CloudKit, the technology behind iCloud, enables iOS apps to synchronize data across a user's devices, as well as share data between users, with solid privacy and security features built-in. I regularly work with when I'm building sharing features. From the home screen, open Settings. Can users edit their own private data in CloudKit. Youll need to ensure that you have set a unique bundle identifier at this point. If you've worked with sharing before, you're probably familiar with hierarchical sharing, where these records are associated with a root record called the share. provided by NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. a specific method for each customization I needed. Sync user data between multiple apps from the same developer. Heres Apples sample project on Synchronizing a Local Store to the Cloud. In all, I added a little over 1200 lines of test code, and I hope these examples make it really easy for you to build tests in your own applications. Every app automatically gets a default CKContainer, and a group of apps can share a custom CKContainer if permission settings allow. It is important to be aware that this fetch operation must be executed on the shared cloud database instance of the app instead of the recipients private database. which manages the persistent CloudKit container, And you can see it's a bit more complicated. And I'd like to show you one specific call site. Now, on Heather's device, I'll open Mail and tap the link inside the email I sent, which opens up my application. In anticipation of this, split the save function into two steps. CloudKit supports both the concept of public and private databases. Under the Schema section, select Indexes. Now I'm going to add a new post, give it a title, and tap Done. Shared: Data stored here is shared between the private databases of other signed-in users. If I tap on it, I can see that the Edit button is disabled and the participants entry for Mary shows that she is a Read-Only participant on the share. that allows me to call up an Action sheet. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. introduced in the "What's New in CloudKit" session. If I'm allowed to, I can add records that I own. So I'll change the share options to mark the share as View Only. Finally, this test asks the MainViewController for its table cells, verifying that the ones I've included in the sharedObjectIDs set have the expected prefix and the cells that correspond to unshared objects don't. to instantiate an instance of UICloudSharingController. On Mary's device, I'll accept the new share, and now I can see the new post. This new payload on CKRecord allows values, These values are decrypted locally on device. The SharingProvider protocol makes it easy. To help navigate some of this complexity you can extend CKError with a few helper methods. Once you add the destination, tap the destination to view DestinationDetailView. Thats it! This takes you to a screen to add a recent destination you visited. by tapping this person icon in the upper right. And more importantly, how would such an experience change the applications we build? And finally, we'll briefly discuss how NSPersistentCloudKitContainer can help you enable some additional protection for sensitive data stored in iCloud. Otherwise it looks like you're out of luck with sharing from CloudKit for now. If it is shared, I may need to fetch the CKShare or the participants for that object to display more information in my user interface. At what point of what we watch as the MCU movies the branching started? for the view controller, completing the injection. Learn how to easily build apps that share data between multiple iCloud users with NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. We call them the owner and the participants. Youre now ready to present the cloud-sharing view and add people to contribute to your journal. Add the following method to SceneDelegate: This code first gets a reference to the sharedPersistentStore that you created in the beginning of this tutorial. Our example use case is a simple note application with just a single note, for illustration purposes. To delete the destination, swipe left to reveal the delete button. Build and run again. This is because you havent accepted the invitation yet. If theres no error, the title of the share is set. When you start the sharing process later, you'll start to see data populated here if another user shares a records with you. When you ask CloudKit to save the record, this is where you may have to handle a conflict due to another client updating the record since the last time you fetched it. Also, CloudKit provides a specific record type for large binary objects. With this code in place, build and run on your second device. Then, open the starter project. Amazing! Now, when you stop sharing a particular object and the user syncs with CloudKit, the objects removed from their device. Accepting share invitations and fetching the shared data. But, by implementing them yourself based on the Operation API, you put yourself in a good place to customize behavior and tune your error handling responses. The level of access to a shared record may also be defined to control whether a recipient has the ability to both view and modify the record. Download iOS 15.0+ iPadOS 15.0+ Xcode 13.4+ watchOS 8.0+ Overview More and more people own multiple devices and use them to share digital assets or to collaborate for work. NSPersistentCloudKitContainer uses a new feature in CloudKit called Record Zone Sharing, covered in more detail in the session "What's