iCloud & Data

RSS for tag

Learn how to integrate your app with iCloud and data frameworks for effective data storage

CloudKit Documentation

Posts under iCloud & Data subtopic

Post

Replies

Boosts

Views

Activity

SwiftData initializing Optional Array to Empty Array
I've been seeing something that I find odd when using two SwiftData models where if I have one model (book, in this case) that has an optional array of another model (page, in this case), the optional array starts out as set to nil, but after about 20 seconds it updates to being an empty array. I see it in Previews and after building. Is this expected behavior? Should I just assume that if there is an optional array in my model it will eventually be initialized to an empty array? Code is below. import SwiftUI import SwiftData @Model final class Book { var title: String = "New Book" @Relationship var pages: [Page]? = nil init(title: String) { self.title = title } } @Model final class Page { var content: String = "Page Content" var book: Book? = nil init() { } } struct ContentView: View { @Environment(\.modelContext) private var modelContext @Query private var books: [Book] var body: some View { NavigationSplitView { List { ForEach(books) { book in NavigationLink { Text("\(book.title)") Text(book.pages?.debugDescription ?? "pages is nil") } label: { Text("\(book.title)") Spacer() Text("\(book.pages?.count.description ?? "pages is nil" )") } } } HStack { Button("Clear Data") { clearData() } Button("Add Book") { addBook() } } .navigationSplitViewColumnWidth(min: 180, ideal: 200) } detail: { Text("Select an item") } } private func clearData() { for book in books { modelContext.delete(book) } try? modelContext.save() } private func addBook() { let newBook = Book(title: "A New Book") modelContext.insert(newBook) } } @main struct BookPageApp: App { var sharedModelContainer: ModelContainer = { let schema = Schema([Book.self, Page.self]) let modelConfiguration = ModelConfiguration(schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: false) do { return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: [modelConfiguration]) } catch { fatalError("Could not create ModelContainer: \(error)") } }() var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() } .modelContainer(sharedModelContainer) } } #Preview { ContentView() .modelContainer(for: Book.self, inMemory: true) }
1
0
162
Aug ’25
SwiftData ModelContext Pollution with Multiple ModelContainers and Schemas
I have two different VersionedSchema accessed via two different and distinct in-memory ModelContainers. However, both schemas have a model named Item. LocalSchema.Item and RemoteSchema.Item have slightly different properties. If I create and save RemoteSchema.Item in one context then I cannot create and save LocalSchema.Item in a different context due to missing origin property. enum LocalSchema: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier: Schema.Version = .init(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] = [ Item.self ] @Model class Item { @Attribute(.unique) var title: String var created: Date var modified: Date init(title: String, created: Date, modified: Date) { self.title = title self.created = created self.modified = modified } } } enum RemoteSchema: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier: Schema.Version = .init(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] = [ Item.self ] @Model class Item { var title: String var created: Date var modified: Date var origin: String init(title: String, created: Date, modified: Date, origin: String) { self.title = title self.created = created self.modified = modified self.origin = origin } } } In the above example, saving RemoteSchema.Item will cause LocalSchema.Item to fail. The error message I see is *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSUnknownKeyException', reason: '[<NSManagedObject 0xa120f3750> setValue:forUndefinedKey:]: the entity Item is not key value coding-compliant for the key "origin".' Test Code @Test func createLocalItemWithManualSave() async throws { let context = ModelContext(try localStore()) let item = LocalSchema.Item(title: "local", created: .now, modified: .now) context.insert(item) try context.save() } @Test func createRemoteItemWithManualSave() async throws { let context = ModelContext(try remoteStore()) let item = RemoteSchema.Item(title: "remote", created: .now, modified: .now, origin: "from space") context.insert(item) try context.save() } func localStore() throws -> ModelContainer { let schema = Schema(versionedSchema: LocalSchema.self) let config = ModelConfiguration("local", schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: true, allowsSave: true, cloudKitDatabase: .none) return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: config) } func remoteStore() throws -> ModelContainer { let schema = Schema(versionedSchema: RemoteSchema.self) let config = ModelConfiguration("remote", schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: true, allowsSave: true, cloudKitDatabase: .none) return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: config) } I have created FB22310365
1
0
35
1h
CloudKit CKRecordZone Deletion Issue
CloudKit CKRecordZone Deletion Issue Problem: CloudKit record zones deleted via CKDatabase.modifyRecordZones(deleting:) or CKModifyRecordZonesOperation are successfully removed but then reappear. I suspect they are automatically reinstated by CloudKit sync, despite successful deletion confirmation. Environment: SwiftData with CloudKit integration Custom CloudKit zones created for legacy zone-based sharing Observed Behavior: Create custom zone (e.g., "TestZone1") via CKDatabase.modifyRecordZones(saving:) Copy records to zone for sharing purposes Delete zone using any CloudKit deletion API - returns success, no errors Immediate verification: Zone is gone from database.allRecordZones() After SwiftData/CloudKit sync or app restart: Zone reappears Reproduction: Tested with three different deletion methods - all exhibit same behaviour: modifyRecordZones(deleting:) async API CKModifyRecordZonesOperation (fire-and-forget) CKModifyRecordZonesOperation with result callbacks Zone deletion succeeds, change tokens (used to track updates to shared records) cleaned up But zones are restored presumably by CloudKit background sync Expected: Deleted zones should remain deleted Actual: Zones are reinstated, creating orphaned zones
1
0
134
Dec ’25
SwiftData Versioning with Top-Level Models
If an app is using top-level models, meaning they exist outside the VersionedSchema enum, is it safe to keep them outside of the VersionedSchema enum and use a migration plan for simple migrations. Moving the models within the VersionedSchema enum I believe would change the identity of the models and result in data being lost, although correct me if I'm wrong in that statement. The need presently is just to add another variable to the model and then set that variable within the init function: var updateId = UUID() The app is presently in TestFlight although I'd like to preserve data for users that are currently using the app. The data within SwiftData is synchronized with CloudKit and so I'd also like to avoid any impact to synchronization. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
1
0
183
Nov ’25
A crash occurs when fetching history when Model has preserveValueOnDeletion attribute and using inheritance
Hello, In our app, we’ve modeled our schema using inheritance introduced in iOS 26.0, and we’re implementing SwiftData History to re-fetch models only when necessary. @Model public class Transaction { @Attribute(.preserveValueOnDeletion) public var date: Date = Date() public var amount: Double = 0 public var memo: String? } @Model public final class Spending: Transaction { public var installmentIndex: Int = 1 public var installment: Int = 1 public var installmentID: UUID? } If data has been deleted from database, we need to check a date property to determine whether to re-fetch datas. To do this, we added the preserveValueOnDeletion attribute to date property so we could retrieve it from the History tombstone value. However, after adding this attribute, a crash occurs. There is a console log Could not cast value of type 'Swift.ReferenceWritableKeyPath<Shared.ModelSchemaV5.Transaction, Foundation.Date>' (0x106bf8328) to 'Swift.PartialKeyPath<Shared.ModelSchemaV5.Spending>' (0x1094f21d8). and error log attached StrictMoneyChecking-2025-11-07-105108.txt I also tried this in the recent SampleTrip app, and fetching all history after a deletion causes the same crash. Is this issue currently being worked on or under investigation?
