gistfile1.swift

// Creates a UIColor from a Hex string.
func colorWithHexString (hex:String) -> UIColor {
  var cString:String = hex.stringByTrimmingCharactersInSet(NSCharacterSet.whitespaceAndNewlineCharacterSet()).uppercaseString
  
  if (cString.hasPrefix("#")) {
    cString = cString.substringFromIndex(1)
  }
  
  if (countElements(cString) != 6) {
    return UIColor.grayColor()
  }
  
  var rString = cString.substringToIndex(2)
  var gString = cString.substringFromIndex(2).substringToIndex(2)
  var bString = cString.substringFromIndex(4).substringToIndex(2)
  
  var r:CUnsignedInt = 0, g:CUnsignedInt = 0, b:CUnsignedInt = 0;
  NSScanner.scannerWithString(rString).scanHexInt(&r)
  NSScanner.scannerWithString(gString).scanHexInt(&g)
  NSScanner.scannerWithString(bString).scanHexInt(&b)
  
  return UIColor(red: Float(r) / 255.0, green: Float(g) / 255.0, blue: Float(b) / 255.0, alpha: Float(1))
}