WhoFollows

WhoFollows is a project based on the "iOS Dev Job Interview Practice - Take Home Project" course by renowned iOS developer Sean Allen. The app utilizes GitHub's REST API to allow users to search for GitHub profiles, view user details, browse followers/following lists, and manage favorites. Additionally, the app offers a seamless, modern, and user-friendly interface, ensuring an intuitive experience.

The primary goal of this project was to build a take-home style project using the UIKit framework while deepening knowledge of UIKit development principles.

Screenshots

Implementation

The app follows a modern approach to building and designing iOS applications. It is structured around the MVC (Model-View-Controller) architecture and leverages key UIKit components to create the User Interface.

Frameworks and Core Technologies

• Foundation: Provides essential data types and collection handling.
• UIKit (Programmatic): The primary UI framework for building the app's user interface.
• SafariServices: Enables in-app browsing with Safari View Controller.
• CoreData: Manages persistent storage for user favorites.
• XCTest: Implements unit and testing to ensure app's logic stability.

External Packages

• (No external packages used in this project.)

Features

Implemented in the Course Scope:

• Fetching followers and user information from GitHub's API.
• Displaying user details.
• Searching for GitHub users by username.
• Implementing pagination for data loading.
• Caching temporary images for performance optimization.
• Supporting light and dark mode.
• Integrating Safari View Controller for seamless web browsing.
• Using Codable for JSON parsing.

Additional Features Implemented Beyond the Course:

• Fetching the "Following" list alongside followers.
• Dynamic search button adjustments based on user input.
• Improved empty state handling with dismissible views.
• Sharing user profile links via UIActivityViewController.
• Header and footer handling in UserInfoVC.
• UserInfoVC structured as a UICollectionView for flexibility.
• CoreData-based persistence for user favorites.
• UI elements dynamically scaling across different screen sizes.
• Disk-based image caching in .cachesDirectory.
• Rounded avatars implemented using layoutIfNeeded method.
• Custom UIStackViews with useful layout extensions.
• WFAlertVC now includes a delegate for improved dismissal handling.

Skills Learned

From the Course:

• Xcode features and development shortcuts.
• Code refactoring for maintainability.
• MVC architecture for app structure.
• Delegation pattern for component communication.
• Memory management with weak references.
• UIKit fundamentals:
  • UIView, UIViewController, UITableView, UICollectionView
  • UINavigationController, UITabBarController, UISearchController
  • UISafariViewController, DiffableDataSource, NSCache, UserDefaults
• Networking with URLSession, completion handlers, and async/await.

Additional Skills Gained:

• Managing Xcode schemes, build phases, and test plans.
• Implementing access control best practices.
• Creating conditional protocol default implementations (DataLoadingView).
• Using FileManager.default and .cachesDirectory for local file storage.
• UIActivityViewController for sharing functionality.
• Mastering content hugging & resistance priority for better layouts.
• CoreData fundamentals and efficient data persistence strategies.
• XCTest fundamentals for test-driven development.
• LLDB debugging techniques for runtime issue resolution.
• Functional programming (map, forEach, reduce, etc.).
• Improved optional handling and error management.

Development Challenges and Solutions

• Adapting to Swift Concurrency: Migrated code to leverage async/await for improved readability and performance.
• Responsive UI on Small Screens: Ensured dynamic scaling for devices like iPhone SE and mini models.
• Optimized API Calls: Reduced unnecessary network requests using NSCache and .cachesDirectory.
• Improved Data Persistence: Transitioned from UserDefaults to CoreData for better scalability.
• Enhanced Empty State Handling: Designed a more flexible and dismissible empty state UI.

Installation

Follow these steps to build and run the app from source:

1. Clone the Repository

Clone the repository to your local machine:

git clone https://github.com/killlilwinters/WhoFollows

2. Open in Xcode

Navigate to the project directory and open the .xcodeproj file in Xcode.

3. Configure Signing & Capabilities

Ensure that your development team is selected in Xcode under Signing & Capabilities. You may need an Apple Developer account.

4. Run the App

Connect your device, select it in Xcode, and click Run to build and launch the app.

Note: If you encounter provisioning issues, follow the on-screen prompts in Xcode.

More

Video showcase can be found HERE.