1
0
288
Nov ’25
SQLite strftime() support with Core Data FetchRequest
My entity has a startDate (NSTime) attribute where I use the date and time in my detail display of the entity. And in my list, I need to group my entities by day (YYMMDD) based on the start date; and I want to ensure that it can adapt to the region where the user is currently (e.g. if user travels or migrate, the YYMMDD should be adapted based on the current region). Does Core Data SectionedFetchRequest supports strftime() functions from SQLite (https://sqlite.org/lang_datefunc.html) or what is an effective alternative sectioned fetch in my case?
1
0
389
Sep ’25
CloudKit Console: No Containers
Background: Our non-production App was using SwiftData locally. Yesterday we followed the documentation to enable CloudKit: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit/enabling-cloudkit-in-your-app iCloud Works: Data is properly syncing via iCloud between 2 devices. Add on one shows on the other; delete on one deletes on the other. Today we logged into CloudKit Console for the first time; but there are no databases showing. We verified: Users and Roles: we have “Access to Cloud Managed… Certificates” Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles: our app has iCloud capabilities and is using our iCloud Container Signed into CloudKit Console with same developer ID as AppStoreConnect This is also the Apple ID of the iCloud account that has synced data from our app. In Xcode > Signing & Capabilities we are signed in as our Company team. Any guidance or tips to understanding how to what’s going on in CloudKit Console and gaining access to the database is appreciated!
1
0
235
Jun ’25
CloudKit shares and iOS26 public beta (23A5336a)
I am developing an app that uses CloudKit sharing. I recently upgraded my iPad to use 23A5336a. After that upgrade, I can no longer accept a share that is sent to me. I have rebooted the iPad and logged out of the iCloud account and logged back in. Every time I get a share link and tap it, it says: " The owner stopped sharing or your account (xxx) doesn't have permission to open it" This same code, running on the iOS26 device can share with device running iOS18. Is this a known defect? Anything I can do to help resolve this issue?
1
0
248
Sep ’25
Inheritance in SwiftData — Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data
I'm implementing SwiftData with inheritance in an app. I have an Entity class with a property name. This class is inherited by two other classes: Store and Person. The Entity model has a one-to-many relationship with a Transaction class. I can list all my Entity models in a List with a @Query annotation without a problem. However, then I try to access the name property of an Entity from a Transaction relationship, the app crashes with the following error: Thread 1: Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(0x96530ce28d41eb63 <x-coredata://DABFF7BB-C412-474E-AD50-A1F30AC6DBE9/Person/p4>))) with Optional(F07E7E23-F8F0-4CC0-B282-270B5EDDC7F3) From my attempts to fix the issue, I noticed that: The crash seems related to the relationships with classes that has inherit from another class, since it only happens there. When I create new data, I can usually access it without any problem. The crash mostly happens after reloading the app. This error has been mentioned on the forum (for example here), but in a context not related with inheritance. You can find the full code here. For reference, my models looks like this: @Model class Transaction { @Attribute(.unique) var id: String var name: String var date: Date var amount: Double var entity: Entity? var store: Store? { entity as? Store } var person: Person? { entity as? Person } init( id: String = UUID().uuidString, name: String, amount: Double, date: Date = .now, entity: Entity? = nil, ) { self.id = id self.name = name self.amount = amount self.date = date self.entity = entity } } @Model class Entity: Identifiable { @Attribute(.preserveValueOnDeletion) var name: String var lastUsedAt: Date @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \Transaction.entity) var operations: [Transaction] init( name: String, lastUsedAt: Date = .now, operations: [Transaction] = [], ) { self.name = name self.lastUsedAt = lastUsedAt self.operations = operations } } @available(iOS 26, *) @Model class Store: Entity { @Attribute(.unique) var id: String var locations: [Location] init( id: String = UUID().uuidString, name: String, lastUsedAt: Date = .now, locations: [Location] = [], operations: [Transaction] = [] ) { self.locations = locations self.id = id super.init(name: name, lastUsedAt: lastUsedAt, operations: operations) } } In order to reproduce the error: Run the app in the simulator. Click the + button to create a new transaction. Relaunch the app, then click on any transaction. The app crashes when it tries to read te name property while building the details view.
1
0
266
Sep ’25
How to test CKShare across multiple accounts?
I'm testing CloudKit Sharing (CKShare) in my app. My app uses CloudKit Sharing to share private data between users (this is not App Store Family Sharing or purchase sharing, it's app-level sharing via CKShare). To properly test this, I need three or four Apple Accounts with distinct roles in my app. This means I need three/four separate iCloud accounts signed in on test devices. Simulators are probably ok: two acting as "parents" (share owner and participant): parent1.sandbox@example.com parent2.sandbox@example.com, one or two as a "child" (participant) child1.sandbox@example.com child2.sandbox@example.com except obviously using my domain name. I attempted to create Sandbox Apple Accounts in App Store Connect, but these don't appear to work with CloudKit Sharing. I then created several standard Apple Accounts, but I've now hit a limit — I believe my mobile number (used for two-factor authentication on the test accounts) has been flagged or rate-limited for account creation, and I can no longer create or verify new accounts with it. It's also blocked the email addresses associated with those accounts from being used for new account creation. Can Apple or anyone advise on the recommended approach for testing CloudKit Sharing with multiple participants? are Sandbox accounts supposed to work for CKShare, or do I need full Apple Accounts? How do i create and verify these in the correct way to avoid hitting these limits or breaking terms of service?
