks
Requires Alamofire as a dependency
Potentially unnecessary for projects with simple image needs

Code Comparison

Alamofire (general networking):

AF.request("https://api.example.com/data").responseJSON { response in
    switch response.result {
    case .success(let value):
        print("JSON: \(value)")
    case .failure(let error):
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

AlamofireImage (image downloading):

let imageView = UIImageView()
imageView.af.setImage(withURL: URL(string: "https://example.com/image.jpg")!)

AlamofireImage is a specialized library for image handling built on top of Alamofire. It offers robust image caching and processing capabilities, making it ideal for projects with complex image requirements. However, it's limited to image-related tasks and may be overkill for simpler projects. Alamofire, on the other hand, is a more general-purpose networking library that can handle various types of network requests beyond just images. The code comparison illustrates the simplicity of using AlamofireImage for image downloading compared to Alamofire's more verbose approach for general networking tasks.

AFNetworking

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A delightful networking framework for iOS, macOS, watchOS, and tvOS.

Pros of AFNetworking

More mature and established library with a longer history
Supports older versions of iOS and macOS
Offers more fine-grained control over network operations

Cons of AFNetworking

Written in Objective-C, which may be less appealing for Swift-only projects
Less actively maintained compared to Alamofire
More complex API, potentially steeper learning curve for beginners

Code Comparison

AFNetworking:

AFHTTPSessionManager *manager = [AFHTTPSessionManager manager];
[manager GET:@"https://api.example.com/data" parameters:nil progress:nil success:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nonnull task, id  _Nullable responseObject) {
    NSLog(@"JSON: %@", responseObject);
} failure:^(NSURLSessionDataTask * _Nullable task, NSError * _Nonnull error) {
    NSLog(@"Error: %@", error);
}];

Alamofire:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/data").responseJSON { response in
    switch response.result {
    case .success(let value):
        print("JSON: \(value)")
    case .failure(let error):
        print("Error: \(error)")
    }
}

Both libraries provide similar functionality for making network requests, but Alamofire's Swift-based API is more concise and leverages modern Swift features. AFNetworking's Objective-C implementation is more verbose but offers greater flexibility in certain scenarios.

SwiftyJSON

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The better way to deal with JSON data in Swift.

Pros of SwiftyJSON

Focused specifically on JSON parsing and manipulation
Simpler syntax for accessing nested JSON structures
Lightweight and easy to integrate into projects

Cons of SwiftyJSON

Limited to JSON handling, unlike Alamofire's broader networking capabilities
Less frequent updates and maintenance compared to Alamofire
Smaller community and ecosystem

Code Comparison

SwiftyJSON:

let json = JSON(data: dataFromNetworking)
if let name = json["user"]["name"].string {
    // Do something with name
}

Alamofire:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/user").responseJSON { response in
    if let json = response.value as? [String: Any],
       let name = json["name"] as? String {
        // Do something with name
    }
}

SwiftyJSON focuses on simplifying JSON parsing with a more intuitive syntax, while Alamofire provides a comprehensive networking solution that includes JSON handling among other features. SwiftyJSON is ideal for projects primarily dealing with JSON data, whereas Alamofire is better suited for applications requiring extensive networking capabilities beyond just JSON parsing.

RxSwift

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Reactive Programming in Swift

Pros of RxSwift

Powerful reactive programming paradigm for handling asynchronous operations
Extensive set of operators for transforming and combining data streams
Better suited for complex, event-driven applications

Cons of RxSwift

Steeper learning curve compared to Alamofire's simpler API
Can lead to over-engineering for simpler networking tasks
Requires more boilerplate code for basic operations

Code Comparison

RxSwift:

Observable.from([1, 2, 3, 4, 5])
    .map { $0 * 2 }
    .filter { $0 > 5 }
    .subscribe(onNext: { print($0) })

Alamofire:

AF.request("https://api.example.com/data")
    .responseDecodable(of: [String].self) { response in
        switch response.result {
        case .success(let data): print(data)
        case .failure(let error): print(error)
        }
    }

RxSwift excels in handling complex, reactive scenarios, while Alamofire provides a more straightforward approach for network requests. RxSwift's power comes with increased complexity, whereas Alamofire offers simplicity for basic networking tasks. The choice between the two depends on the project's requirements and the developer's familiarity with reactive programming concepts.

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README

Alamofire: Elegant Networking in Swift

Alamofire is an HTTP networking library written in Swift.

