
swift-codable
Implement Swift Codable models for JSON and property-list encoding and decoding with JSONDecoder, JSONEncoder, CodingKeys, and custom init(from:) or encode(to:). Use when parsing API responses, remapping keys, flattening nested JSON, handling date or data decoding strategies, decoding heterogeneous arrays, or integrating Codable with URLSession, SwiftData, or UserDefaults.
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Install
Works with every agent the skills CLI supports.
npx skills add https://github.com/dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills --skill swift-codable- 01
Install
Run the command in your project. The CLI asks which agents to install for.
- 02
Describe the task
Ask your agent for something this skill covers. It loads swift-codable automatically when relevant.
- 03
Review the result
The agent follows the SKILL.md steps, scripts and references bundled with the skill.
SKILL.md
The instructions your agent reads when the skill is triggered.
Swift Codable
Encode and decode Swift types using Codable (Encodable & Decodable) with
JSONEncoder, JSONDecoder, and related APIs. Targets Swift 6.3 / iOS 26+.
Contents
- Decode and Verify Workflow
- Basic Conformance
- Custom CodingKeys
- Custom Decoding and Encoding
- Nested and Flattened Containers
- Heterogeneous Arrays
- Date Decoding Strategies
- Data and Key Strategies
- Lossy Array Decoding
- Single Value Containers
- Default Values for Missing Keys
- Encoder and Decoder Configuration
- Codable with URLSession
- Codable with SwiftData
- Codable with UserDefaults
- Common Mistakes
- Review Checklist
- References
Decode and Verify Workflow
- Decode representative success, missing, null, malformed, acronym-key, and date fixtures.
- On failure, inspect
DecodingError, itscodingPath, and the raw payload. - Correct only the mismatched model, key, container, or strategy; do not hide contract failures with lossy decoding.
- Rerun fixtures and encode/decode round trips where both directions are part of the contract.
Basic Conformance
When all stored properties are themselves Codable, the compiler synthesizes
conformance automatically:
struct User: Codable {
let id: Int
let name: String
let email: String
let isVerified: Bool
}
let user = try JSONDecoder().decode(User.self, from: jsonData)
let encoded = try JSONEncoder().encode(user)
Prefer Decodable for read-only API responses and Encodable for write-only.
Use Codable only when both directions are required.
Custom CodingKeys
Rename JSON keys without writing a custom decoder by declaring a CodingKeys
enum:
struct Product: Codable {
let id: Int
let displayName: String
let imageURL: URL
let priceInCents: Int
enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
case id
case displayName = "display_name"
case imageURL = "image_url"
case priceInCents = "price_in_cents"
}
}
Every stored property must appear in the enum. Omitting a property from
CodingKeys excludes it from encoding/decoding -- provide a default value or
compute it separately.
Custom Decoding and Encoding
Override init(from:) and encode(to:) for transformations the synthesized
conformance cannot handle:
struct Event: Codable {
let name: String
let timestamp: Date
let tags: [String]
enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
case name, timestamp, tags
}
init(from decoder: Decoder) throws {
let container = try decoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
name = try container.decode(String.self, forKey: .name)
// Decode Unix timestamp as Double, convert to Date
let epoch = try container.decode(Double.self, forKey: .timestamp)
timestamp = Date(timeIntervalSince1970: epoch)
// Default to empty array when key is missing
tags = try container.decodeIfPresent([String].self, forKey: .tags) ?? []
}
func encode(to encoder: Encoder) throws {
var container = encoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
try container.encode(name, forKey: .name)
try container.encode(timestamp.timeIntervalSince1970, forKey: .timestamp)
try container.encode(tags, forKey: .tags)
}
}
Nested and Flattened Containers
Use nestedContainer(keyedBy:forKey:) to navigate and flatten nested JSON:
// JSON: { "id": 1, "location": { "lat": 37.7749, "lng": -122.4194 } }
struct Place: Decodable {
let id: Int
let latitude: Double
let longitude: Double
enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey { case id, location }
enum LocationKeys: String, CodingKey { case lat, lng }
init(from decoder: Decoder) throws {
let container = try decoder.container(keyedBy: CodingKeys.self)
id = try container.decode(Int.self, forKey: .id)
let location = try container.nestedContainer(
keyedBy: LocationKeys.self, forKey: .location)
latitude = try location.decode(Double.self, forKey: .lat)
longitude = try location.decode(Double.self, forKey: .lng)
}
}
Chain multiple nestedContainer calls to flatten deeply nested structures.
