/swiftdata-architecture

Repository Pattern with SwiftData

Protocol-based data abstraction for testable, flexible data access. The repository sits between ViewModels and SwiftData, hiding persistence details.

Why Use a Repository

Basic Repository Protocol

protocol TaskRepository: Sendable {
    func fetchAll() async throws -> [TaskDTO]
    func fetch(id: UUID) async throws -> TaskDTO?
    func create(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws
    func update(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws
    func delete(id: UUID) async throws
    func count(matching predicate: Predicate<TaskDTO>?) async throws -> Int
}

Data Transfer Objects (DTOs)

Use plain structs to decouple ViewModels from @Model classes:

struct TaskDTO: Identifiable, Sendable, Equatable {
    let id: UUID
    var title: String
    var isCompleted: Bool
    var priority: Priority
    var dueDate: Date?
    var projectID: UUID?
    var createdAt: Date
}

Mapping Between @Model and DTO

extension TaskModel {
    var toDTO: TaskDTO {
        TaskDTO(
            id: id,
            title: title,
            isCompleted: isCompleted,
            priority: priority,
            dueDate: dueDate,
            projectID: project?.id,
            createdAt: createdAt
        )
    }

    func update(from dto: TaskDTO) {
        title = dto.title
        isCompleted = dto.isCompleted
        priority = dto.priority
        dueDate = dto.dueDate
    }
}

SwiftData Repository Implementation

@ModelActor
actor SwiftDataTaskRepository: TaskRepository {
    func fetchAll() async throws -> [TaskDTO] {
        let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<TaskModel>(
            sortBy: [SortDescriptor(\.createdAt, order: .reverse)]
        )
        return try modelContext.fetch(descriptor).map(\.toDTO)
    }

    func fetch(id: UUID) async throws -> TaskDTO? {
        let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<TaskModel>(
            predicate: #Predicate { $0.id == id }
        )
        return try modelContext.fetch(descriptor).first?.toDTO
    }

    func create(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws {
        let model = TaskModel(
            id: task.id,
            title: task.title,
            priority: task.priority,
            dueDate: task.dueDate
        )
        modelContext.insert(model)
        try modelContext.save()
    }

    func update(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws {
        let id = task.id
        let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<TaskModel>(
            predicate: #Predicate { $0.id == id }
        )
        guard let model = try modelContext.fetch(descriptor).first else {
            throw RepositoryError.notFound
        }
        model.update(from: task)
        try modelContext.save()
    }

    func delete(id: UUID) async throws {
        let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<TaskModel>(
            predicate: #Predicate { $0.id == id }
        )
        guard let model = try modelContext.fetch(descriptor).first else {
            throw RepositoryError.notFound
        }
        modelContext.delete(model)
        try modelContext.save()
    }

    func count(matching predicate: Predicate<TaskDTO>?) async throws -> Int {
        let descriptor = FetchDescriptor<TaskModel>()
        return try modelContext.fetchCount(descriptor)
    }
}

@ModelActor

The @ModelActor macro creates an actor with its own ModelContext, enabling safe background data operations:

@ModelActor
actor DataWorker {
    // modelContext is automatically provided
    // modelExecutor is automatically provided

    func importData(_ items: [ImportItem]) async throws {
        for item in items {
            let model = TaskModel(from: item)
            modelContext.insert(model)
        }
        try modelContext.save()
    }
}

// Create with a ModelContainer
let worker = DataWorker(modelContainer: container)
try await worker.importData(items)

In-Memory Repository for Testing

actor InMemoryTaskRepository: TaskRepository {
    private var tasks: [UUID: TaskDTO] = [:]

    func fetchAll() async throws -> [TaskDTO] {
        Array(tasks.values).sorted { $0.createdAt > $1.createdAt }
    }

    func fetch(id: UUID) async throws -> TaskDTO? {
        tasks[id]
    }

    func create(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws {
        tasks[task.id] = task
    }

    func update(_ task: TaskDTO) async throws {
        guard tasks[task.id] != nil else { throw RepositoryError.notFound }
        tasks[task.id] = task
    }

    func delete(id: UUID) async throws {
        guard tasks[id] != nil else { throw RepositoryError.notFound }
        tasks[id] = nil
    }

    func count(matching predicate: Predicate<TaskDTO>?) async throws -> Int {
        tasks.count
    }

    // Test helpers
    func seed(_ seedTasks: [TaskDTO]) {
        for task in seedTasks {
            tasks[task.id] = task
        }
    }

    func reset() {
        tasks.removeAll()
    }
}

ViewModel Using Repository

@Observable
@MainActor
class TaskListViewModel {
    private let repository: TaskRepository

    var tasks: [TaskDTO] = []
    var isLoading = false
    var errorMessage: String?