Features
Component Libraries
Requirements
Migration Guides
Communication
Installation
Contributing
Usage
- Introduction - Making Requests, Response Handling, Response Validation, Response Caching
- HTTP - HTTP Methods, Parameters and Parameter Encoder, HTTP Headers, Authentication
- Large Data - Downloading Data to a File, Uploading Data to a Server
- Tools - Statistical Metrics, cURL Command Output
Advanced Usage
- URL Session - Session Manager, Session Delegate, Request
- Routing - Routing Requests, Adapting and Retrying Requests
- Model Objects - Custom Response Handlers
- Advanced Concurrency - Swift Concurrency and Combine
- Connection - Security, Network Reachability
Open Radars
FAQ
Credits
Donations
License

Features

Write Requests Fast!

Alamofire's compact syntax and extensive feature set allow requests with powerful features like automatic retry to be written in just a few lines of code.

// Automatic String to URL conversion, Swift concurrency support, and automatic retry.
let response = await AF.request("https://httpbin.org/get", interceptor: .retryPolicy)
                       // Automatic HTTP Basic Auth.
                       .authenticate(username: "user", password: "pass")
                       // Caching customization.
                       .cacheResponse(using: .cache)
                       // Redirect customization.
                       .redirect(using: .follow)
                       // Validate response code and Content-Type.
                       .validate()
                       // Produce a cURL command for the request.
                       .cURLDescription { description in
                         print(description)
                       }
                       // Automatic Decodable support with background parsing.
                       .serializingDecodable(DecodableType.self)
                       // Await the full response with metrics and a parsed body.
                       .response
// Detailed response description for easy debugging.
debugPrint(response)

Component Libraries

In order to keep Alamofire focused specifically on core networking implementations, additional component libraries have been created by the Alamofire Software Foundation to bring additional functionality to the Alamofire ecosystem.

AlamofireImage - An image library including image response serializers, UIImage and UIImageView extensions, custom image filters, an auto-purging in-memory cache, and a priority-based image downloading system.
AlamofireNetworkActivityIndicator - Controls the visibility of the network activity indicator on iOS using Alamofire. It contains configurable delay timers to help mitigate flicker and can support URLSession instances not managed by Alamofire.

Requirements

Platform	Minimum Swift Version	Installation	Status
iOS 10.0+ / macOS 10.12+ / tvOS 10.0+ / watchOS 3.0+	5.9 / Xcode 15.0	CocoaPods, Carthage, Swift Package Manager, Manual	Fully Tested
Linux	Latest Only	Swift Package Manager	Building But Unsupported
Windows	Latest Only	Swift Package Manager	Building But Unsupported
Android	Latest Only	Swift Package Manager	Building But Unsupported

Known Issues on Linux and Windows

Alamofire builds on Linux, Windows, and Android but there are missing features and many issues in the underlying swift-corelibs-foundation that prevent full functionality and may cause crashes. These include:

ServerTrustManager and associated certificate functionality is unavailable, so there is no certificate pinning and no client certificate support.
Various methods of HTTP authentication may crash, including HTTP Basic and HTTP Digest. Crashes may occur if responses contain server challenges.
Cache control through CachedResponseHandler and associated APIs is unavailable, as the underlying delegate methods aren't called.
URLSessionTaskMetrics are never gathered.
WebSocketRequest is not available.

Due to these issues, Alamofire is unsupported on Linux, Windows, and Android. Please report any crashes to the Swift bug reporter.

Migration Guides

Communication

If you need help with making network requests using Alamofire, use Stack Overflow and tag alamofire.
If you need to find or understand an API, check our documentation or Apple's documentation for URLSession, on top of which Alamofire is built.
If you need help with an Alamofire feature, use our forum on swift.org.
If you'd like to discuss Alamofire best practices, use our forum on swift.org.
If you'd like to discuss a feature request, use our forum on swift.org.
If you found a bug, open an issue here on GitHub and follow the guide. The more detail the better!

Installation

Swift Package Manager

The Swift Package Manager is a tool for automating the distribution of Swift code and is integrated into the swift compiler.