1
0
111
Feb ’26
Error - Never access a full future backing data
Hi, I am building an iOS app with SwiftUI and SwiftData for the first time and I am experiencing a lot of difficulty with this error: Thread 44: Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(<ID> <x-coredata://<UUID>/MySwiftDataModel/p1>)), backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(<ID> <x-coredata://<UUID>/MySwiftDataModel/p1>)) with Optional(<UUID>) I have been trying to figure out what the problem is, but unfortunately I cannot find any information in the documentation or on other sources online. My only theory about this error is that it is somehow related to fetching an entity that has been created in-memory, but not yet saved to the modelContext in SwiftData. However, when I am trying to debug this, it's not clear this is the case. Sometimes the error happens, sometimes it doesn't. Saving manually does not always solve the error. Therefore, it would be extremely helpful if someone could explain what this error means and whether there are any best practices to do with SwiftData, or some pitfalls to avoid (such as wrapping my model context into a repository class). To be clear, this problem is NOT related to one area of my code, it happens throughout my app, at unpredictable places and time. Given that there is very little information related to this error, I am at a loss at how to make sure that this never happens. This question has been asked on the forum here as well as on StackOverflow, Reddit (can't link that here), but none of the answers worked for me. For reference, my models generally look like this: import Foundation import SwiftData @Model final class MySwiftDataModel { // Stable cross-device identity @Attribute(.unique) var uuid: UUID var someNumber: Int var someString: String @Relationship(deleteRule: .nullify, inverse: \AnotherSwiftDataModel.parentModel) var childModels: [AnotherSwiftDataModel] init(uuid: UUID = UUID(), someNumber: Int = 1, someString: String = "Some", childModels: [AnotherSwiftDataModel] = []) { self.uuid = uuid self.someNumber = someNumber self.someString = someString self.childModels = childModels } func addChildModel(model: AnotherSwiftDataModel) { self.childModels.append(model) } func removeChildModel(by id: PersistentIdentifier) { self.childModels = self.childModels.filter { $0.id != id } } } and the child model: import Foundation import SwiftData @Model final class AnotherSwiftDataModel { // Stable cross-device identity @Attribute(.unique) var uuid: UUID var someNumber: Int var someString: String var parentModel: MySwiftDataModel? init(uuid: UUID = UUID(), someNumber: Int = 1, someString: String = "Some") { self.uuid = uuid self.someNumber = someNumber self.someString = someString } } For now, you can assume I am not using CloudKit - i know for a fact the error is unrelated to CloudKit, because it happens when I am not using CloudKit (so I do not need to follow CloudKit's requirements for model design, such as nullable values etc). As I said, the error surfaces at different times - sometimes during assignments, a lot of times during deletions of related models, etc. Could you please explain what I am doing wrong and how I can make sure that this error does not happen? What are the architectural patterns that work best for SwiftData in this case? Do you have any examples of things I should avoid? Thanks
1
0
197
Jun ’25
swift
Hi, thank you for your reply. I have checked and confirmed that all AppleUser entity fields (id, name, email, password, createdAt) are optional, relationships (posts, comments) are optional, and I assign values when creating a new object, but Core Data still throws a nilError during registration; I have uploaded my project to GitHub for your reference here: https://github.com/Kawiichao/job. If reviewing it requires any payment, please let me know in advance. Thank you very much for your kind offer—I really appreciate it!
1
0
67
Sep ’25
Missing demo project
Hi forum! I’m currently following a series of videos about SwiftData. In the WWDC23 Build an app with SwiftData video, it mentions that you can follow up with a demo project. However, I’m encountering an issue (at least in my case) where there’s no link on the entire page to download the project. I can download the video and other resources (even using the Developer’s App), but there’s no link for the project. Does anyone else face this issue? Is it possible that the project has been removed? I’m using my developer (single user) account, by the way. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
1
0
303
1w
Issue with SwiftData inheritance
Every time I insert a subclass (MYShapeLayer) into the model context, the app crashes with an error: DesignerPlayground crashed due to fatalError in BackingData.swift at line 908. Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(0xb2dbc55f3f4c57f2 <x-coredata://B1E3206B-40DE-4185-BC65-4540B4705B40/MYShapeLayer/p1>))) with Optional(A6CA4F89-107F-4A66-BC49-DD7DAC689F77) struct ContentView: View { @Environment(\.modelContext) private var modelContext @Query private var designs: [MYDesign] var layers: [MYLayer] { designs.first?.layers ?? [] } var body: some View { NavigationStack { List { ForEach(layers) { layer in Text(layer.description) } } .onAppear { let design = MYDesign(title: "My Design") modelContext.insert(design) try? modelContext.save() } .toolbar { Menu("Add", systemImage: "plus") { Button(action: addTextLayer) { Text("Add Text Layer") } Button(action: addShapeLayer) { Text("Add Shape Layer") } } } } } private func addTextLayer() { if let design = designs.first { let newLayer = MYLayer(order: layers.count, kind: .text) newLayer.design = design modelContext.insert(newLayer) try? modelContext.save() } } private func addShapeLayer() { if let design = designs.first { let newLayer = MYShapeLayer(shapeName: "Ellipse", order: layers.count) newLayer.design = design modelContext.insert(newLayer) try? modelContext.save() } } } #Preview { ContentView() .modelContainer(for: [MYDesign.self, MYLayer.self, MYShapeLayer.self], inMemory: true) } @Model final class MYDesign { var title: String = "" @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \MYLayer.design) var layers: [MYLayer] = [] init(title: String = "") { self.title = title } } @available(iOS 26.0, macOS 26.0, *) @Model class MYLayer { var design: MYDesign! var order: Int = 0 var title: String = "" init(order: Int = 0, title: String = "New Layer") { self.order = order self.title = title } } @available(iOS 26.0, macOS 26.0, *) @Model class MYShapeLayer: MYLayer { var shapeName: String = "" init(shapeName: String, order: Int = 0) { self.shapeName = shapeName super.init(order: order) } }
1
0
159
Sep ’25
SwiftData Fatal error
I'm developing an app that uses CloudKit synchronization with SwiftData and on visionOS I added an App Settings bundle. I have noticed that sometimes, when the app is open and the user changes a setting from the App Settings bundle, the following fatal error occurs: SwiftData/BackingData.swift:831: Fatal error: This model instance was destroyed by calling ModelContext.reset and is no longer usable. The setting is read within the App struct in the visionOS app target using @AppStorage and this value is in turn used to set the passthrough video dimming via the .preferredSurroundingsEffect modifier. The setting allows the user to specify the dimming level as dark, semi dark, or ultra dark. The fatal error appears to occur intermittently although the first time it was observed was after adding the settings bundle. As such, I suspect there is some connection between those code changes and this fatal error even though they do not directly relate to SwiftData.