    init(repository: TaskRepository) {
        self.repository = repository
    }

    func loadTasks() async {
        isLoading = true
        defer { isLoading = false }

        do {
            tasks = try await repository.fetchAll()
        } catch {
            errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
        }
    }

    func toggleCompletion(_ task: TaskDTO) async {
        var updated = task
        updated.isCompleted.toggle()

        do {
            try await repository.update(updated)
            if let index = tasks.firstIndex(where: { $0.id == task.id }) {
                tasks[index] = updated
            }
        } catch {
            errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
        }
    }

    func deleteTask(_ task: TaskDTO) async {
        do {
            try await repository.delete(id: task.id)
            tasks.removeAll { $0.id == task.id }
        } catch {
            errorMessage = error.localizedDescription
        }
    }
}

Dependency Injection

Via SwiftUI Environment

// Environment key
struct TaskRepositoryKey: EnvironmentKey {
    static let defaultValue: TaskRepository = InMemoryTaskRepository()
}

extension EnvironmentValues {
    var taskRepository: TaskRepository {
        get { self[TaskRepositoryKey.self] }
        set { self[TaskRepositoryKey.self] = newValue }
    }
}

// In the app
@main
struct MyApp: App {
    let container: ModelContainer

    var body: some Scene {
        WindowGroup {
            ContentView()
                .environment(\.taskRepository, SwiftDataTaskRepository(modelContainer: container))
        }
    }
}

// In previews
#Preview {
    let repo = InMemoryTaskRepository()
    // seed with sample data
    ContentView()
        .environment(\.taskRepository, repo)
}

Via Initializer

struct TaskListView: View {
    @State private var viewModel: TaskListViewModel

    init(repository: TaskRepository) {
        _viewModel = State(initialValue: TaskListViewModel(repository: repository))
    }

    var body: some View {
        List(viewModel.tasks) { task in
            TaskRow(task: task)
        }
        .task { await viewModel.loadTasks() }
    }
}

Testing

import Testing

@Suite struct TaskListViewModelTests {
    let repository = InMemoryTaskRepository()

    @Test func loadTasks() async {
        let sampleTasks = [
            TaskDTO(id: UUID(), title: "Task 1", isCompleted: false, priority: .medium, createdAt: .now),
            TaskDTO(id: UUID(), title: "Task 2", isCompleted: true, priority: .high, createdAt: .now),
        ]
        await repository.seed(sampleTasks)

        let viewModel = await TaskListViewModel(repository: repository)
        await viewModel.loadTasks()

        await #expect(viewModel.tasks.count == 2)
        await #expect(viewModel.errorMessage == nil)
    }

    @Test func toggleCompletion() async {
        let task = TaskDTO(id: UUID(), title: "Test", isCompleted: false, priority: .medium, createdAt: .now)
        await repository.seed([task])

        let viewModel = await TaskListViewModel(repository: repository)
        await viewModel.loadTasks()
        await viewModel.toggleCompletion(task)

        let updated = try? await repository.fetch(id: task.id)
        #expect(updated?.isCompleted == true)
    }

    @Test func deleteTask() async {
        let task = TaskDTO(id: UUID(), title: "Delete me", isCompleted: false, priority: .low, createdAt: .now)
        await repository.seed([task])

        let viewModel = await TaskListViewModel(repository: repository)
        await viewModel.loadTasks()
        await viewModel.deleteTask(task)

        await #expect(viewModel.tasks.isEmpty)
        let count = try? await repository.count(matching: nil)
        #expect(count == 0)
    }
}

When to Use (and Not Use) Repository Pattern

Use When

• You need unit-testable ViewModels
• You might swap data sources (SwiftData, network, file)
• Multiple ViewModels access the same data
• You want to add caching or transformation layers

Skip When

• Simple CRUD app with 1-2 screens
• @Query in views is sufficient
• You won't write tests for the data layer
• Prototyping or MVPs

Best Practices

1. Use DTOs - Don't leak @Model types outside the repository
2. Use @ModelActor for background work - Thread-safe by design
3. Keep repository methods focused - One operation per method
4. Return DTOs, not models - Prevents accidental mutations outside the repository
5. Use actor isolation - Repository should be an actor for thread safety
6. Seed test repositories - Provide helper methods for setting up test data
7. Save explicitly - Don't rely on auto-save; call modelContext.save() after mutations