Share and Download files from application in Swift

In today’s blog, we will learn how to Share and Download files from application in Swift.

Let’s create a sample project having an image and a download and share button to download and share the image.

Then create the download and share button outlet and let’s see the code for each of them.

Share File

A lot of developers want to be able to share their app data via email, Messages, or AirDrop. Sharing is a convenient way for users to send data to each other or between devices. It may even net you some new customers!

Here I have taken an image file that has to share.

Please follow below steps to share the file:

Step 1: First initialize the image link.

let imgLink = "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png/1200px-Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png"

1	let imgLink = "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png/1200px-Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png"

Step 2: Then, create the outlet

@IBAction func shareClicked(_ sender: Any) {
    
    let objectsToShare = [link] as [Any]
    let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: objectsToShare, applicationActivities: nil)
    activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = [UIActivity.ActivityType.airDrop, UIActivity.ActivityType.addToReadingList]
    
    activityVC.popoverPresentationController?.sourceView = self.shareBtn
    
    self.present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)
    
}

@IBAction func shareClicked(_ sender: Any) {

let objectsToShare = [link] as [Any]

let activityVC = UIActivityViewController(activityItems: objectsToShare, applicationActivities: nil)

activityVC.excludedActivityTypes = [UIActivity.ActivityType.airDrop, UIActivity.ActivityType.addToReadingList]

activityVC.popoverPresentationController?.sourceView = self.shareBtn

self.present(activityVC, animated: true, completion: nil)

}

Step 3: Now, when you click the share button the Share popup will appear.

Please check here to share the file code in objective C.

Download File

Now, let’s see the steps to download a file.

Step 1: First initialize the image link.

let imgLink = "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png/1200px-Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png"

1	let imgLink = "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b6/Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png/1200px-Image_created_with_a_mobile_phone.png"

Step 2: Create downloadImage and getData functions.

    func downloadImage(from url: URL) {
        print("Download Started")
        getData(from: url) { data, response, error in
            guard let data = data, error == nil else { return }
            print(response?.suggestedFilename ?? url.lastPathComponent)
            print("Download Finished")
            
            DispatchQueue.main.async {
              print("Image has been downloaded")
                if let image = UIImage(data: data) {
                    //self.img = image
                    UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, nil, nil, nil)
                }
            }
            
        }
    }

func downloadImage(from url: URL) {

print("Download Started")

getData(from: url) { data, response, error in

guard let data = data, error == nil else { return }

print(response?.suggestedFilename ?? url.lastPathComponent)

print("Download Finished")

DispatchQueue.main.async {

print("Image has been downloaded")

if let image = UIImage(data: data) {

//self.img = image

UIImageWriteToSavedPhotosAlbum(image, nil, nil, nil)

}

   func getData(from url: URL, completion: @escaping (Data?, URLResponse?, Error?) -&gt; ()) {
        URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url, completionHandler: completion).resume()
   }

func getData(from url: URL, completion: @escaping (Data?, URLResponse?, Error?) -> ()) {

URLSession.shared.dataTask(with: url, completionHandler: completion).resume()

}

Step 3: Finally call the downloadImage function from our outlet.

    @IBAction func downloadCLicked(_ sender: Any) {
        let url = URL(string: imglink)!
        downloadImage(from: url)
    }

@IBAction func downloadCLicked(_ sender: Any) {

let url = URL(string: imglink)!

downloadImage(from: url)

}

Please check here if you want to download and view PDF in swift.

Downloading a file from URL using Alamofire

There are various ways to download the files from a URL but the best way to download it using Alamofire because it provides us various sub functionalities like:

a) downloadProgress : For showing the fraction completed while downloading the files.

b) validation : Allows to check the errors while downloading the files.

c) responseData: Contains the response for download.

Here is the code for using the Almofire for downloading from the URL :

// MARK: - Load URL
    func downloadUsingAlamofire(url: URL, fileName: String) {
        
        let manager = Alamofire.SessionManager.default
        
        let destination: DownloadRequest.DownloadFileDestination = { _, _ in
            self.documentsURL = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0]
            self.documentsURL.appendPathComponent(fileName)
            print(self.documentsURL)
            return (self.documentsURL, [.removePreviousFile])
        }
        
        manager.download(url, to: destination)
            
            .downloadProgress(queue: .main, closure: { (progress) in
                //progress closure
                print(progress.fractionCompleted)
            })
            .validate { request, response, temporaryURL, destinationURL in
                // Custom evaluation closure now includes file URLs (allows you to parse out error messages if necessary)
                GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()
                return .success
            }
            
            .responseData { response in
                if let destinationUrl = response.destinationURL as? URL {
                    print(destinationUrl)
                    
                    if let statusCode = (response as? HTTPURLResponse)?.statusCode {
                        print("Success: \(statusCode)")
                        GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()
                    }
                    
                    let AC = UIAlertController(title:GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "success"), message:GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "filesavemessage"), preferredStyle: .alert)
                    let okBtn = UIAlertAction(title: "view", style: .default, handler: {(_ action: UIAlertAction) -&gt; Void in
                        self.documentPathUrl = response.destinationURL
                        //open file
                    })
                    let noBtn = UIAlertAction(title: GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "cancel"), style: .destructive, handler: {(_ action: UIAlertAction) -&gt; Void in
                    })
                    AC.addAction(okBtn)
                    AC.addAction(noBtn)
                    self.present(AC, animated: true, completion: { })
                } else {
                    GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()
                }
            }
    }

// MARK: - Load URL

func downloadUsingAlamofire(url: URL, fileName: String) {

let manager = Alamofire.SessionManager.default

let destination: DownloadRequest.DownloadFileDestination = { _, _ in

self.documentsURL = FileManager.default.urls(for: .documentDirectory, in: .userDomainMask)[0]

self.documentsURL.appendPathComponent(fileName)

print(self.documentsURL)

return (self.documentsURL, [.removePreviousFile])

}

manager.download(url, to: destination)

.downloadProgress(queue: .main, closure: { (progress) in

//progress closure

print(progress.fractionCompleted)

})

.validate { request, response, temporaryURL, destinationURL in

// Custom evaluation closure now includes file URLs (allows you to parse out error messages if necessary)

GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()

return .success

}

.responseData { response in

if let destinationUrl = response.destinationURL as? URL {

print(destinationUrl)

if let statusCode = (response as? HTTPURLResponse)?.statusCode {

print("Success: \(statusCode)")

GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()

}

let AC = UIAlertController(title:GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "success"), message:GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "filesavemessage"), preferredStyle: .alert)

let okBtn = UIAlertAction(title: "view", style: .default, handler: {(_ action: UIAlertAction) -> Void in

self.documentPathUrl = response.destinationURL

//open file

})

let noBtn = UIAlertAction(title: GlobalData.sharedInstance.language(key: "cancel"), style: .destructive, handler: {(_ action: UIAlertAction) -> Void in

})

AC.addAction(okBtn)

AC.addAction(noBtn)

self.present(AC, animated: true, completion: { })

} else {

GlobalData.sharedInstance.dismissLoader()

}

I hope this, will make you more comfortable using Alamofire functionality for downloading from the URL into your app. Thanks for tuning in once again!

Please follow the above steps to download and share the files in the application.

Thanks for reading 🙂

Download File share file

Shikha Melkani

12 Dec, 2023
Updated by - Shantanu Nautiyal
29 Sep, 2020
Created by - Shikha Melkani

. . .

Share and Download files from application in Swift

Share File

Please follow below steps to share the file:

Download File

Downloading a file from URL using Alamofire

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