Swift: Array containing weak references

WeakCollection.swift

import Foundation

/**
 Creates an array of weak reference objects.

 - Important:
    Because this is an array of weak objects, the objects in the array can be removed at any time.

    The collection itself will handle removing nil objects (garbage collection) via the private function cleanUpNilContainers()
 */

class WeakCollection<T>: RangeReplaceableCollection, ExpressibleByArrayLiteral {
    typealias Index = Int
    typealias Element = T
    typealias Iterator = IndexingIterator<[Element]>

    private var weakContainers: [WeakReferenceContainer]

    required convenience init(arrayLiteral: Element...) {
        self.init()
        self.weakContainers = WeakCollection.createWeakContainers(from: arrayLiteral)
    }

    required init() {
        weakContainers = []
    }

    required init<S>(_ elements: S) where S: Sequence, WeakCollection.Element == S.Element {
        self.weakContainers = WeakCollection.createWeakContainers(from: elements)
    }

    static private func createWeakContainers<S>(from weakCollection: S) -> [WeakReferenceContainer] where S: Sequence,
        WeakCollection.Element == S.Element {
            return weakCollection.compactMap { WeakReferenceContainer(value: $0 as AnyObject) }
    }

    func append<S>(contentsOf newElements: S) where S: Sequence, WeakCollection.Element == S.Element {
        self.weakContainers.append(contentsOf: WeakCollection.createWeakContainers(from: newElements))
    }

    var startIndex: Index {
        return references.startIndex
    }

    var endIndex: Index {
        return references.endIndex
    }

    func replaceSubrange<C, R>(_ subrange: R, with newElements: C) where
        C: Collection, R: RangeExpression, WeakCollection.Element == C.Element, WeakCollection.Index == R.Bound {
            weakContainers.replaceSubrange(subrange, with: WeakCollection.createWeakContainers(from: newElements))
    }

    func index(after i: Int) -> Int {
        return references.index(after: i)
    }

    func makeIterator() -> IndexingIterator<[Element]> {
        return references.makeIterator()
    }

    subscript(index: Int) -> Element {
        get {
            return references[index]
        }
        set {
            weakContainers[index] = WeakReferenceContainer(value: newValue as AnyObject)
        }
    }
}

extension WeakCollection {
    private class WeakReferenceContainer {
        private(set) weak var value: AnyObject?

        init(value: AnyObject?) {
            self.value = value
        }
    }

    private func cleanUpNilContainers() {
        weakContainers = weakContainers.compactMap { $0.value == nil ? nil : $0 }
    }

    private var references: [Element] {
        cleanUpNilContainers()
        return weakContainers.compactMap { $0.value as? T }
    }
}