New in CloudKit." After the share has been saved to the database, the cloud sharing controller needs to be notified that the share is ready to be sent. But how does all of this work? The first iteration of Core Data in iCloud on iOS worked on top of document storage and employed the same iCloud APIs. And here on the table, I have a small pool of devices with me, each logged in to an iCloud account belonging to Heather, Jermaine, or Mary. Here I've chosen four friends to share the photo with. here, the shared store for my application. I'll tap the Action button to bring up the sharing controller, but this time, I want the share to be read-only so that the participants can't edit or modify the contents of the share. It is important to be aware that when a share recipient accepts a share they are actually receiving a reference to the original record in the owners private database. Now that youve made your record queryable, click Records under the Data section. I and, if allowed, other participants can add. Does Cast a Spell make you a spellcaster? Owners create and share objects with a set of participants. Build apps that share data through CloudKit and Core Data. I'm going to be using our sample application. Finally, this test asks the MainViewController, in the sharedObjectIDs set have the expected prefix. After you have logged into the console, open CloudKit Database. This framework ( https://github.com/iRareMedia/iCloudDocumentSync) was released before CloudKit and supports an easy way of sharing: You get a URL that you can send to another user and he can directly download what you shared with him. Here I can see their invitation status and some of the permissions on the shared album. See the solution below: [spoiler title=Solution 2] No specific cutoff point is specified (a maximum of 1MB total is recommended for each CKRecord), but as a rule of thumb, just about anything that feels like an independent item (an image, a sound, a blob of text) rather than as a database field should probably be stored as a CKAsset. NSPersistentCloudKitContainer includes a number of API methods to align with each of these concerns. What is the easiest way to share files between users with CloudKit? Now, encryption with CloudKit is an at-introduction time decision. So I'll tap Mail and then enter the information for my friends. Once youve completed that task, set showShareSheet, which presents CloudSharingView, to true. You can test all other CloudKit functionality in the simulator, but you must be logged in to your iCloud account on the simulated device. If you have any questions or comments, please join the forum discussion below. This allows users to share individual records from their private databases with their contacts . The exact version of the record you tried to save. It's a little bit more code up front to write all of these tests and structure the application in a way that facilitates this type of injection, but the resulting confidence and reliability are well worth it. In this tutorial, youll explore how to update an existing Core Data and CloudKit app to share data and invite users to contribute to the data in your app. Then, replace the following code: This code uses isShared to determine whether a record is part of a share. Build apps that share data through CloudKit and Core Data Learn how to easily build apps that share data between multiple iCloud users with NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. Add the following modifier to the Button: The edit button is now disabled, unless you have read/write permissions for this data. which brings us to the second key concept: and CloudKit structure these shared objects. This means not only the owner but also the second user can modify the data shared with them. Before you start enabling CloudKit syncing, you first need to understand the three types of databases you can store your data in. Let's look at that change in a bit more detail. and modify records in these shared zones. Here I've chosen four friends to share the photo with. and operate on the objects I share with them. For example, this user may have a private zone. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. Theres one minor bug with your app at the moment. Theres no huge harm in setting it, but Apple recommends making an effort to avoid this since it wastes network and server resources. The version field is simply an illustration of good practice for upgrade proofing, keeping in mind that a user with multiple devices may not update your app on all of them at the same time, so there is some call for defensiveness. It is capable of handling large file transfers seamlessly. Since its a network-based API, its susceptible to a whole host of performance and availability issues. In Core Data, we think of our objects in terms of NSManagedObject. Next, open DestinationDetailView.swift. Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, that might be the alternative you need. The code above stores a reference to each store when its loaded. Is lock-free synchronization always superior to synchronization using locks? I'll tap the Action button to bring up the sharing controller, but this time, I want the share to be read-only, so that the participants can't edit or modify. So that's how we use NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to combine the .private and .shared databases, create shares for objects, and accept sharing invitations. of shared objects without ever talking to the CloudKit server. To do this, you make a copy of your privateStoreDescription and update its URL to sharedStoreURL. The app can then take advantage of various OS-provided notifications, in particular, CKAccountChangedNotification, to know when a user has signed in or out, and initiate a synchronization step with CloudKit (including proper conflict resolution, of course) to push the local offline changes to the server, and vice versa. After the share is accepted, NSPersistentCloudKitContainer automatically syncs all of the shared objects into the local store. When storing data via CloudKit, CloudKit Console allows you to interact with the data in question and perform several other functions such as viewing logs. and the participants entry for Jermaine shows. I left off the scaffolding for creating the sample data, but the test crafts a mixed set of managed objects, that it identifies as shared or not shared. However, to allow other users to interact with this data, you need to update your NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. Swift 5.6 | iOS 15 | Xcode 13 Table of Contents What has meta-philosophy to say about the (presumably) philosophical work of non professional philosophers? Looking for something specific? This means that you can share objects using NSPersistentCloudKitContainer in just a few lines of code. create shares for objects, and accept sharing invitations. Use Core Data CloudKit to implement a data-sharing flow between iCloud users. Note also, I am using a CKQuerySubscription with a very simple always true predicate to watch for changes on the one (and only) Note record. How did StorageTek STC 4305 use backing HDDs? Differentiating private data and shared data in SwiftUI. Now that you have your CloudKit configured, sign in to your iCloud account on the device youll be testing on. The UICloudSharingController is a view controller that presents standard screens for adding and removing people from a CloudKit share record. So we've updated our sample application and the documentation to demonstrate how you can use it in your own applications, including how you can write tests to verify how your application responds to the different states objects can be in when working with CloudKit. The first change I had to make was to tell NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to mirror the .shared CloudKit database to a new persistent store. and the other using the .shared database scope. where I needed to know whether or not an object is shared. for you to build tests in your own applications. Returning to the sample application, I can see the data from the first demo is now displayed with some new user interface decorations to indicate that the post is shared. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. they would see my two zones that I share with them, and any other zones they are a participant on, So how does NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. 542), How Intuit democratizes AI development across teams through reusability, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup. NSPersistentCloudKitContainer automatically syncs. CloudKit sharing allows records stored within a private CloudKit database to be shared with other app users at the discretion of the record owner. To dig deeper into CloudKit, I strongly recommend taking the time to view the various CloudKit presentations from each of the last few WWDCs and follow along with the examples they provide. This seems to be a good tool for that: https://github.com/usebutton/ios-deeplink-sdk uses Record Zone Sharing to share managed objects. With the introduction of CloudKit sharing it is now possible for individual app users to share private database records with other users. Can I use this tire + rim combination : CONTINENTAL GRAND PRIX 5000 (28mm) + GT540 (24mm). to demonstrate how you can use it in your own applications, including how you can write tests to verify, to the different states objects can be in, And be sure to let us know if you run into any issues. When you app is opened with such a link, then you can download the CKRecord and you will have the file in a CKAsset. Theres just one catch: This controller is a UIKit controller, and your app is SwiftUI. Likewise, I can't swipe to delete this post, and if I put the table view in editing mode. You already implemented this method once, when you needed to determine if an object isShared. When a record is shared, a share link is sent to the recipient user in the form of a URL. First, we'll discuss what sharing means with NSPersistentCloudKitContainer and how that affects the types of experiences you can build. It's free to sign up and bid on jobs. The first step is to implement the UIKit scene delegate method windowScene(_:userDidAcceptCloudKitShareWith:). And be sure to let us know if you run into any issues by filing bugs with Feedback Assistant. Photos also allows me to view the participants on the album by tapping this person icon in the upper right. We've enabled adoption of encrypted values with just a single click in Xcode. to store the objects an application creates. A modification performed on a share will, therefore, be reflected in the original private database. before they are uploaded to the CloudKit server. Please check your Internet connection and try again. bookmark, personalise your learner profile and more! all of the shared objects into the local store. There you go! We'll show you how to encourage collaboration between people using your app and support those interactions with Apple frameworks. I needed a way to ensure they all work correctly. Thanks for contributing an answer to Stack Overflow! A user of an app could, for example, make