Discussion
The if #available(macOS 26, 😉 { … } checks required to call newer APIs from apps that still run on older OSes are really cumbersome to use in SwiftUI.
This technique from @davedelong makes this much nicer and easier: https://davedelong.com/blog/2021/10/09/simplifying-backwards-compatibility-in-swift/
You might still have to do some manual mapping of enums and constants, but that ugliness is contained, leaving your call sites clean.
Since the dawn of SwiftUI, I've been using the (ill-advised, for multiple reasons) custom `if` view modifier as a last resort, which uses basically the same technique as the @davedelong's "Backport" system (with the same downsides, I imagine).
But you can't put an #available(…) check inside an `if` view modifier, and I've been annoyed by this for years. It turns out I just needed to make a slight change to make this work. 🙏
@siracusa Can you not use the if @availiable(...) check in the `if` modifier? I have a similar modifier and had no issue there.
@JoshHrach You can’t use it in .if(…) { } in the “…” spot.
If you’re an iOS dev, and you don’t want to write your own, check out https://github.com/superwall/iOS-Backports
@siracusa I have heard very good things about this one too, just in case: https://github.com/shaps80/SwiftUIBackports
(Unsure if it uses the same techniques)
@mattiem @siracusa Hey I'm the developer of SwiftUIBackports. I do indeed use the same approach, Dave and I discussed that approach when we first wrote about it. I have a lot more back ports since I started earlier, but this new lib has a bunch I haven't gotten around to, I'd love to get them contributed if you'd like to contribute? Great work, either way 👍
@siracusa @davedelong If the „if" condition does not change at runtime, there are no downsides to a conditional modifier. That's why the „Backport“ System has no real downsides.
@siracusa While I'm creeped out you're watching me struggle with this, I appreciate the very timely help.
@caseyliss I wasn't! This was something I was doing in one of my apps the other day, and I complained about it in a Slack, which led to Dave's suggestion that helped me clean things up considerably.
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