Also use nestedUnkeyedContainer(forKey:) for nested arrays.
Heterogeneous Arrays
Load Advanced Codable Patterns for discriminator-based mixed arrays.
Date Decoding Strategies
Configure JSONDecoder.dateDecodingStrategy to match your API:
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
// ISO 8601 (e.g., "2024-03-15T10:30:00Z")
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .iso8601
// Unix timestamp in seconds (e.g., 1710499800)
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .secondsSince1970
// Custom DateFormatter
let formatter = DateFormatter()
formatter.dateFormat = "yyyy-MM-dd"
formatter.locale = Locale(identifier: "en_US_POSIX")
formatter.timeZone = TimeZone(secondsFromGMT: 0)
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .formatted(formatter)
// Custom closure for multiple formats
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .custom { decoder in
let container = try decoder.singleValueContainer()
let string = try container.decode(String.self)
if let date = ISO8601DateFormatter().date(from: string) { return date }
throw DecodingError.dataCorruptedError(
in: container, debugDescription: "Cannot decode date: \(string)")
}
Set the matching strategy on JSONEncoder:
encoder.dateEncodingStrategy = .iso8601
Data and Key Strategies
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
decoder.dataDecodingStrategy = .base64 // Base64-encoded Data fields
decoder.keyDecodingStrategy = .convertFromSnakeCase // simple keys only; not URL/ID spelling
// {"user_name": "Alice"} maps to `var userName: String` -- no CodingKeys needed
let encoder = JSONEncoder()
encoder.dataEncodingStrategy = .base64
encoder.keyEncodingStrategy = .convertToSnakeCase
Use key strategies only for mechanical snake_case-to-camelCase mappings.
convertFromSnakeCase maps by spelling, not Swift acronym/initialism policy:
image_url, base_uri, and user_id match imageUrl, baseUri, and
userId only. If the Swift model uses imageURL, baseURI, or userID,
declare explicit CodingKeys; the strategy will not synthesize those names.
Lossy Array Decoding
Use lossy arrays only when partial success is part of the product contract; load Lossy Arrays.
Single Value Containers
Use singleValueContainer() for type-safe primitive wrappers; see
Single-Value Wrappers.
Default Values for Missing Keys
Stored defaults do not make synthesized decoding tolerate missing nonoptional keys. Load Missing-Key Defaults when the contract assigns explicit fallback behavior to missing or null values.
Encoder and Decoder Configuration
Keep matching strategies at the transport/file-format boundary. Load Encoder Configuration for nonconforming floats and property-list guidance.
Codable with URLSession
func fetchUser(id: Int) async throws -> User {
let url = URL(string: "https://api.example.com/users/\(id)")!
let (data, response) = try await URLSession.shared.data(from: url)
guard let http = response as? HTTPURLResponse,
(200...299).contains(http.statusCode) else {
throw APIError.invalidResponse
}
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
decoder.keyDecodingStrategy = .convertFromSnakeCase
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .iso8601
return try decoder.decode(User.self, from: data)
}
// Generic API envelope. Configure a decoder inside this helper because
// fetchUser's decoder is out of scope.
struct APIResponse<T: Decodable>: Decodable {
let data: T
let meta: Meta?
struct Meta: Decodable { let page: Int; let totalPages: Int }
}
func decodeUsersEnvelope(from data: Data) throws -> [User] {
let decoder = JSONDecoder()
decoder.keyDecodingStrategy = .convertFromSnakeCase
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .iso8601
return try decoder.decode(APIResponse<[User]>.self, from: data).data
}
Codable with SwiftData
Keep schema values typed and route persistence design to swiftdata; see
Persistence Boundaries.
Codable with UserDefaults
Use primitives for small preferences. Load
Persistence Boundaries
for a small Codable RawRepresentable/@AppStorage handoff; use a real
persistence layer for larger or durable data.