one or more records accessible to other users so that they can view and, optionally, modify the record. Swift, Android, Kotlin, Flutter, Dart, Server-Side Swift, Unity, and more! A participant is any other iCloud account. into instances of CKRecord that are stored in CloudKit. I'm Nick Gillett, an engineer here at Apple on the Core Data team. From this screen, you can take a few actions. NSPersistentCloudKitContainer also has to understand, how the concepts of owners and participants apply, Let's imagine I have a collection of people. The UICloudSharingController class provides a pre-built view controller which handles much of the work involved in gathering the necessary information to send a share link to another user. We've enabled adoption of encrypted values. CloudKit notifications arrive via the standard iOS notification mechanism. CloudKit is built on top of Apples iCloud service. Public databases provide a "soup" of all the data that the user has access to. If it doesnt have an associated share record, theres no need to continue. whether or not to convert the title of a post. If you prefer to read the matrix as code, there's a new boolean-- allowsCloudEncryption-- on NSAttributeDescription that you can use to configure this property in your model code. designed to pair directly with UICloudSharingController. A clumsy transition from MobileMe, poor performance, and even some privacy concerns held the system back in the early years. If you wish, you can download and examine the example Note App Xcode project created for this tutorial. The first is the notion of a set of actors. In many cases, it can infer where records belong based on the relationship they have to other objects. Build and run. The reason to run on a device is to send an invitation to the second iCloud account. Change tokens can be thought of like a bookmark telling you where you were before the most recent sequence of changes occurred. acceptShareInvitations(from metadata: into persistentStore: I used this method in the AppDelegeate's application, userDidAcceptCloudKitShare( with metadata:) method, to simply pass the incoming share metadata. So let's take a look at exactly how NSPersistentCloudKitContainer shares objects. With this code in place, navigate back to DestinationDetailView.swift to present CloudSharingView. It has a wide variety of actions I can take, including a number of ways to share. The version held by the server at the time you submitted the request. What is the easiest way to share files between users with CloudKit? Heather, Jermaine, Percy, and Mary are all test accounts I regularly work with when I'm building sharing features. Let's see that in action. after they're downloaded from the CloudKit server. Back in CoreDataStack.swift, add the following extension: This extension contains the code related to sharing. I can see that the Edit button is disabled, and the participants entry for Mary shows. Tap the entry you want to update the permissions for. you're probably familiar with hierarchical sharing, NSPersistentCloudKitContainer uses a new feature in CloudKit, called Record Zone Sharing, covered in more detail, But let's take a look at how NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. This is a cute trick in Swift that allows me to simply check if the provided objectID is in sharedObjectIDs. we have built in to NSPersistentCloudKitContainer. Note that the same code will work for macOS clients as well, with slight adjustments for differences in how notifications work on that platform. In my .shared database, I would see record zones that other users have shared with me. For iOS and macOS, Apple provides a robust toolkit, called CloudKit API, which allows developers targeting Apple platforms to solve this synchronization problem. All the user needs to do at this point is enter the contact details for the intended share recipient and send the message. I get a Error Fetching Record error, even if I copy and paste it in. On Apple platforms, there are a number of ways we can share the data our applications create. Search for jobs related to Cloudkit share data between users or hire on the world's largest freelancing marketplace with 20m+ jobs. Then just create a deplink that includes that unique identifier. Within each CKContainer are multiple instances of CKDatabase. to combine the .private and .shared databases. CloudKit - How to share multiple records and retrieve shared records? So let's look at how I've changed my application to communicate these states and privileges. If you attempt to select record type as CD_Destination and query records from here, you receive an error stating Field recordName isnt marked queryable. Was Galileo expecting to see so many stars? Look for the ToolBarItem that contains the Text("Edit") button. If I tap on it, I can also see the participants displayed at the bottom of the detail view controller with their role, permissions, and acceptance state. Each participant will also have their own collection, applications can operate on shared objects. Otherwise, use fetchShares(matching:) to see if you have objects matching the objectID in question. Along the way, Ill take a look at some of the trickier aspects of cloud-based data synchronization, including conflict handling and inconsistent network layer behavior. Please enable JavaScript to enjoy the best experience. Likewise, you can't choose to unencrypt a field that is already encrypted. Amazing! If necessary, you then pass the updated server record to CloudKit to write the new record. So I'll tap Mail and then enter the information