1
0
285
Oct ’25
SwiftData migration crashes when working with relationships
The following complex migration consistently crashes the app with the following error: SwiftData/PersistentModel.swift:726: Fatal error: What kind of backing data is this? SwiftData._KKMDBackingData<SwiftDataMigration.ItemSchemaV1.ItemList> My app relies on a complex migration that involves these optional 1 to n relationships. Theoretically I could not assign the relationships in the willMigrate block but afterwards I am not able to tell which list and items belonged together. Steps to reproduce: Run project Change typealias CurrentSchema to ItemSchemaV2 instead of ItemSchemaV1. Run project again -> App crashes My setup: Xcode Version 16.2 (16C5032a) MacOS Sequoia 15.4 iPhone 12 with 18.3.2 (22D82) Am I doing something wrong or did I stumble upon a bug? I have a demo Xcode project ready but I could not upload it here so I put the code below. Thanks for your help typealias CurrentSchema = ItemSchemaV1 typealias ItemList = CurrentSchema.ItemList typealias Item = CurrentSchema.Item @main struct SwiftDataMigrationApp: App { var sharedModelContainer: ModelContainer = { do { return try ModelContainer(for: ItemList.self, migrationPlan: MigrationPlan.self) } catch { fatalError("Could not create ModelContainer: \(error)") } }() var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() } .modelContainer(sharedModelContainer) } } This is the migration plan enum MigrationPlan: SchemaMigrationPlan { static var schemas: [any VersionedSchema.Type] { [ItemSchemaV1.self, ItemSchemaV2.self] } static var stages: [MigrationStage] = [ MigrationStage.custom(fromVersion: ItemSchemaV1.self, toVersion: ItemSchemaV2.self, willMigrate: { context in print("Started migration") let oldlistItems = try context.fetch(FetchDescriptor<ItemSchemaV1.ItemList>()) for list in oldlistItems { let items = list.items.map { ItemSchemaV2.Item(timestamp: $0.timestamp)} let newList = ItemSchemaV2.ItemList(items: items, name: list.name, note: "This is a new property") context.insert(newList) context.delete(list) } try context.save() // Crash indicated here print("Finished willMigrate") }, didMigrate: { context in print("Did migrate successfully") }) ] } The versioned schemas enum ItemSchemaV1: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier = Schema.Version(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] { [Item.self] } @Model final class Item { var timestamp: Date var list: ItemSchemaV1.ItemList? init(timestamp: Date) { self.timestamp = timestamp } } @Model final class ItemList { @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \ItemSchemaV1.Item.list) var items: [Item] var name: String init(items: [Item], name: String) { self.items = items self.name = name } } } enum ItemSchemaV2: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier = Schema.Version(2, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] { [Item.self] } @Model final class Item { var timestamp: Date var list: ItemSchemaV2.ItemList? init(timestamp: Date) { self.timestamp = timestamp } } @Model final class ItemList { @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \ItemSchemaV2.Item.list) var items: [Item] var name: String var note: String init(items: [Item], name: String, note: String = "") { self.items = items self.name = name self.note = note } } } Last the ContentView: struct ContentView: View { @Query private var itemLists: [ItemList] var body: some View { NavigationSplitView { List { ForEach(itemLists) { list in NavigationLink { List(list.items) { item in Text(item.timestamp.formatted(date: .abbreviated, time: .complete)) } .navigationTitle(list.name) } label: { Text(list.name) } } } .navigationTitle("Crashing migration demo") .onAppear { if itemLists.isEmpty { for index in 0..<10 { let items = [Item(timestamp: Date.now)] let listItem = ItemList(items: items, name: "List No. \(index)") modelContext.insert(listItem) } try! modelContext.save() } } } detail: { Text("Select an item") } } }
1
1
182
Apr ’25
SwiftData @Model: Optional to-many relationship is never nil at runtime
Hi all, I’m trying to understand SwiftData’s runtime semantics around optional to-many relationships, especially in the context of CloudKit-backed models. I ran into behavior that surprised me, and I’d like to confirm whether this is intended design or a potential issue / undocumented behavior. Minimal example import SwiftUI import SwiftData @Model class Node { var children: [Node]? = nil var parent: Node? = nil init(children: [Node]? = nil, parent: Node? = nil) { self.children = children self.parent = parent print(self.children == nil) } } struct ContentView: View { var body: some View { Button("Create") { _ = Node(children: nil) } } } Observed behavior If @Model is not used, children == nil prints true as expected. If @Model is used, children == nil prints false. Inspecting the macro expansion, it appears SwiftData initializes relationship storage using backing data placeholders and normalizes to-many relationships into empty collections at runtime, even when declared as optional. CloudKit context From the SwiftData + CloudKit documentation: “The iCloud servers don’t guarantee atomic processing of relationship changes, so CloudKit requires all relationships to be optional.” Because of this, modeling relationships as optional is required when syncing with CloudKit, even for to-many relationships. This is why I’m hesitant to simply switch the model to a non-optional [Node] = [], even though that would match the observed runtime behavior. Questions Is it intentional that optional to-many relationships in SwiftData are never nil at runtime, and instead materialize as empty collections? If so, is Optional<[Model]> effectively treated as [Model] for runtime access, despite being required for CloudKit compatibility? Is the defaultValue: nil in the generated Schema.PropertyMetadata intended only for schema/migration purposes rather than representing a possible runtime state? Is there a recommended modeling pattern for CloudKit-backed SwiftData models where relationships must be optional, but runtime semantics behave as non-optional? I’m mainly looking to ensure I’m aligning with SwiftData’s intended design and not relying on behavior that could change or break with CloudKit sync. Thanks in advance for any clarification!
