How to create NSManagedObject subsclasses for Core Data entities in Xcode

As described in this developer guide on the main aspects of Core Data, each entity we setup in the .xcdatamodeld file describes an object and has a corresponding class that inherits from NSManagedObject.

Xcode provides three different code generation options to control how those subclasses are created.

As we can see above, the options are Manual/None, Class Definition and Category/Extension. We can choose which option to use for a specific entity in the Data Model inspector by selecting the entity in the .xcdatamodeld file.

Let's take a closer look at what each of that options means.

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Codegen option Class Definition

This is the default codegen option when we add a new entity. With the Class Definition option selected, Core Data generates an NSManagedObject subclass with all entity properties and relationships automatically.

For example, a generated subclass for a User entity looks as follows:

User+CoreDataClass.swift

@objc(User)
public class User: NSManagedObject {
}

User+CoreDataProperties.swift

extension User {
    @nonobjc public class func fetchRequest() -> NSFetchRequest<User> {
        return NSFetchRequest<User>(entityName: "User")
    }

    @NSManaged public var username: String?
    @NSManaged public var lastLogin: Date?
    @NSManaged public var verified: Bool
    @NSManaged public var posts: NSSet?
}

extension User {
    @objc(addPostsObject:)
    @NSManaged public func addToPosts(_ value: Post)

    @objc(removePostsObject:)
    @NSManaged public func removeFromPosts(_ value: Post)

    @objc(addPosts:)
    @NSManaged public func addToPosts(_ values: NSSet)

    @objc(removePosts:)
    @NSManaged public func removeFromPosts(_ values: NSSet)
}

As we can see above, Core Data creates a class file and an extension file. These files don't appear in our source code. Xcode produces them as part of the build process and places them in the projects build directory. After building the project, we are able to reference the User entity in our source code. The files are regenerated every time we change the corresponding entity.

Note: If Xcode throws a compiler error saying Cannot find type 'User' in scope, try to clean build the project.

Codegen option Category/Extension

With the Category/Extension option selected, Xcode only generates the properties file User+CoreDataProperties.swift.

We are responsible to generate the class file ourselves which gives us more control for example to add additional methods or business logic inside the managed object subclass.

To generate the class file initially, we can use Xcode's help by selecting Editor > Create NSManagedObject Subclass in the menu.

Codegen option Manual/None

When using the Manual/None option, Core Data doesn't generate any files. We create and maintain the subclass and all its properties and relationsships ourselves.

Core Data locates these files using the values we supply in the class name and module fields in Xcode's Data Model inspector when selecting an entity in the .xcdatamodeld file.

To generate a class and properties file initially, we can use Xcode's help by selecting Editor > Create NSManagedObject Subclass in the menu.

Conclusion

The decision whether to let Xcode automatically generate entity subclasses and their properties for us or to create and manage them manually depends on individual project needs and developer preferences.

The automatic generation option has the advantage that we don't have to worry about keeping the entity classes up-to-date, Xcode will do that for us.

The manual option on the other hand provides us with more control and flexibility, for example to improve the handling of non-optional properties. If you are interested to learn more, checkoout this article on how to handle non-optional Core Data properties in Swift.

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Check out my new book on preparing for a technical iOS job interview with over 200 questions & answers. Test your knowledge on iOS topics such as Swift & Objective-C, SwiftUI & UIKit, Combine, HTTP Networking, Authentication, Core Data, Concurrency with async/await, Security, Automated Testing and more.

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