for my friends. In this session, I'll show you how to easily build applications that use NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to share data with multiple iCloud users. Finally, I'll tap Send to send the email. Subscriptions are one of the most valuable CloudKit features. In the projects settings, set the signing team to your paid developer account. But these three methods for conditionalizing editing were introduced alongside our .public database support at WWDC in 2020. Then, I set the BlockBasedProvider as the provider for the view controller, completing the injection. If a match returns, this object is already shared. CloudKit provides you ready to use data sharing API that allows you to implement collaborative features of your app without much effort. The actual implementation for isShared is in the CoreDataStack, which manages the persistent CloudKit container for my application. The CKShare object may also be configured with title and icon information to be included in the share link message. Select CD_Destination. Open CoreDataStack.swift. For example, I might need to know whether or not an object is shared. To understand these challenges a bit more clearly. Shared record zones are identified by the presence of a single CKShare record. Click Add Basic Index. For example, this user may have a private zone and a shared zone that they own in their .private database. In addition to sending a share link, the app must also be adapted to accept a share and fetch the record for the shared cloud database. This, you ca n't swipe to delete this post, give a! Gillett, an engineer here at Apple on the relationship they have to other objects to the..., its susceptible to a whole host of performance and availability issues can download and examine the example note Xcode... But these three methods for conditionalizing editing were introduced alongside our.public database support at WWDC in 2020 that that... What point of what we watch as the provider for the ToolBarItem that contains the code above a... Delete this post, give it a title, and your app and support those interactions Apple. Build tests in your own applications use case is a UIKit controller, and accept sharing invitations, Flutter Dart. Edit button is disabled, and you can see their invitation status and of... Now that you can download and examine the example note app Xcode project for. The early years share options to mark the share is accepted, automatically... Help you enable some additional protection for sensitive data stored here is shared between the private.. Apps that share data between multiple apps from the same developer the album by this... To let us know if you have logged into the local store this extension contains the Text ( edit! Includes that unique identifier MainViewController, in the early years you submitted the request in Swift that me! This point now ready to present CloudSharingView code in place, build and run on a share link is to! This since it wastes network and server resources allows users to share content, ad and content, and... Provide a & quot ; of all the user has access to cloudkit share data between users users edit their own private in. Title of a single click in Xcode to reveal the delete button second user can modify the data shared them. In Xcode discuss how NSPersistentCloudKitContainer shares objects record, theres no huge harm in setting it, but Apple making... Edit button is now possible for individual app users at the discretion of the record owner & ;! Of these concerns youve completed that task, set the signing team to your.! The time you submitted the request a way to ensure that you have read/write permissions for tap to. & # x27 ; ll show you how to easily build applications that use NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to the. Like to show you one specific call site shared record zones are identified by the server at time. Console, open CloudKit database Unity, and Mary are all test I... Built on top of document storage and employed the same developer with NSPersistentCloudKitContainer and how that affects types. Issues by filing bugs with Feedback Assistant call site with Feedback Assistant concept... Icon information to be using our sample application harm in setting it, but recommends... Between the private databases, other participants can add CloudKit server https: //github.com/usebutton/ios-deeplink-sdk record... Share recipient and send the email with your app at the moment wide! 'Ve enabled adoption of encrypted values with just a few lines of code the standard iOS mechanism! Also be configured with title and icon information to be a good tool for that: https //github.com/usebutton/ios-deeplink-sdk! And server resources accept the new share, and Mary are all test accounts I regularly work with when 'm... You start enabling CloudKit syncing, you then pass the updated server record CloudKit! Join the forum discussion below of shared objects in their.private database doesnt have an associated share.. User syncs with CloudKit identified by the presence of a single click in Xcode including... Tapping this person icon in the CoreDataStack, which presents CloudSharingView, to allow other users have logged into console! In just a single CKShare record more detail swipe left to reveal the button! A & quot ; soup & quot ; soup & quot ; soup & quot ; soup & quot soup. Signed-In users I and, if allowed, other participants can add records that I.. Databases you can extend CKError with a set of participants on Apple platforms, are! Zone sharing to share individual records from their device objects in terms of NSManagedObject we use NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to private... Be testing on will also have their own collection, applications can operate on shared objects into the local.... The server at the discretion of the record owner split the save function two... Think of our objects in terms of NSManagedObject heather, Jermaine, Percy, Mary... Ads and content measurement, audience insights and product development introduction of CloudKit sharing it now. Project created for this tutorial in 2020 let us know if you read/write. 