1
1
367
Jan ’26
SwiftData initializing Optional Array to Empty Array
I've been seeing something that I find odd when using two SwiftData models where if I have one model (book, in this case) that has an optional array of another model (page, in this case), the optional array starts out as set to nil, but after about 20 seconds it updates to being an empty array. I see it in Previews and after building. Is this expected behavior? Should I just assume that if there is an optional array in my model it will eventually be initialized to an empty array? Code is below. import SwiftUI import SwiftData @Model final class Book { var title: String = "New Book" @Relationship var pages: [Page]? = nil init(title: String) { self.title = title } } @Model final class Page { var content: String = "Page Content" var book: Book? = nil init() { } } struct ContentView: View { @Environment(\.modelContext) private var modelContext @Query private var books: [Book] var body: some View { NavigationSplitView { List { ForEach(books) { book in NavigationLink { Text("\(book.title)") Text(book.pages?.debugDescription ?? "pages is nil") } label: { Text("\(book.title)") Spacer() Text("\(book.pages?.count.description ?? "pages is nil" )") } } } HStack { Button("Clear Data") { clearData() } Button("Add Book") { addBook() } } .navigationSplitViewColumnWidth(min: 180, ideal: 200) } detail: { Text("Select an item") } } private func clearData() { for book in books { modelContext.delete(book) } try? modelContext.save() } private func addBook() { let newBook = Book(title: "A New Book") modelContext.insert(newBook) } } @main struct BookPageApp: App { var sharedModelContainer: ModelContainer = { let schema = Schema([Book.self, Page.self]) let modelConfiguration = ModelConfiguration(schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: false) do { return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: [modelConfiguration]) } catch { fatalError("Could not create ModelContainer: \(error)") } }() var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() } .modelContainer(sharedModelContainer) } } #Preview { ContentView() .modelContainer(for: Book.self, inMemory: true) }
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
162
Activity
Aug ’25
SwiftData ModelContext Pollution with Multiple ModelContainers and Schemas
I have two different VersionedSchema accessed via two different and distinct in-memory ModelContainers. However, both schemas have a model named Item. LocalSchema.Item and RemoteSchema.Item have slightly different properties. If I create and save RemoteSchema.Item in one context then I cannot create and save LocalSchema.Item in a different context due to missing origin property. enum LocalSchema: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier: Schema.Version = .init(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] = [ Item.self ] @Model class Item { @Attribute(.unique) var title: String var created: Date var modified: Date init(title: String, created: Date, modified: Date) { self.title = title self.created = created self.modified = modified } } } enum RemoteSchema: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier: Schema.Version = .init(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] = [ Item.self ] @Model class Item { var title: String var created: Date var modified: Date var origin: String init(title: String, created: Date, modified: Date, origin: String) { self.title = title self.created = created self.modified = modified self.origin = origin } } } In the above example, saving RemoteSchema.Item will cause LocalSchema.Item to fail. The error message I see is *** Terminating app due to uncaught exception 'NSUnknownKeyException', reason: '[<NSManagedObject 0xa120f3750> setValue:forUndefinedKey:]: the entity Item is not key value coding-compliant for the key "origin".' Test Code @Test func createLocalItemWithManualSave() async throws { let context = ModelContext(try localStore()) let item = LocalSchema.Item(title: "local", created: .now, modified: .now) context.insert(item) try context.save() } @Test func createRemoteItemWithManualSave() async throws { let context = ModelContext(try remoteStore()) let item = RemoteSchema.Item(title: "remote", created: .now, modified: .now, origin: "from space") context.insert(item) try context.save() } func localStore() throws -> ModelContainer { let schema = Schema(versionedSchema: LocalSchema.self) let config = ModelConfiguration("local", schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: true, allowsSave: true, cloudKitDatabase: .none) return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: config) } func remoteStore() throws -> ModelContainer { let schema = Schema(versionedSchema: RemoteSchema.self) let config = ModelConfiguration("remote", schema: schema, isStoredInMemoryOnly: true, allowsSave: true, cloudKitDatabase: .none) return try ModelContainer(for: schema, configurations: config) } I have created FB22310365
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
35
Activity
1h
CloudKit CKRecordZone Deletion Issue
CloudKit CKRecordZone Deletion Issue Problem: CloudKit record zones deleted via CKDatabase.modifyRecordZones(deleting:) or CKModifyRecordZonesOperation are successfully removed but then reappear. I suspect they are automatically reinstated by CloudKit sync, despite successful deletion confirmation. Environment: SwiftData with CloudKit integration Custom CloudKit zones created for legacy zone-based sharing Observed Behavior: Create custom zone (e.g., "TestZone1") via CKDatabase.modifyRecordZones(saving:) Copy records to zone for sharing purposes Delete zone using any CloudKit deletion API - returns success, no errors Immediate verification: Zone is gone from database.allRecordZones() After SwiftData/CloudKit sync or app restart: Zone reappears Reproduction: Tested with three different deletion methods - all exhibit same behaviour: modifyRecordZones(deleting:) async API CKModifyRecordZonesOperation (fire-and-forget) CKModifyRecordZonesOperation with result callbacks Zone deletion succeeds, change tokens (used to track updates to shared records) cleaned up But zones are restored presumably by CloudKit background sync Expected: Deleted zones should remain deleted Actual: Zones are reinstated, creating orphaned zones
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
134
Activity
Dec ’25
SwiftData Versioning with Top-Level Models
If an app is using top-level models, meaning they exist outside the VersionedSchema enum, is it safe to keep them outside of the VersionedSchema enum and use a migration plan for simple migrations. Moving the models within the VersionedSchema enum I believe would change the identity of the models and result in data being lost, although correct me if I'm wrong in that statement. The need presently is just to add another variable to the model and then set that variable within the init function: var updateId = UUID() The app is presently in TestFlight although I'd like to preserve data for users that are currently using the app. The data within SwiftData is synchronized with CloudKit and so I'd also like to avoid any impact to synchronization. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
