| name | swiftui-view-refactor |
| description | Refactor and review SwiftUI view files for consistent structure, dependency injection, and Observation usage. Use when asked to clean up a SwiftUI view’s layout/ordering, handle view models safely (non-optional when possible), or standardize how dependencies and @Observable state are initialized and passed. |
SwiftUI View Refactor
Overview
Apply a consistent structure and dependency pattern to SwiftUI views, with a focus on ordering, Model-View (MV) patterns, careful view model handling, and correct Observation usage.
Core Guidelines
1) View ordering (top → bottom)
- Environment
private/publiclet@State/ other stored properties- computed
var(non-view) initbody- computed view builders / other view helpers
- helper / async functions
2) Prefer MV (Model-View) patterns
- Default to MV: Views are lightweight state expressions; models/services own business logic.
- Favor
@State,@Environment,@Query, andtask/onChangefor orchestration. - Inject services and shared models via
@Environment; keep views small and composable. - Split large views into subviews rather than introducing a view model.
3) Split large bodies and view properties
- If
bodygrows beyond a screen or has multiple logical sections, split it into smaller subviews. - Extract large computed view properties (
var header: some View { ... }) into dedicatedViewtypes when they carry state or complex branching. - It's fine to keep related subviews as computed view properties in the same file; extract to a standalone
Viewstruct only when it structurally makes sense or when reuse is intended. - Prefer passing small inputs (data, bindings, callbacks) over reusing the entire parent view state.
Example (extracting a section):
var body: some View {
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 16) {
HeaderSection(title: title, isPinned: isPinned)
DetailsSection(details: details)
ActionsSection(onSave: onSave, onCancel: onCancel)
}
}
Example (long body → shorter body + computed views in the same file):
var body: some View {
List {
header
filters
results
footer
}
}
private var header: some View {
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 6) {
Text(title).font(.title2)
Text(subtitle).font(.subheadline)
}
}
private var filters: some View {
ScrollView(.horizontal, showsIndicators: false) {
HStack {
ForEach(filterOptions, id: \.self) { option in
FilterChip(option: option, isSelected: option == selectedFilter)
.onTapGesture { selectedFilter = option }
}
}
}
}
Example (extracting a complex computed view):
private var header: some View {
HeaderSection(title: title, subtitle: subtitle, status: status)
}
private struct HeaderSection: View {
let title: String
let subtitle: String?
let status: Status
var body: some View {
VStack(alignment: .leading, spacing: 4) {
Text(title).font(.headline)
if let subtitle { Text(subtitle).font(.subheadline) }
StatusBadge(status: status)
}
}
}
4) View model handling (only if already present)
- Do not introduce a view model unless the request or existing code clearly calls for one.
- If a view model exists, make it non-optional when possible.
- Pass dependencies to the view via
init, then pass them into the view model in the view'sinit. - Avoid
bootstrapIfNeededpatterns.
Example (Observation-based):
@State private var viewModel: SomeViewModel
init(dependency: Dependency) {
_viewModel = State(initialValue: SomeViewModel(dependency: dependency))
}
5) Observation usage
- For
@Observablereference types, store them as@Statein the root view. - Pass observables down explicitly as needed; avoid optional state unless required.
Workflow
- Reorder the view to match the ordering rules.
- Favor MV: move lightweight orchestration into the view using
@State,@Environment,@Query,task, andonChange. - If a view model exists, replace optional view models with a non-optional
@Stateview model initialized ininitby passing dependencies from the view. - Confirm Observation usage:
@Statefor root@Observableview models, no redundant wrappers. - Keep behavior intact: do not change layout or business logic unless requested.
Notes
- Prefer small, explicit helpers over large conditional blocks.
- Keep computed view builders below
bodyand non-view computed vars aboveinit. - For MV-first guidance and rationale, see
references/mv-patterns.md.