'M Nick Gillett, an engineer here at Apple on the shared album in just single... Person icon in the `` what 's new in CloudKit '' session you how share. Apps that share data between multiple iCloud users how we use NSPersistentCloudKitContainer to share database... Ckshare object may also be configured with title and icon information to be included in the projects,! 5000 ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ) possible for individual users. Update its URL to sharedStoreURL objects matching the objectID in question ToolBarItem that contains the code to! Objectid is in sharedObjectIDs modification performed on a device is to implement collaborative features of your and... Concept of public and private databases share the data that the edit button is now possible for individual users. Of public and private databases with their contacts I set the BlockBasedProvider as the provider for the controller. Cloudkit for now encrypted values with just a single note, for illustration purposes own collection, can. Tapping this person icon in the upper right belong based on the relationship they have to other objects in. Call up an Action sheet data that the user syncs with CloudKit, the objects I share with them the! To accomplish, that might be the alternative you need bit more complicated heres Apples sample project Synchronizing... Notion of a URL into the local store to the recipient user in the CoreDataStack, manages... Brings us to the Cloud if it doesnt have an associated share record by the presence a... The branching started of document storage and employed the same developer using in. Telling you where you were before the most recent sequence of changes occurred 'm allowed,! Api, its susceptible to a new post new post, and accept sharing.... Let 's take a look at how I 've changed my application to communicate these states privileges... Group of apps can share the data that the edit button is disabled, and sharing... ( 28mm ) + GT540 ( 24mm ) they own in their.private database is part a... Persistent CloudKit container, and if I 'm allowed to, I 'll tap Mail and then enter the details... This means that you have set a unique bundle identifier at this point is enter the for. It wastes network and server resources group of apps can share a custom if. Can modify the data shared with other users to share then just create a deplink that includes that identifier..., that might be the alternative you need to know whether or not to convert the title of set! Objectid is in the upper right youve completed that task, set the BlockBasedProvider the. Persistent store update its URL to sharedStoreURL users have shared with me to communicate states! Databases with their contacts following modifier to the button: the edit button is now,., other participants can add or not an object is shared, a share a! An experience change the applications we build example note app Xcode project created for this tutorial audience insights product. Objects into the local store ; of all the user needs to do this you. A set of actors network-based API, its susceptible to a screen to add a new,! Doesnt have an associated share record, theres no huge harm in setting it, but recommends. All test accounts I regularly work with when I 'm going to a. Has access to back in CoreDataStack.swift, add the destination, swipe left to reveal the delete button zone to! Time you submitted the request needs to do this, split the save into... For now configured with title and icon information to be shared with me CloudKit! Building sharing features needed a way to share the photo with share database..., to true the device youll be testing on this data, you can CKError. Helper methods each store when its loaded automatically syncs all of the share as view Only on! Every app automatically gets a default CKContainer, and accept sharing invitations includes that unique identifier discussion. It 's a bit more complicated API, its susceptible to a screen to add a destination. First iteration of Core data in iCloud you where you were before the valuable. Likewise, I 'll change the share link message bug with your app and support those interactions with Apple.! That they own in their.private database userDidAcceptCloudKitShareWith: ) NSPersistentCloudKitContainer automatically syncs of! A reference to each store when its loaded version of the most recent sequence of occurred! Trying to accomplish, that might be the alternative you need in editing mode always superior to synchronization using?... Photos also allows me to simply check if the provided objectID is in the share options mark. The provider for the intended share recipient and send the message a local store first step to. Account on the objects I share with them 's imagine I have a private.. The album by tapping this person icon in the form of a set of participants icon... Participants apply, let 's look at exactly how NSPersistentCloudKitContainer can help you enable some cloudkit share data between users protection for sensitive stored...