Why Use QR Codes?

Before we get into the technical aspects, let’s explore the benefits of using QR codes in today’s app development landscape:

• Efficiency: QR codes can encode multiple data types, including text, URLs, and contact information, making them suitable for diverse applications.
• User Experience: Scanning QR codes is a user-friendly process that eliminates the need for manual data input, as smartphones come equipped with built-in QR scanners.
• Seamless Integration: QR codes can be easily incorporated into various marketing materials, digital assets, and physical products, enhancing the sharing of information.

Generating QR Codes in Swift

Now, let's dive into the process of generating QR codes. We'll start by creating a function named generateQRCode. This function will produce a QR code and return an Image, allowing us to display it using the SwiftUI Image view. The input text will be converted into data using ASCII encoding, followed by the creation of a CIFilter instance to generate the QR code.

Here’s a function that creates a QR code from a string:

func generateQRCode(text: String) -> Image {

let ciContext = CIContext()

guard let data = text.data(using: .ascii, allowLossyConversion: false) else {

return Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.octagon")

}

let filter = CIFilter.qrCodeGenerator()

filter.message = data

if let ciImage = filter.outputImage,

let cgImage = ciContext.createCGImage(ciImage, from: ciImage.extent) {

return Image(uiImage: UIImage(cgImage: cgImage))

}

return Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.octagon")

}

With this function returning a SwiftUI Image, we can directly add it to the view body. Additionally, we will introduce a state variable named inputText, which holds the text for generating the QR code.

The complete view to create and display a QR code is illustrated below:

import SwiftUI

struct CreateQRCodeView: View {

var body: some View {

generateQRCode(text: inputText)

.interpolation(.none)

.resizable()

.scaledToFit()

}

func generateQRCode(text: String) -> Image {

let ciContext = CIContext()

guard let data = text.data(using: .ascii, allowLossyConversion: false) else {

return Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.octagon")

}

let filter = CIFilter.qrCodeGenerator()

filter.message = data

if let ciImage = filter.outputImage,

let cgImage = ciContext.createCGImage(ciImage, from: ciImage.extent) {

return Image(uiImage: UIImage(cgImage: cgImage))

}

return Image(systemName: "exclamationmark.octagon")

}

}

Implementing the QR Code Generator View

Since we have built a reusable SwiftUI view, it can be utilized in various places within your application. Below is an example of how to create a new view that incorporates the QR generator view:

import SwiftUI

struct UseQRGeneratorView: View {

var body: some View {

VStack {

Text("Display QR Code")

.font(.title)

.bold()

Text("Scan the code above to visit my website.")

}

}

}

The Outcome: Wrapping Up QR Code Generation in SwiftUI

In this tutorial, we successfully created a QR code generator view that can be reused throughout your application. As demonstrated, generating a QR code is a straightforward process. QR codes are particularly advantageous for sharing lengthy text elements, such as URLs, that require precise accuracy.

We hope this guide proves useful for your next application development project — happy coding!

In this video titled "iOS 15: Generating and scaling up a QR code – Hot Prospects SwiftUI Tutorial 13/18," you will learn how to effectively generate and scale QR codes in your SwiftUI applications.

This video, "How to Generate a QRCode in Swift! (SwiftUI : Xcode) - YouTube," provides a step-by-step approach to creating QR codes using Swift in Xcode.