Common Mistakes
1. Not handling missing defaulted fields:
// DON'T -- crashes if key is absent
let value = try container.decode(String.self, forKey: .bio)
// DO -- falls back when the key is absent or null
let value = try container.decodeIfPresent(String.self, forKey: .bio) ?? ""
2. Failing entire array when one element is invalid:
// DON'T -- one bad element kills the whole decode
let items = try container.decode([Item].self, forKey: .items)
// DO -- decode elements individually only when partial success is allowed
3. Date strategy mismatch:
// DON'T -- default strategy expects Double, but API sends ISO string
let decoder = JSONDecoder() // dateDecodingStrategy defaults to .deferredToDate
// DO -- set strategy to match your API format
decoder.dateDecodingStrategy = .iso8601
4. Force-unwrapping decoded optionals:
// DON'T
let user = try? decoder.decode(User.self, from: data)
print(user!.name)
// DO
guard let user = try? decoder.decode(User.self, from: data) else { return }
5. Using Codable when only Decodable is needed:
// DON'T -- unnecessarily constrains the type to also be Encodable
struct APIResponse: Codable { let id: Int; let message: String }
// DO -- use Decodable for read-only API responses
struct APIResponse: Decodable { let id: Int; let message: String }
6. Manual CodingKeys for simple snake_case APIs:
// DON'T -- verbose boilerplate for every model
enum CodingKeys: String, CodingKey {
case userName = "user_name"
case avatarUrl = "avatar_url"
}
// DO -- configure once on the decoder for simple cases
decoder.keyDecodingStrategy = .convertFromSnakeCase
// Keep CodingKeys for `imageURL`, `baseURI`, `userID`, and similar names.
Review Checklist
- Types conform to
Decodableonly when encoding is not needed -
decodeIfPresentused with defaults for optional or missing keys -
keyDecodingStrategy = .convertFromSnakeCaseused for simple snake_case APIs, with CodingKeys retained for acronym spellings -
dateDecodingStrategymatches the API date format - Arrays of unreliable data use lossy decoding to skip invalid elements
- Custom
init(from:)validates and transforms data instead of post-decode fixups -
JSONEncoder.outputFormattingincludes.sortedKeysfor deterministic test output - Wrapper types (UserID, etc.) use
singleValueContainerfor clean JSON - Generic
APIResponse<T>wrapper used for consistent API envelope handling - No force-unwrapping of decoded values
- Persistence boundary is explicit: SwiftData only for compatible noncomputed model properties,
@AppStorage/UserDefaults only for small primitive orRawRepresentablepreferences
References
- Advanced Codable patterns -- mixed arrays, lossy decoding, wrappers, defaults, configuration, and persistence boundaries
- Codable -- protocol combining Encodable and Decodable
- JSONDecoder -- decodes JSON data into Codable types
- JSONEncoder -- encodes Codable types as JSON data
- CodingKey -- protocol for encoding/decoding keys
- JSONDecoder.KeyDecodingStrategy.convertFromSnakeCase -- snake-case conversion behavior and limitations
- Encoding and Decoding Custom Types -- Apple guide on custom Codable conformance
- Using JSON with Custom Types -- Apple sample code for JSON patterns
- Preserving your app's model data across launches -- SwiftData model property compatibility
FAQ
What does the swift-codable skill do?
Implement Swift Codable models for JSON and property-list encoding and decoding with JSONDecoder, JSONEncoder, CodingKeys, and custom init(from:) or encode(to:). Use when parsing API responses, remapping keys, flattening nested JSON, handling date or data decoding strategies, decoding heterogeneous arrays, or integrating Codable with URLSession, SwiftData, or UserDefaults.
How do I install swift-codable?
Run npx skills add https://github.com/dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills --skill swift-codable in your project. The skills CLI detects the agents you use and copies the skill into the right folder. For Claude Code you can also place the skill folder at ~/.claude/skills/swift-codable/ (personal) or .claude/skills/swift-codable/ (project).
Which AI agents can use swift-codable?
Any agent that supports the open Agent Skills format (a folder with a SKILL.md file), including Claude Code, Codex, Cursor, GitHub Copilot, Gemini CLI, Windsurf, Cline, OpenCode and more.
Is swift-codable safe to install?
No partner security audit is available yet. Skills can run commands and scripts, so read the SKILL.md and any bundled files before installing.
Who maintains swift-codable?
It is published by dpearson2699 in dpearson2699/swift-ios-skills. It has 3,603 recorded installs.
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