Once you have your Swift package set up, adding Alamofire as a dependency is as easy as adding it to the dependencies value of your Package.swift or the Package list in Xcode.

dependencies: [
    .package(url: "https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire.git", .upToNextMajor(from: "5.10.0"))
]

Normally you'll want to depend on the Alamofire target:

.product(name: "Alamofire", package: "Alamofire")

But if you want to force Alamofire to be dynamically linked (do not do this unless you're sure you need it), you can depend on the AlamofireDynamic target:

.product(name: "AlamofireDynamic", package: "Alamofire")

CocoaPods

CocoaPods is a dependency manager for Cocoa projects. For usage and installation instructions, visit their website. To integrate Alamofire into your Xcode project using CocoaPods, specify it in your Podfile:

pod 'Alamofire'

Carthage

Carthage is a decentralized dependency manager that builds your dependencies and provides you with binary frameworks. To integrate Alamofire into your Xcode project using Carthage, specify it in your Cartfile:

github "Alamofire/Alamofire"

Manually

If you prefer not to use any of the aforementioned dependency managers, you can integrate Alamofire into your project manually.

Embedded Framework

Open up Terminal, cd into your top-level project directory, and run the following command "if" your project is not initialized as a git repository:
```
$ git init
```

Add Alamofire as a git submodule by running the following command:

$ git submodule add https://github.com/Alamofire/Alamofire.git

Open the new Alamofire folder, and drag the Alamofire.xcodeproj into the Project Navigator of your application's Xcode project.

It should appear nested underneath your application's blue project icon. Whether it is above or below all the other Xcode groups does not matter.
Select the Alamofire.xcodeproj in the Project Navigator and verify the deployment target matches that of your application target.
Next, select your application project in the Project Navigator (blue project icon) to navigate to the target configuration window and select the application target under the "Targets" heading in the sidebar.
In the tab bar at the top of that window, open the "General" panel.
Click on the + button under the "Embedded Binaries" section.
You will see two different Alamofire.xcodeproj folders each with two different versions of the Alamofire.framework nested inside a Products folder.

It does not matter which Products folder you choose from, but it does matter whether you choose the top or bottom Alamofire.framework.
Select the top Alamofire.framework for iOS and the bottom one for macOS.

You can verify which one you selected by inspecting the build log for your project. The build target for Alamofire will be listed as Alamofire iOS, Alamofire macOS, Alamofire tvOS, or Alamofire watchOS.
And that's it!

The Alamofire.framework is automagically added as a target dependency, linked framework and embedded framework in a copy files build phase which is all you need to build on the simulator and a device.

Contributing

Before contributing to Alamofire, please read the instructions detailed in our contribution guide.

Open Radars

The following radars have some effect on the current implementation of Alamofire.

rdar://21349340 - Compiler throwing warning due to toll-free bridging issue in the test case
rdar://26870455 - Background URL Session Configurations do not work in the simulator
rdar://26849668 - Some URLProtocol APIs do not properly handle URLRequest

Resolved Radars

The following radars have been resolved over time after being filed against the Alamofire project.

rdar://26761490 - Swift string interpolation causing memory leak with common usage.
- (Resolved): 9/1/17 in Xcode 9 beta 6.
rdar://36082113 - URLSessionTaskMetrics failing to link on watchOS 3.0+
- (Resolved): Just add CFNetwork to your linked frameworks.
FB7624529 - urlSession(_:task:didFinishCollecting:) never called on watchOS
- (Resolved): Metrics now collected on watchOS 7+.

FAQ

What's the origin of the name Alamofire?

Alamofire is named after the Alamo Fire flower, a hybrid variant of the Bluebonnet, the official state flower of Texas.

Credits

Alamofire is owned and maintained by the Alamofire Software Foundation. You can follow them on Twitter at @AlamofireSF for project updates and releases.

Security Disclosure

If you believe you have identified a security vulnerability with Alamofire, you should report it as soon as possible via email to security@alamofire.org. Please do not post it to a public issue tracker.

Sponsorship

The ASF is looking to raise money to officially stay registered as a federal non-profit organization. Registering will allow Foundation members to gain some legal protections and also allow us to put donations to use, tax-free. Sponsoring the ASF will enable us to:

Pay our yearly legal fees to keep the non-profit in good status
Pay for our mail servers to help us stay on top of all questions and security issues
Potentially fund test servers to make it easier for us to test the edge cases
Potentially fund developers to work on one of our projects full-time

The community adoption of the ASF libraries has been amazing. We are greatly humbled by your enthusiasm around the projects and want to continue to do everything we can to move the needle forward. With your continued support, the ASF will be able to improve its reach and also provide better legal safety for the core members. If you use any of our libraries for work, see if your employers would be interested in donating. Any amount you can donate, whether once or monthly, to help us reach our goal would be greatly appreciated.

Sponsor Alamofire

Supporters

MacStadium provides Alamofire with a free, hosted Mac mini.

License

Alamofire is released under the MIT license. See LICENSE for details.

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