Roadmap to v2.0

[dmytro-anokhin]

Motivation

URLImage has grown from a small library to a functional package. Since original release after WWDC 2019, features like incremental loading, flexible image cache, filters, were implemented. Besides that, a number of feature requests implemented, bugs fixed, SwiftUI learned, and pitfalls discovered. I'm grateful everyone who helped me to investigate bugs and created feature request. This really pushed the package forward.

With features comes complexity. My intention was to keep URLImage lightweight, but currently this is not the case. With small changes here and there the code became hard modify.

Development is iterative process and now is time for big refactoring iteration: v2.0.

Goals

URLImage was developed with performance in mind. Files are downloaded directly on disk to reduce memory footprint. Image decoding and processing done in background threads to minimize UI thread utilization. Download tasks are reused, even when there are multiple views that initiate download, to reduce network traffic consumption.

My intention is to keep this fundamental features.

The focus for v2 is on architecture and flexibility. This will open next possibilities:

• Clear data flow (download, caching, decoding, and processing);
• Download files without UI;
• Unit tests for individual components.

Process

v2.0 will be built from ground up, using all the good parts from v1.0. This will allow me to rethink architecture and structure of the package.

Package will be split into local dependencies managed by SPM. There will be code breaking API changes and number of features will be initially reduced.

Progress can be tracked in version_2 branch.

There won't be new development for current version. I will of course fix critical bugs if any. After releasing v2.0, previous version will be deprecated. I will keep the current version so you will be able to use it.

Timeline

When it's ready 🙂 I work on this project in my spare time and it is currently my top priority. So should be soon (-ish).

[dmytro-anokhin]

Weekly update

• Version 2.0.0 can download, display, and cache images;
• Introduced basic dependencies:
  • DownloadManager, ImageDecoder, and FileIndex as local packages;
  • RemoteContentView as a target.
• Added a playground to demonstrate usage.

The goal for the next week is to have first alpha release.

[dmytro-anokhin]

Weekly update:

• First (and second) alpha
• Moved code to targets for convenience
• Added default views for empty and in progress states
• Implemented cache access policies

Goals for the next week:

• Download images in widgets
• Cache cleanup
• Start documentation

[dmytro-anokhin]

Weekly update:

• Use identifier additionally to URL
• File extension derived from image type
• Download after delay
• Cache cleanup
• Lazy cache cleanup on access

I also started work on documentation and explored possibilities to download images in WidgetKit.

Next week I plan to release first beta.

[dmytro-anokhin]

There's new alpha 🥳

In addition to previous week changes it includes:

• Report download progress;
• Download error type changed from URLError to generic Error to handle for CFURLError;
• Delay is now passed in associated values of cache policy;
• Catalyst support;
• Expired images not deleted from cache lazily;
• Handling download retry;
• Stability improvements.

Beta build is coming soon. This will mean that all major features implemented, the API is frozen and the package builds for all supported platforms.

[dmytro-anokhin]

Beta time 🥳 I'm pretty happy with new API and plan to keep it.

Additionally to previous updates, there are few more features:

• Return cached don't load policy fallback to empty state if an image is not in the cache;
• Remove an image by identifier or URL;
• Images are downloaded using NSURLSessionDownloadTask.

What's left for v2.0:

• Implement cleanup of caches from the previous version;
• Finish documentation.

To speed up things I need to cut corners. So there won't be watchOS and WidgetKit support in 2.0. I hope to ship watchOS support in 2.1. WidgetKit after preloading images feature. I will also be closing old open issue.

If you use beta - please report bugs and mark them with v2.0 label. I hope to release v2.0 by the end of this week.

[dmytro-anokhin]

New beta, here are the changes:

• Implemented cleanup files from the previous version
• Fixed returnCacheDontLoad policy;
• Cache images read from disk in memory

BTW, you can configure SPM to track concrete branch if you feel lucky 😀

[dmytro-anokhin]

Created a demo app that I will fill in with various how-to's: https://github.com/dmytro-anokhin/url-image-demo

[dmytro-anokhin]

version_2 is now in master: #89 🎉 Some more testing and cleanup coming before official release. I will keep this issue updated. I will also be closing long lasting open issue that I had no time to resolve.

[dmytro-anokhin]

Version 2 is officially out 🥳🎉

New structure should allow me to fix bugs and implement new features faster. I already have exciting features planned for the future.

On this note, I'm also dropping support for previous versions, so please consider updating.

Cheers!