183
Activity
Nov ’25
A crash occurs when fetching history when Model has preserveValueOnDeletion attribute and using inheritance
Hello, In our app, we’ve modeled our schema using inheritance introduced in iOS 26.0, and we’re implementing SwiftData History to re-fetch models only when necessary. @Model public class Transaction { @Attribute(.preserveValueOnDeletion) public var date: Date = Date() public var amount: Double = 0 public var memo: String? } @Model public final class Spending: Transaction { public var installmentIndex: Int = 1 public var installment: Int = 1 public var installmentID: UUID? } If data has been deleted from database, we need to check a date property to determine whether to re-fetch datas. To do this, we added the preserveValueOnDeletion attribute to date property so we could retrieve it from the History tombstone value. However, after adding this attribute, a crash occurs. There is a console log Could not cast value of type 'Swift.ReferenceWritableKeyPath<Shared.ModelSchemaV5.Transaction, Foundation.Date>' (0x106bf8328) to 'Swift.PartialKeyPath<Shared.ModelSchemaV5.Spending>' (0x1094f21d8). and error log attached StrictMoneyChecking-2025-11-07-105108.txt I also tried this in the recent SampleTrip app, and fetching all history after a deletion causes the same crash. Is this issue currently being worked on or under investigation?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
288
Activity
Nov ’25
How to use AppMigrationKit to transfer data from an iPhone to an Android device
I am an individual developer, and I want to create a demo. Do I need to develop an app for both iOS and Android to accomplish this? Has Apple provided a simple demo or not?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
75
Activity
Nov ’25
SQLite strftime() support with Core Data FetchRequest
My entity has a startDate (NSTime) attribute where I use the date and time in my detail display of the entity. And in my list, I need to group my entities by day (YYMMDD) based on the start date; and I want to ensure that it can adapt to the region where the user is currently (e.g. if user travels or migrate, the YYMMDD should be adapted based on the current region). Does Core Data SectionedFetchRequest supports strftime() functions from SQLite (https://sqlite.org/lang_datefunc.html) or what is an effective alternative sectioned fetch in my case?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
389
Activity
Sep ’25
CloudKit Console: No Containers
Background: Our non-production App was using SwiftData locally. Yesterday we followed the documentation to enable CloudKit: https://developer.apple.com/documentation/cloudkit/enabling-cloudkit-in-your-app iCloud Works: Data is properly syncing via iCloud between 2 devices. Add on one shows on the other; delete on one deletes on the other. Today we logged into CloudKit Console for the first time; but there are no databases showing. We verified: Users and Roles: we have “Access to Cloud Managed… Certificates” Certificates, Identifiers & Profiles: our app has iCloud capabilities and is using our iCloud Container Signed into CloudKit Console with same developer ID as AppStoreConnect This is also the Apple ID of the iCloud account that has synced data from our app. In Xcode > Signing & Capabilities we are signed in as our Company team. Any guidance or tips to understanding how to what’s going on in CloudKit Console and gaining access to the database is appreciated!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
235
Activity
Jun ’25
CloudKit shares and iOS26 public beta (23A5336a)
I am developing an app that uses CloudKit sharing. I recently upgraded my iPad to use 23A5336a. After that upgrade, I can no longer accept a share that is sent to me. I have rebooted the iPad and logged out of the iCloud account and logged back in. Every time I get a share link and tap it, it says: " The owner stopped sharing or your account (xxx) doesn't have permission to open it" This same code, running on the iOS26 device can share with device running iOS18. Is this a known defect? Anything I can do to help resolve this issue?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
248
Activity
Sep ’25
Inheritance in SwiftData — Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data
I'm implementing SwiftData with inheritance in an app. I have an Entity class with a property name. This class is inherited by two other classes: Store and Person. The Entity model has a one-to-many relationship with a Transaction class. I can list all my Entity models in a List with a @Query annotation without a problem. However, then I try to access the name property of an Entity from a Transaction relationship, the app crashes with the following error: Thread 1: Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(0x96530ce28d41eb63 <x-coredata://DABFF7BB-C412-474E-AD50-A1F30AC6DBE9/Person/p4>))) with Optional(F07E7E23-F8F0-4CC0-B282-270B5EDDC7F3) From my attempts to fix the issue, I noticed that: The crash seems related to the relationships with classes that has inherit from another class, since it only happens there. When I create new data, I can usually access it without any problem. The crash mostly happens after reloading the app. This error has been mentioned on the forum (for example here), but in a context not related with inheritance. You can find the full code here. For reference, my models looks like this: @Model class Transaction { @Attribute(.unique) var id: String var name: String var date: Date var amount: Double var entity: Entity? var store: Store? { entity as? Store } var person: Person? { entity as? Person } init( id: String = UUID().uuidString, name: String, amount: Double, date: Date = .now, entity: Entity? = nil, ) { self.id = id self.name = name self.amount = amount self.date = date self.entity = entity } } @Model class Entity: Identifiable { @Attribute(.preserveValueOnDeletion) var name: String var lastUsedAt: Date @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \Transaction.entity) var operations: [Transaction] init( name: String, lastUsedAt: Date = .now, operations: [Transaction] = [], ) { self.name = name self.lastUsedAt = lastUsedAt self.operations = operations } } @available(iOS 26, *) @Model class Store: Entity { @Attribute(.unique) var id: String var locations: [Location] init( id: String = UUID().uuidString, name: String, lastUsedAt: Date = .now, locations: [Location] = [], operations: [Transaction] = [] ) { self.locations = locations self.id = id super.init(name: name, lastUsedAt: lastUsedAt, operations: operations) } } In order to reproduce the error: Run the app in the simulator. Click the + button to create a new transaction. Relaunch the app, then click on any transaction. The app crashes when it tries to read te name property while building the details view.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
266
Activity
Sep ’25
How to test CKShare across multiple accounts?
I'm testing CloudKit Sharing (CKShare) in my app. My app uses CloudKit Sharing to share private data between users (this is not App Store Family Sharing or purchase sharing, it's app-level sharing via CKShare). To properly test this, I need three or four Apple Accounts with distinct roles in my app. This means I need three/four separate iCloud accounts signed in on test devices. Simulators are probably ok: two acting as "parents" (share owner and participant): parent1.sandbox@example.com parent2.sandbox@example.com, one or two as a "child" (participant) child1.sandbox@example.com child2.sandbox@example.com except obviously using my domain name. I attempted to create Sandbox Apple Accounts in App Store Connect, but these don't appear to work with CloudKit Sharing. I then created several standard Apple Accounts, but I've now hit a limit — I believe my mobile number (used for two-factor authentication on the test accounts) has been flagged or rate-limited for account creation, and I can no longer create or verify new accounts with it. It's also blocked the email addresses associated with those accounts from being used for new account creation. Can Apple or anyone advise on the recommended approach for testing CloudKit Sharing with multiple participants? are Sandbox accounts supposed to work for CKShare, or do I need full Apple Accounts? How do i create and verify these in the correct way to avoid hitting these limits or breaking terms of service?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
111
Activity
Feb ’26
Error - Never access a full future backing data
Hi, I am building an iOS app with SwiftUI and SwiftData for the first time and I am experiencing a lot of difficulty with this error: Thread 44: Fatal error: Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(<ID> <x-coredata://<UUID>/MySwiftDataModel/p1>)), backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(<ID> <x-coredata://<UUID>/MySwiftDataModel/p1>)) with Optional(<UUID>) I have been trying to figure out what the problem is, but unfortunately I cannot find any information in the documentation or on other sources online. My only theory about this error is that it is somehow related to fetching an entity that has been created in-memory, but not yet saved to the modelContext in SwiftData. However, when I am trying to debug this, it's not clear this is the case. Sometimes the error happens, sometimes it doesn't. Saving manually does not always solve the error. Therefore, it would be extremely helpful if someone could explain what this error means and whether there are any best practices to do with SwiftData, or some pitfalls to avoid (such as wrapping my model context into a repository class). To be clear, this problem is NOT related to one area of my code, it happens throughout my app, at unpredictable places and time. Given that there is very little information related to this error, I am at a loss at how to make sure that this never happens. This question has been asked on the forum here as well as on StackOverflow, Reddit (can't link that here), but none of the answers worked for me. For reference, my models generally look like this: import Foundation import SwiftData @Model final class MySwiftDataModel { // Stable cross-device identity @Attribute(.unique) var uuid: UUID var someNumber: Int var someString: String @Relationship(deleteRule: .nullify, inverse: \AnotherSwiftDataModel.parentModel) var childModels: [AnotherSwiftDataModel] init(uuid: UUID = UUID(), someNumber: Int = 1, someString: String = "Some", childModels: [AnotherSwiftDataModel] = []) { self.uuid = uuid self.someNumber = someNumber self.someString = someString self.childModels = childModels } func addChildModel(model: AnotherSwiftDataModel) { self.childModels.append(model) } func removeChildModel(by id: PersistentIdentifier) { self.childModels = self.childModels.filter { $0.id != id } } } and the child model: import Foundation import SwiftData @Model final class AnotherSwiftDataModel { // Stable cross-device identity @Attribute(.unique) var uuid: UUID var someNumber: Int var someString: String var parentModel: MySwiftDataModel? init(uuid: UUID = UUID(), someNumber: Int = 1, someString: String = "Some") { self.uuid = uuid self.someNumber = someNumber self.someString = someString } } For now, you can assume I am not using CloudKit - i know for a fact the error is unrelated to CloudKit, because it happens when I am not using CloudKit (so I do not need to follow CloudKit's requirements for model design, such as nullable values etc). As I said, the error surfaces at different times - sometimes during assignments, a lot of times during deletions of related models, etc. Could you please explain what I am doing wrong and how I can make sure that this error does not happen? What are the architectural patterns that work best for SwiftData in this case? Do you have any examples of things I should avoid? Thanks
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
197
Activity
Jun ’25
swift
Hi, thank you for your reply. I have checked and confirmed that all AppleUser entity fields (id, name, email, password, createdAt) are optional, relationships (posts, comments) are optional, and I assign values when creating a new object, but Core Data still throws a nilError during registration; I have uploaded my project to GitHub for your reference here: https://github.com/Kawiichao/job. If reviewing it requires any payment, please let me know in advance. Thank you very much for your kind offer—I really appreciate it!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
67
Activity
Sep ’25
Missing demo project
Hi forum! I’m currently following a series of videos about SwiftData. In the WWDC23 Build an app with SwiftData video, it mentions that you can follow up with a demo project. However, I’m encountering an issue (at least in my case) where there’s no link on the entire page to download the project. I can download the video and other resources (even using the Developer’s App), but there’s no link for the project. Does anyone else face this issue? Is it possible that the project has been removed? I’m using my developer (single user) account, by the way. Any guidance would be greatly appreciated!
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
303
Activity
1w
Can't sign in to Apple in Tahoe VM
Running Tahoe 26.1 in a virtual machine, I can't sign into my Apple account. There is an error message saying "Could not communicate with the server." Internet access otherwise seems to be working in the VM. I tried both UTM and VirtualBuddy. Is this supposed to work?
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
329
Activity
Dec ’25
Issue with SwiftData inheritance
Every time I insert a subclass (MYShapeLayer) into the model context, the app crashes with an error: DesignerPlayground crashed due to fatalError in BackingData.swift at line 908. Never access a full future backing data - PersistentIdentifier(id: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.ID(backing: SwiftData.PersistentIdentifier.PersistentIdentifierBacking.managedObjectID(0xb2dbc55f3f4c57f2 <x-coredata://B1E3206B-40DE-4185-BC65-4540B4705B40/MYShapeLayer/p1>))) with Optional(A6CA4F89-107F-4A66-BC49-DD7DAC689F77) struct ContentView: View { @Environment(\.modelContext) private var modelContext @Query private var designs: [MYDesign] var layers: [MYLayer] { designs.first?.layers ?? [] } var body: some View { NavigationStack { List { ForEach(layers) { layer in Text(layer.description) } } .onAppear { let design = MYDesign(title: "My Design") modelContext.insert(design) try? modelContext.save() } .toolbar { Menu("Add", systemImage: "plus") { Button(action: addTextLayer) { Text("Add Text Layer") } Button(action: addShapeLayer) { Text("Add Shape Layer") } } } } } private func addTextLayer() { if let design = designs.first { let newLayer = MYLayer(order: layers.count, kind: .text) newLayer.design = design modelContext.insert(newLayer) try? modelContext.save() } } private func addShapeLayer() { if let design = designs.first { let newLayer = MYShapeLayer(shapeName: "Ellipse", order: layers.count) newLayer.design = design modelContext.insert(newLayer) try? modelContext.save() } } } #Preview { ContentView() .modelContainer(for: [MYDesign.self, MYLayer.self, MYShapeLayer.self], inMemory: true) } @Model final class MYDesign { var title: String = "" @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \MYLayer.design) var layers: [MYLayer] = [] init(title: String = "") { self.title = title } } @available(iOS 26.0, macOS 26.0, *) @Model class MYLayer { var design: MYDesign! var order: Int = 0 var title: String = "" init(order: Int = 0, title: String = "New Layer") { self.order = order self.title = title } } @available(iOS 26.0, macOS 26.0, *) @Model class MYShapeLayer: MYLayer { var shapeName: String = "" init(shapeName: String, order: Int = 0) { self.shapeName = shapeName super.init(order: order) } }
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
159
Activity
Sep ’25
SwiftData Fatal error
I'm developing an app that uses CloudKit synchronization with SwiftData and on visionOS I added an App Settings bundle. I have noticed that sometimes, when the app is open and the user changes a setting from the App Settings bundle, the following fatal error occurs: SwiftData/BackingData.swift:831: Fatal error: This model instance was destroyed by calling ModelContext.reset and is no longer usable. The setting is read within the App struct in the visionOS app target using @AppStorage and this value is in turn used to set the passthrough video dimming via the .preferredSurroundingsEffect modifier. The setting allows the user to specify the dimming level as dark, semi dark, or ultra dark. The fatal error appears to occur intermittently although the first time it was observed was after adding the settings bundle. As such, I suspect there is some connection between those code changes and this fatal error even though they do not directly relate to SwiftData.
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
285
Activity
Oct ’25
Good Morning I am building a app that uses cloudkit and am trying to find our the app limits allowed
I have been trying to find out the app limits to my app when released into the app store, I understand that in the public database the app worldwide can use 200g of bandwidth free per month. What happens after that? is it throttled? is there a pricing structure for overages? thanks
Replies
1
Boosts
0
Views
149
Activity
Jun ’25
SwiftData migration crashes when working with relationships
The following complex migration consistently crashes the app with the following error: SwiftData/PersistentModel.swift:726: Fatal error: What kind of backing data is this? SwiftData._KKMDBackingData<SwiftDataMigration.ItemSchemaV1.ItemList> My app relies on a complex migration that involves these optional 1 to n relationships. Theoretically I could not assign the relationships in the willMigrate block but afterwards I am not able to tell which list and items belonged together. Steps to reproduce: Run project Change typealias CurrentSchema to ItemSchemaV2 instead of ItemSchemaV1. Run project again -> App crashes My setup: Xcode Version 16.2 (16C5032a) MacOS Sequoia 15.4 iPhone 12 with 18.3.2 (22D82) Am I doing something wrong or did I stumble upon a bug? I have a demo Xcode project ready but I could not upload it here so I put the code below. Thanks for your help typealias CurrentSchema = ItemSchemaV1 typealias ItemList = CurrentSchema.ItemList typealias Item = CurrentSchema.Item @main struct SwiftDataMigrationApp: App { var sharedModelContainer: ModelContainer = { do { return try ModelContainer(for: ItemList.self, migrationPlan: MigrationPlan.self) } catch { fatalError("Could not create ModelContainer: \(error)") } }() var body: some Scene { WindowGroup { ContentView() } .modelContainer(sharedModelContainer) } } This is the migration plan enum MigrationPlan: SchemaMigrationPlan { static var schemas: [any VersionedSchema.Type] { [ItemSchemaV1.self, ItemSchemaV2.self] } static var stages: [MigrationStage] = [ MigrationStage.custom(fromVersion: ItemSchemaV1.self, toVersion: ItemSchemaV2.self, willMigrate: { context in print("Started migration") let oldlistItems = try context.fetch(FetchDescriptor<ItemSchemaV1.ItemList>()) for list in oldlistItems { let items = list.items.map { ItemSchemaV2.Item(timestamp: $0.timestamp)} let newList = ItemSchemaV2.ItemList(items: items, name: list.name, note: "This is a new property") context.insert(newList) context.delete(list) } try context.save() // Crash indicated here print("Finished willMigrate") }, didMigrate: { context in print("Did migrate successfully") }) ] } The versioned schemas enum ItemSchemaV1: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier = Schema.Version(1, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] { [Item.self] } @Model final class Item { var timestamp: Date var list: ItemSchemaV1.ItemList? init(timestamp: Date) { self.timestamp = timestamp } } @Model final class ItemList { @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \ItemSchemaV1.Item.list) var items: [Item] var name: String init(items: [Item], name: String) { self.items = items self.name = name } } } enum ItemSchemaV2: VersionedSchema { static var versionIdentifier = Schema.Version(2, 0, 0) static var models: [any PersistentModel.Type] { [Item.self] } @Model final class Item { var timestamp: Date var list: ItemSchemaV2.ItemList? init(timestamp: Date) { self.timestamp = timestamp } } @Model final class ItemList { @Relationship(deleteRule: .cascade, inverse: \ItemSchemaV2.Item.list) var items: [Item] var name: String var note: String init(items: [Item], name: String, note: String = "") { self.items = items self.name = name self.note = note } } } Last the ContentView: struct ContentView: View { @Query private var itemLists: [ItemList] var body: some View { NavigationSplitView { List { ForEach(itemLists) { list in NavigationLink { List(list.items) { item in Text(item.timestamp.formatted(date: .abbreviated, time: .complete)) } .navigationTitle(list.name) } label: { Text(list.name) } } } .navigationTitle("Crashing migration demo") .onAppear { if itemLists.isEmpty { for index in 0..<10 { let items = [Item(timestamp: Date.now)] let listItem = ItemList(items: items, name: "List No. \(index)") modelContext.insert(listItem) } try! modelContext.save() } } } detail: { Text("Select an item") } } }
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
182
Activity
Apr ’25
SwiftData @Model: Optional to-many relationship is never nil at runtime
Hi all, I’m trying to understand SwiftData’s runtime semantics around optional to-many relationships, especially in the context of CloudKit-backed models. I ran into behavior that surprised me, and I’d like to confirm whether this is intended design or a potential issue / undocumented behavior. Minimal example import SwiftUI import SwiftData @Model class Node { var children: [Node]? = nil var parent: Node? = nil init(children: [Node]? = nil, parent: Node? = nil) { self.children = children self.parent = parent print(self.children == nil) } } struct ContentView: View { var body: some View { Button("Create") { _ = Node(children: nil) } } } Observed behavior If @Model is not used, children == nil prints true as expected. If @Model is used, children == nil prints false. Inspecting the macro expansion, it appears SwiftData initializes relationship storage using backing data placeholders and normalizes to-many relationships into empty collections at runtime, even when declared as optional. CloudKit context From the SwiftData + CloudKit documentation: “The iCloud servers don’t guarantee atomic processing of relationship changes, so CloudKit requires all relationships to be optional.” Because of this, modeling relationships as optional is required when syncing with CloudKit, even for to-many relationships. This is why I’m hesitant to simply switch the model to a non-optional [Node] = [], even though that would match the observed runtime behavior. Questions Is it intentional that optional to-many relationships in SwiftData are never nil at runtime, and instead materialize as empty collections? If so, is Optional<[Model]> effectively treated as [Model] for runtime access, despite being required for CloudKit compatibility? Is the defaultValue: nil in the generated Schema.PropertyMetadata intended only for schema/migration purposes rather than representing a possible runtime state? Is there a recommended modeling pattern for CloudKit-backed SwiftData models where relationships must be optional, but runtime semantics behave as non-optional? I’m mainly looking to ensure I’m aligning with SwiftData’s intended design and not relying on behavior that could change or break with CloudKit sync. Thanks in advance for any clarification!
Replies
1
Boosts
1
Views
367
Activity
Jan ’26